Email Marketing Guide for Nonprofits: Strategies, Free Tools & Templates to Boost Engagement

Introduction

Nonprofits and mission-driven organizations: your potential donors’ inboxes are already flooded with unread emails, promotions, and newsletters that scream for attention. According to Statista, every day, over 347 billion emails are sent worldwide. Any nonprofit, with their limited resources, can easily get lost in this noise. But email marketing is still the most effective channel for ROI, boasting $36 for every $1 spent.

So, how do you stand out? This guide unpacks the essentials of email marketing for nonprofits, offering free tools, templates, and strategies to help you effectively spread the word about your mission. Whether you’re looking to boost donor engagement, increase fundraising, or simply share your story, this is your go-to resource.

Why Email Marketing is Crucial for Nonprofits

Nonprofit email marketing remains a highly effective strategy for organizations aiming to engage supporters and drive donations. 

• Cost-Effectiveness: Email marketing offers a high return on investment (ROI).
• Engagement Power: Email marketing is considered the most effective marketing channel by 41% of marketers, surpassing other channels in driving engagement. 
• Long-Term Relationships: Personalized email campaigns can significantly enhance donor engagement, with nonprofits reporting a 29% increase in open rates and a 41% increase in click-through rates when emails are personalized. 

Data-Driven Strategies for Better Outcomes

Segmentation and personalization give you an edge over others. Segmenting your audience based on donation history or interests can boost open rates and click-through rates. Email marketing isn’t just about sending messages; it’s about delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. Start small: group your list into past donors, event attendees, and first-time subscribers.

Pro Tip: You should already have personas. If you don’t, create these by name and base the name on some demographic or group category. Bucket your contacts list by persona to run segmented personalization. “Monthly Mike/Michelle,” “Lapsed Lucy,” etc.

Types of Nonprofit Emails You Should Be Sending

Crafting the right mix of emails is essential for a successful nonprofit email marketing strategy. Each type serves a unique purpose and drives specific outcomes.:

• Welcome Emails
  • Purpose: First impressions matter. Welcome emails set the tone for future engagement and introduce your mission.
  • Template Example:
    • Subject: “Welcome to [Your Nonprofit Name] — Let’s Make a Difference Together!”
    • Body: “Hi [First Name],
      Thank you for joining [Your Nonprofit Name]. We’re thrilled to have you on board as we work towards [specific mission]. Here’s how you can get started:
      1. [Action 1, e.g., Follow us on social media.]
      2. [Action 2, e.g., Learn about our latest project.] Your involvement means the world to us.
    • Best, [Your Team Name]”
    • CTA: “Discover Our Mission” or “Join Our Community.”
  • Impact: Welcome emails have an average open rate of 82%, making them ideal for building early rapport.

• Donation Appeals
  • Purpose: Encourage financial contributions by highlighting the tangible impact of donations.
  • Template Example:
    • Subject: “Transform Lives Today — Your Gift Makes It Possible.”
    • Body: “Hi [First Name],
      Every $25 you donate provides [specific outcome, e.g., school supplies for 5 children]. Together, we can [state larger mission impact].
      Act now to multiply your impact. All donations made before [specific date] will be matched dollar-for-dollar.
      Thank you for standing with us.
      Warm regards, [Your Team Name]”
    • CTA: “Donate Now and Double Your Impact.”
  • Impact: Well-crafted appeals with urgency and clear outcomes can significantly boost conversion rates.

• Event Invitations
  • Purpose: Drive attendance to fundraisers, webinars, or volunteer events.
  • Template Example:
    • Subject: “Save the Date: [Event Name] on [Event Date]!”
    • Body: “Dear [First Name],
      We’re excited to invite you to [Event Name], happening on [Event Date] at [Location/Online]. Join us for [brief event highlights, e.g., inspiring speakers, live entertainment, and more].
      Your participation helps us [specific mission impact, e.g., raise funds for clean water projects].
      RSVP today to reserve your spot!
      Best regards, [Your Team Name]”
    • CTA: “RSVP Now” or “Learn More.”
  • Impact: Personalized invitations increase attendance and foster community engagement.

