It’s no secret that email marketing is still a critical part of donor engagement and gift solicitation, even in the social media era. In fact, 68% of nonprofits use this channel to connect with their supporters.
Every time a supporter opens your email, it’s a step in the right direction. But how should you structure your emails to improve your chances of engaging the reader?
Set your organization up for success with our practical fundraising email tips. From choosing the right format (hint: it’s gotta be mobile-friendly!) to writing the perfect subject lines, we’ll cover everything you need to know before you click send.
The mobile-first mindset
When you’re designing email marketing campaigns for your nonprofit, focus on how your messages will look on mobile devices, not just computers. Here’s why.
Mobile email usage
Smartphone ownership has become almost universal for people with internet access. According to Statista, 98% of users access the internet with these devices, while only 58% utilize laptops or desktop computers.
It’s safe to assume that many of your donors will read your messages on their smartphones. Zero Bounce’s Email Statistics Report for 2025 backs up this assumption, noting, “64% of people check their email primarily on mobile.”
Expanded guidelines for mobile optimization
So many fundraising email tips revolve around mobile-friendly layouts. Let’s illustrate why mobile optimization is so important.
The small text in the second image is barely legible, let alone clickable. This lack of mobile optimization creates barriers to reader engagement and donations.
Follow these fundraising email tips to optimize your campaigns for mobile:
- Make sure the font is large enough that donors can easily read it on their smartphones.
- Keep fundraising emails short and to the point. That way, readers can quickly skim them between meetings or while waiting for their coffee to brew.
- Have one clear call to action that’s easy to tap.
- Use single-column layouts, because double or triple columns will look too cramped on a mobile screen.
Mobile donation form best practices
Remember that if a donor was compelled enough to click your donate button on their phone, they’re very interested in making a gift. Make sure your donation page is also mobile-optimized so they can make a quick and easy donation.
Here are a few guidelines to help you get it right:
- Simplicity is king here, too. Don’t overwhelm potential donors by asking for unnecessary information or jamming the page with content.
- Match the visual style of your emails to the rest of your website. Otherwise, viewers might worry that they’ve clicked a spam link.
- Give options for one-time or recurring donations.
- It’s okay to suggest donations (“Give $25 to fund one dog’s neuter”), but you should also give donors the option to input a custom amount.
And be sure to add one or two images related to your mission. These visuals can help viewers picture the impact of their donation, which may make them more willing to give.
Impact of mobile optimization on conversion rates
Optimizing your emails for mobile devices takes a little extra work, but it’s one of the most important fundraising email tips you can follow. Porch Group Media reports that 42% of users delete emails that aren’t optimized for mobile, making this process more important than ever. Mobile optimization can increase the chances that people will click your “donate now” button and stick around long enough to complete the form.
Crafting subject lines that get opened
Like you, donors get tons of email messages throughout the week. A strong subject line can help you stand out from all the coupon offers and appointment reminders.
It’s tempting to write something dramatic, such as, “Only YOU can save Ohio’s honeybees!” or “Time is running out for these shelter dogs – DONATE NOW.” However, emotionally charged subject lines can come across as manipulative or disingenuous. And writing in all-caps could get your message sent straight to the junk folder.
These fundraising email tips will help you create more effective subject lines:
- Tell readers exactly what your cause is.
- Create a sense of urgency with action-oriented words, but don’t beg or threaten the reader. “Only three days left to donate to our shelter dog transport trip” is motivating, but something like “Help us save these dogs before it’s too late!!!” is coming on too strong.
- Personalize the subject line with the reader’s name.
- Consider using a single emoji to grab attention.
- Use A/B testing to experiment with different tones and keywords. Your donors might respond better to an upbeat subject line than an urgent one or vice versa.
- Avoid words that trigger spam filters, such as “act now” and “congratulations.”
For example, this subject line from Indivisible uses the eyes emoji to stand out from purely textual ones. It also motivates clicks by issuing a challenge to the reader: “Congress Thinks You Won’t Show Up. Prove Them Wrong.” This political fundraiser may appeal to activist-minded readers.
5 essential elements of effective fundraising emails
While you’ll tailor the content of your fundraising emails for your organization, the overall structure is pretty formulaic. Every message should include these five components.
1. Branded header
Your email should never be ambiguous. A fundraising email targets past donors, so good branding continuously builds familiarity and trust with supporters. Consistently brand your email headers with your logo so readers quickly recognize your organization and recall their positive association with your mission.
Try naming specific campaigns with a catchy slogan. You could also include a hashtag in your header to distinguish it from more general calls for support.
Take this email from the Center for Climate Literacy, for instance. It mentions the name of the fundraising campaign — “Give To the Max Day” — in the subject line and first paragraph. This repetition makes it easier for readers to remember.
2. Eye-catching visuals
Images hit humans’ emotional center, can educate readers about a topic, and demonstrate impact to supporters. The majority of email readers spend only 0-15 seconds on an email, so your visuals should capture their attention right away.
Here are some fundraising email tips for images:
- Before and after images emphasize how donations can make a difference.
- Impact visualizations, such as images of restored wetlands or homes you’ve built, inspire action.
- Constituent testimonials with photos build trust in your organization.
- Team photos humanize your organization and celebrate volunteers’ contributions.
The photo should match the theme and appeal of your email. If your fundraising email addresses an upcoming 5K, you might add a photo of last year’s winners.
