Mar 29, 2023 12:40:27 AM | Email Marketing How to Write Emails Your Donors Want to Read

As a non-profit organization, how do you ensure that your donors read and respond to your emails? With the abundance of emails in our inboxes, it's easy for your message to get lost in the shuffle.

Email marketing is a crucial component of any non-profit's fundraising strategy. It's a cost-effective way to communicate with your donors and keep them engaged with your cause. However, simply sending out emails is not enough; you need to make sure that your emails are effective in capturing your donor's attention and inspiring them to act.

If you want to make the most out of your email campaigns, you need to learn how to write emails that your donors want to read.

In this article, we will share some tips and tricks on how to craft compelling emails that will get your donors excited about supporting your cause. So, whether you're a seasoned fundraiser or just starting, keep reading to learn how to write emails that will make your donors sit up and take notice.

What is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is a powerful tool that enables organizations to connect with their donors and supporters on a more personal level. Simply put, email marketing is the process of using email to promote a product, service, or idea.

In the context of non-profit organizations, email marketing is used to engage donors and supporters, encourage donations, and raise awareness for their cause.

Email marketing campaigns typically involve creating and sending regular newsletters, updates, and promotional emails to a list of subscribers who have opted-in to receive these communications. These emails can include a variety of content, such as news and updates about the organization's work, success stories, upcoming events, calls to action, and donation requests.

Why Email Marketing is Important

Email marketing is a crucial component of any non-profit organization's fundraising and outreach strategy. Here are some reasons why email marketing is important:

1. Cost-effective: Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach a large audience. Compared to traditional marketing methods like direct mail, email marketing is significantly cheaper and can save organizations a lot of money on printing and postage costs.

2. Personalized communication: Email marketing allows organizations to communicate with their donors and supporters on a more personal level. By segmenting their email lists based on donor interests and behaviours, organizations can tailor their messages and increase the likelihood of engagement and donations.

3. Increased engagement: Email marketing is an effective way to increase engagement and build relationships with donors and supporters. By sending regular updates and newsletters, organizations can keep their audience informed about their work, successes, and upcoming events, and encourage them to take action.

4. Measurable results: Email marketing campaigns can be easily tracked and analyzed, allowing organizations to measure the success of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions about future marketing efforts. By tracking metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, organizations can optimize their campaigns and improve their effectiveness.

5. Donor retention: Email marketing is a powerful tool for donor retention. By staying in regular communication with their donors and providing them with meaningful content, organizations can build loyalty and increase the likelihood of future donations.

All in all, email marketing is an important tool for non-profit organizations looking to engage donors and supporters, increase donations, and raise awareness for their cause.

By creating engaging and personalized content and leveraging the power of data analytics, organizations can build strong relationships with their audience and achieve their fundraising goals.

How to Write Emails Your Donors Want to Read

Emails are an integral part of any non-profit organization's inbound marketing strategy. They are free, instant, and customizable, allowing organizations to relay a variety of information to their donors with a quick click of a mouse. However, these benefits are meaningless if the emails are not read.

To ensure that your donors open and engage with your emails, here are some tips:

Write an Enticing Subject Line

The subject line of an email is critical in determining whether or not the recipient will open it. According to research, 35% of people decide whether to open an email based on its subject line alone. Therefore, it is crucial to make the subject line enticing to get results.

The most effective subject lines are typically:

• Short and related to the content, usually six to eight words
• Personalized, incorporating recipient names or otherwise directed at the reader
• Authentic, avoiding spam triggers like all caps or spammy words like “free”

It's important to ensure that the subject line is authentic and avoids spam triggers. Avoid using all caps or spammy words like "free," as they can trigger spam filters and cause the email to be sent to the recipient's spam folder. An authentic subject line that accurately reflects the content of the email is more likely to be opened and read.

An enticing subject line is critical to getting your emails opened and read. Keep it short, personalise it, and ensure it's authentic to avoid triggering spam filters. By following these tips, you can improve the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns and increase engagement with your donors and supporters.

Make it Scannable

When it comes to nonprofit inbound marketing, it's essential to make your content scannable, and this applies particularly to emails. Donors are unlikely to read an email word for word, so it's crucial to make it easy for them to scan and absorb the main points.

One effective way to make your email scannable is to use white space effectively. Breaking up long blocks of text into shorter paragraphs, using bullet points, and adding line breaks can help to make the email easier to read and understand. Bold headers can also help to guide the reader's eye and highlight key information.

Including a relevant image can also make an email more engaging and increase its chances of being viewed. The image should be related to the content of the email and should add value to the overall message.

Track Results

Tracking results is crucial to understanding the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. Email marketing platforms typically provide metrics such as open rates and click-through rates, indicating how many people opened your email and how many clicked on a link within it.

High open rates suggest that your subject line was engaging and resonated with your audience. However, if your click-through rates are low, it could indicate that your email copy needs improvement. Perhaps the call to action wasn't clear enough or the content wasn't compelling enough to encourage readers to take action.

It's also essential to analyze the data over time to identify trends and patterns in your email marketing campaigns. By tracking results consistently, you can gain insights into what works and what doesn't and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Say Thank You

Expressing gratitude is an important aspect of building strong relationships with your donors and supporters. Sending out thank you emails is a simple yet effective way to show your appreciation without asking for anything in return.