• Thank You Emails
  • Purpose: Express gratitude to donors, volunteers, and supporters.
  • Template Example:
    • Subject: “You Made a Difference — Thank You!”
    • Body: “Dear [First Name],
      Because of you, we’ve achieved [specific impact, e.g., “served 500 meals to families in need”]. Your generosity is changing lives and bringing hope to those who need it most.
      We’d love for you to see the difference you’ve made: [Include link to impact report or story.]
      With heartfelt gratitude, [Your Team Name]”
    • CTA: “See Your Impact” or “Share Our Mission.”
  • Impact: Gratitude fosters loyalty and increases the likelihood of repeat contributions.

A few tips for Success

1. Automate Key Emails: Set up automation for welcome sequences, donation confirmations, and thank-you notes.
2. Incorporate Visuals: Use images of beneficiaries, events, or your team to make emails more engaging.
3. Include Social Proof: Highlight donor testimonials or share metrics like “Over 1,000 lives impacted this year.”
4. Ensure Consistent Copy: Stack your email copy in one doc, and read from top to bottom. If there isn’t flow or integrity of voice and tone, re-work your sequence.

Takeaway: Audit your last five nonprofit emails. Are the tone, messaging, and visuals consistent? If not, create a brand voice guide outlining key language, colors, and messaging pillars. Update your email templates accordingly.

Building a Strong Nonprofit Email Marketing Strategy

Creating a successful nonprofit email marketing strategy requires a step-by-step approach that combines thoughtful planning, data-driven techniques, and automation. Let’s get you started:

• Build Your Email List
  • Use multiple touchpoints to grow your subscriber base.
    • Embedding sign-up forms on your website.
    • Adding a call-to-action on social media posts.
    • Hosting events where attendees can opt-in to your mailing list.
  • Offer incentives like free resources, exclusive updates, or downloadable content (e.g., an impact report).

• Segment Your Audience
  • Break down your list into targeted groups.
    • Donation frequency: one-time donors, monthly contributors, or lapsed donors.
    • Interests: advocacy, volunteering, or specific projects.
    • Geography: target emails based on regional relevance for events or initiatives.
  • Why it works: Segmentation allows for tailored messaging, which can increase open rates and click-through rates.
  • Create a Content Calendar
  • Develop a monthly or quarterly email schedule to ensure consistent communication. Include:
    • Regular newsletters.
    • Event announcements.
    • Seasonal campaigns (e.g., Giving Tuesday or year-end appeals).

• Personalize Your Messages
  • Look at dynamic content to personalize:
    • Subject lines (e.g., “Thank you, [First Name], for your support!”).
    • Email body text (e.g., referencing a past donation or volunteer activity).
  • Studies show personalized emails generate 26% higher open rates and significantly improve engagement.

• Leverage Automation
  • Automate repetitive tasks such as:
    • Welcome email sequences for new subscribers.
    • Donor thank-you emails after a contribution.
    • Drip campaigns to educate and onboard supporters.
  • Tools like Mailchimp, Moosend, and ActiveCampaign make automation seamless and effective.

Complementing Your Strategy with Social Media

Your email marketing strategy will work best when combined with a solid social media strategy:

• Share email content snippets (like impact stories or event updates) on your social channels.
• Use social media campaigns to drive sign-ups for your email list.
• Cross-promote both channels to maximize engagement and reach.

Check out our Social Media for Nonprofits article for detailed tips on how to create a social media strategy for your organization.

Email is social; it’s just closed, direct messaging. Just like building a social queue, when you’re crafting email sequences or campaigns, you need a sustainable source of stories, interesting content, updates, and points of interest. Don’t start an email newsletter without considering and planning or the sustainability of your content supply. 

Takeaway: Define three audience segments based on donor behavior (e.g., “One-Time Donors,” “Monthly Supporters,” “Lapsed Donors”). Create one personalized email sequence per segment using automation tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign etc.