A thank you email should convey a sincere message of gratitude. It should include the words "Thank You" in the subject line, the email copy, and any images used in the email. Using the recipient's name and title as a salutation can also add a personal touch to the message.

To make the thank you email even more meaningful, consider including specific references to the support provided by the donor that deserves thanks. This could be a donation, volunteer work, or any other form of support that has contributed to the success of your nonprofit organization.

Tell a Story

Telling a compelling story is an effective way to add intrigue to your donor marketing emails, particularly if the story features people who have benefited from their donations. You can use anecdotes, statistics, or interviews to outline the positive effects of their contributions and bring the impact of their support to life.

In addition to stories about those who have benefited from your organization's work, you can also focus on volunteers, board members, or the donors themselves. By sharing the personal stories of individuals involved with your organization, you can help donors connect more deeply with your cause and understand the importance of their support.

When crafting your story, make sure to keep your audience in mind. Use language and examples that will resonate with your donors and make them feel emotionally invested in your mission. Including images or videos can also be a powerful way to bring your story to life and create a deeper connection with your audience.

Educate Your Donors

Donors are more likely to engage with your emails if they contain educational content that they are interested in. Consider what topics your donors might find valuable, such as issues related to your cause, philanthropy, or your community.

You can create educational content yourself, such as blog posts or articles, that provide valuable insights or information to your donors. Alternatively, you can share articles from other fundraising and nonprofit blogs that align with your organization's mission and values.

By providing your donors with informative and educational content, you can position your organization as a thought leader in your field and deepen their engagement with your mission.

When creating educational content, keep in mind the importance of making it easily digestible and visually appealing. Use clear headings, bullet points, and images to break up the text and make it more engaging for your audience.

Additionally, be sure to provide links or calls-to-action that encourage your donors to take action, whether that be donating, signing up for an event, or sharing your content with others.

Share Updates

Sharing updates with your donors is a great way to keep them engaged with your organization and build trust. By letting them know what's happening within your organization, you can show them the impact their donations are making and keep them informed about the progress you're making toward your mission.

Some updates you may want to share with your donors include organizational leadership changes, new programs or initiatives, and updates on ongoing projects or campaigns. You may also want to share news articles or blog posts that recognize your nonprofit for the work it's doing and the impact it's making in your community or your field.

When sharing updates, be sure to make them relevant and interesting to your donors. Use engaging language and consider including visuals such as images or videos to help bring your message to life. Also, be sure to include clear calls-to-action that encourage your donors to take action, such as making a donation or signing up to volunteer.

Include Other Ways to Get Involved

While donations are a crucial way for people to contribute to your organization, there are many other ways for people to get involved and support your mission. By including information about these opportunities in your donor marketing emails, you can encourage existing donors to take on additional roles and deepen their engagement with your organization.

Some ways people can get involved include volunteering at your office or events, assisting with fundraisers, purchasing a membership, or serving on your board. When including this information in your emails, be sure to provide clear instructions for how people can take action, and highlight the benefits of getting involved.

For example, you may want to include information about the skills or experience that are most helpful for each opportunity, as well as the impact that volunteers or board members have on your organization's success. You may also want to consider including testimonials or quotes from current volunteers or board members to help illustrate the value of these roles.

Send to the Right Audience

When it comes to sending out donor emails, it's crucial to ensure that they are going to the right audience. In this case, that means sending them only to your donors and no one else. People who are not already invested in your organization may not share the same level of interest and engagement as your existing donors.

To make your donor emails even more effective, consider breaking down your donor list into specific groups and crafting tailored messages for each group. For example, you may want to send one message to recurring monthly donors and another to those who have only donated once. This allows you to speak directly to the interests and needs of each group, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.

Sending your donor emails to the right audience also means being mindful of how frequently you send them. Bombarding your donors with too many emails can quickly lead to email fatigue and may even cause some people to unsubscribe. Strike a balance between keeping your donors informed and engaged without overwhelming them with too much information.

Add a Clear Call to Action

To write effective donor marketing emails, it's important to include a clear call to action that encourages the reader to take action after reading the email. However, there are other key factors to consider when crafting these emails.

One crucial aspect is the subject line, as it can determine whether or not the email is even opened. Short, personalized, and authentic subject lines are more likely to entice recipients to open the email. Once the email is opened, it should be scannable, using plenty of white space, bold headers, and relevant images to make it easy for the reader to quickly absorb the information.

It's also important to track the results of your emails, paying attention to open rates and click rates to determine how well your emails are performing. Saying thank you and sharing stories can also be effective ways to engage donors and show appreciation for their support.

In addition to expressing gratitude, nonprofit organizations can educate donors about their cause or community, as well as share updates on the organization's progress and new developments. It's also a good idea to include other ways for donors to get involved beyond making donations, such as volunteering or serving on the board.

Start Engaging Donors

Writing emails that engage and resonate with your donors is essential for any successful nonprofit inbound marketing strategy.

By following the tips outlined in this article, such as crafting an enticing subject line, making the email scannable, telling a story, educating your donors, and adding a clear call to action, you can increase the likelihood that your emails will be opened, read, and acted upon.

Remember to also send your emails to the right audience, track your results, and say thank you to your donors. With these tactics in mind, you can start engaging your donors and building stronger relationships with them, which ultimately leads to more support for your cause.

At Fine Media, we specialize in helping nonprofits create impactful donor marketing campaigns that yield results. If you need help with your email marketing strategy, contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you create emails your donors want to read.