Free and Paid Email Marketing Tools for Nonprofits

Tool	Free Plan Features	Paid Plan Benefits	Nonprofit Discounts
Mailchimp	500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month, basic templates, and forms.	Advanced segmentation, A/B testing, and analytics.	15% discount for verified nonprofits.
Sendinblue (Brevo)	300 emails/day, unlimited contacts, customizable templates, SMS.	Marketing automation, advanced segmentation, A/B testing.	15% discount for nonprofits.
Moosend	Unlimited emails for up to 1,000 subscribers, drag-and-drop editor.	Advanced reporting, segmentation, priority support.	Specific discounts upon request.
Constant Contact	60-day free trial with access to all features.	Event marketing tools, customizable templates.	20-30% discount on prepaid plans.
Campaign Monitor	Limited to 5 subscribers, primarily for testing purposes.	Premier templates, robust integrations, analytics.	15% discount for nonprofits.
ActiveCampaign	14-day free trial with access to all features.	Advanced CRM, marketing automation, segmentation.	20% discount for nonprofits.
HubSpot	CRM tools, email marketing, up to 2,000 emails/month.	Comprehensive marketing suites with advanced features.	Discounts via HubSpot for Nonprofits.
ConvertKit	1,000 subscribers, customizable templates, landing pages.	Automation, visual journey editor, integrations.	Discounts upon request.
AWeber	500 subscribers, 3,000 emails/month, templates, landing pages.	Advanced analytics, segmentation, priority support.	25% discount for 501(c)(3) nonprofits.
BEE Free	Free drag-and-drop editor for quick email creation.	Premium templates, team collaboration.	No specific discounts listed.
Zoho Campaigns	Email designer, basic automation tools.	Advanced segmentation, analytics.	Discounts for nonprofits may apply.

Matching Tools to Needs

• Small nonprofits can thrive with free email marketing for nonprofits using Mailchimp or Moosend.
• Larger organizations with complex campaigns might benefit from the robust features of Constant Contact or ActiveCampaign.
• For organizations needing CRM integration, HubSpot or ActiveCampaign are excellent options.
• Nonprofits looking for simplicity can explore BEE Free for quick email creation.

Takeaway: Make a quick checklist of your nonprofit’s email marketing needs (e.g., “Do I need automation?”, “Do I need CRM integration?”, “Do I need donor segmentation?”). Compare at least three tools using this checklist and choose the best fit.

Check out our platform Donately for a different take on nonprofit marketing.

“We’ve seen a handful of platforms promote themselves as “free”, only to collect upwards of 8% with donor-paid-fees. We wanted to do donor fees differently, where you set the amounts and you get the extra revenue, not us. On average Donately accounts can save over $40,000 for every $1M raised.”

Javan Van Gronigen

Co-founder, Head of Creative

How to Measure the Success of Your Email Marketing Campaigns

Tracking your nonprofit email marketing campaigns involves focusing on the right metrics, interpreting them accurately, and continuously optimizing for better performance. Here’s how it works:

Key Metrics to Track:

1. Open Rates: Reflect the effectiveness of your subject lines. An average nonprofit open rate ranges from 20% to 25%. If your rates are lower, test different subject lines or personalization techniques. 
   • Note: We do believe that open rates need to be combined with other metrics to be a good indicator of performance. 
2. Click-Through Rates (CTR): Indicates how engaging your email content is. Aim for a CTR of around 2% to 3%, and boost it by adding compelling CTAs.
3. Conversion Rates: Measure how many recipients completed the desired action (donating, signing up, etc.). Track these against your campaign goals.
4. Bounce Rates: High bounce rates signal issues with email deliverability. Keep your email list clean by removing invalid or outdated addresses.
5. Unsubscribe Rates: Anything above 0.5% might indicate issues with content relevance or email frequency.
6. Email Forward/Share Rates: These show how often your content is being shared, amplifying your reach organically.

Advanced Tracking Techniques:

1. A/B Testing:
   • Test different subject lines, email layouts, or CTAs.
   • Track performance across variations to optimize future campaigns.
2. Heatmaps:
   • Use tools like Crazy Egg or Mailchimp’s click maps to analyze where recipients interact most within your email.
3. Attribution Analysis:
   • Use platforms like HubSpot to track donor behavior from email interaction to final conversion.
4. UTM Parameters:
   • Add UTM tags to your email links to monitor campaign performance in Google Analytics. For example, track how many website visits stem from a specific email.

Actionable Optimization Tips:

• Personalize Content: Emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened.
• Refine Sending Times: According to Campaign Monitor, the best time to send nonprofit emails is between 10 AM and 2 PM on weekdays.
• Segment Your List: Email list segmentation is considered one of the most effective email marketing tactics that are 51% effective and least likely to be difficult to execute.
• Automate Follow-Ups: Use tools like ActiveCampaign to send automated thank-you emails after donations.

Takeaway: Identify the top 3 key performance indicators (KPIs) for your emails (e.g., open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate). Set benchmark goals based on nonprofit industry standards and adjust future emails accordingly.

Examples of Successful Nonprofit Email Marketing Campaigns

1. Fifty & Fifty x Curebound

Fifty & Fifty collaborated with Curebound, a San Diego-based philanthropic organization dedicated to funding cancer research, to achieve ambitious fundraising and rebranding objectives.

Approach:

• Campaign Development: Launched two major campaigns, “A World Without Cancer” and “Cancer Doesn’t Care”, to engage the community and highlight Curebound’s mission.
• Digital and Media Execution: Created email and designed a customized landing page to enhance user experience.

Results:

• Donor Expansion: Attracted 75% new donors and registrants through organic outreach and targeted campaigns.

2. Maot Chitim’s Ebook Lead Magnet

Maot Chitim, a nonprofit serving the Jewish community, developed a free e-book as a lead magnet to attract new subscribers. This strategy resulted in over 830 new email subscribers, 150+ new donors, and nearly $9,000 in donations within 100 days. 

3. Variety – The Children’s Charity of British Columbia’s Email Fundraising

Variety BC developed a robust email marketing program that raised over $1 million in 15 months. One notable campaign raised $136,499 in a single week. Their success was attributed to strategic planning, compelling storytelling, and effective donor targeting through email communications. 

4. No Kid Hungry’s Student Engagement Campaign

No Kid Hungry launched a Newsletter campaign encouraging students to participate in giving ideas for fundraising activities such as hosting bake sales and internships. This initiative effectively mobilized a younger demographic, increasing engagement and support for their mission. 

5. Fifty & Fifty x Susan G. Komen

Fifty & Fifty partnered with Susan G. Komen to create a Mother’s Day campaign aimed at engaging supporters and honoring mothers, especially those battling breast cancer. They developed a microsite celebrating the dedication of mothers and encouraged users to write uplifting messages to the mothers in their lives. For each message submitted, Susan G. Komen committed to delivering a note to a woman undergoing breast cancer treatment. The campaign was promoted through emails, social media, paid advertisements, and direct mail, effectively increasing audience engagement and support for the cause.

Key Takeaways:

• Personalization Improves Engagement: Tailoring email content to individual donor histories and preferences can significantly boost re-engagement and contributions.
• Resources Attract New Supporters: Offering valuable resources, such as e-books, can effectively grow your subscriber list and donor base.
• Strategic Planning Yields High Returns: Well-planned email campaigns with compelling storytelling can result in substantial fundraising success.
• Youth Engagement Mobilizes New Demographics: Campaigns targeting younger audiences can expand your supporter base and increase mission impact.
• Interactive Content Drives Participation: Innovative tools like apps that encourage user interaction and sharing can enhance engagement and support for your cause.Try adding one interactive feature to your next email campaign like a donor impact quiz or a poll asking subscribers to vote on the next project

Conclusion

Email marketing for nonprofits is not only necessary for your organization but also a way to build connections and achieve your mission. By using segmentation, free and paid tools, and personalized messaging, you can cut through the noise and make a meaningful impact. Download our templates, test out new ideas, and watch your engagement soar.

Interested In Learning More?

Reach out to our Digital Agency for Nonprofits services to learn more about how to use email marketing effectively.