Consider ethics as you select images, too. Your images should show the impact of donations without being exploitative or dehumanizing. Say, for instance, your organization raises funds for school supplies for children in need. A photo of smiling students holding their new backpacks is inspiring and positive, but images of crying children or kids living in squalor can come off as disrespectful, despite the potential impact.
Once you’ve chosen one or two images, compress them so they load quickly. You should also test the email on different devices to make sure the visuals look right.
3. Compelling appeal
The fundraising appeal should be intriguing, yet concise. Answer these questions:
- What is the problem?
- What is the solution?
- How will a reader’s donation directly impact the situation?
Get these points across with visual and textual storytelling. This message from the World Wildlife Fund opens with an anecdote about an adorable snow leopard cub. It also invites the audience to picture how environmental issues could affect it: “Imagine if this beautiful cub were orphaned today.” By focusing on a single animal, the email makes the threat of poaching less abstract and more urgent.
Data points can help you make your case, too. Donors have already demonstrated that they care about your cause, so give them the facts and proof they need to feel good about supporting your organization. This could be as simple as mentioning how many people you’ve already helped this year. Just don’t overwhelm readers with statistics — it’s an email, not a white paper! Link out to in-depth articles, studies, or reports when applicable, but keep your email easy to digest.
Once you’ve laid out the problem, use donor-centered language to encourage them to take action. “YOU can make a difference today” can make readers feel personally invested in the solution. By contrast, “Our donors get so much done!” is more generic and displaces the responsibility.
4. Clear call-to-action (CTA)
One of the most crucial fundraising email tips is to always include a call-to-action button. This short phrase brings home the email’s goal. It should answer the question: What is the next step you want the reader to take?
Make the copy specific and use action verbs to compel the reader. “Donate now” is always a classic, but you can also use A/B testing to workshop different options.
Limit yourself to only one call to action per fundraising email. These emails are very specific, so the more direct you can be, the better. Too many options might paralyze readers or lead them down a path that wasn’t your intended “next step.”
The audience should also be able to locate your CTA button in seconds. Use a bright color that stands out from the rest of the email (but is still aligned with your branding!), and make it larger than the rest of the text.
Finally, always offer a handful of realistic donation amount options. Knowing your audience is key here. College students might be happy to give $10 to their favorite cause, but balk at a request for $250.
5. Professional footer
Your email footer doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but it should include your organization’s contact information and an unsubscribe option. This information is legally required by the CAN-SPAM Act, so don’t forget it.
Consider adding some quick social proof to your email footer, too. This could be something as simple as “Join the 5,000 donors who have helped us fight plastic pollution.”
When to send your fundraising emails
Designing your emails is the first part of the process. You also need to figure out the best time to send them.
According to Salesforce research, evenings and the weekends are the ideal time to email customers for product-based businesses. That’s when most people are relaxing at home, so they’re more likely to take the time to read your message.
Of course, that’s not a blanket rule. Use email tracking software like Constant Contact to get personalized fundraising email tips. Constant Contact can help you experiment with different send times and analyze when you get the highest open rates. This technology can also help you segment your mailing list for donors in different time zones.
Take advantage of special occasions, too. Donors often feel more generous during Giving Tuesday or around the holidays. A well-timed email could remind them of your organization’s amazing work.
How to politely ask for donations
Asking for money from strangers (or even long-term supporters) is never easy. You need to make your ask clear while still being tactful.
Effective donation requests use direct, polite language. They also explain exactly what the organization will do with the money and what impact it will have. Here are a few fundraising message examples:
- Please join me in the fight to [your cause]. By contributing as little as [$X], you can help [explain the impact].
- Consider donating to [your organization] this week. If we can raise [$X] by Friday, we’ll be able to [time-sensitive impact].
Be sure to anticipate possible donor objections, too. For example, some readers might feel skeptical that you’ll actually use their money as you claim. Adding social proof to your emails, such as a video testimonial from people you’ve helped, can help build trust.
Financial concerns are another common hurdle. Donors might automatically say no if you ask for too much, especially during economic downturns or high-spend periods around holidays. Research your target audience’s giving habits and ask for realistic sums.
Personalizing your fundraising emails
Connect with your audience on a deeper level through marketing automation and personalization. These strategies elevate these fundraising email tips and help donors resonate with your campaigns.
Many nonprofits already greet readers by name, but that’s just the start. Take your personalization to the next level with dynamic content blocks. For example, Constant Contact lets you automatically change the photos based on the donor’s giving history or interests. You could also change CTAs based on the reader’s level of engagement — more urgent for regular donors, more polite for casual supporters.
Step-by-step: Writing your fundraising email
Even the most experienced fundraisers can get struck by writer’s block. It happens to all of us! Follow these steps to help you face that blank screen confidently:
- Plan your email campaign: Identify the specific goals of your fundraising campaign — go deeper than just “raise money.” Consider your intended impact and how you can structure your message to achieve your goal.
- Draft your email: Are subject lines your arch-nemesis? Work backwards by writing the body and signature first, which may help the ideas flow.
- Experiment with the content: When your usual format starts feeling stale, switch up your email design. Play around with different phrasing, CTAs, and visuals to see which ones feel right. Even a small layout change can affect the entire tone.
- Edit the content: Review your fundraising email carefully to make sure it doesn’t contain any inaccuracies, such as outdated statistics or typos. You should also make sure you strike the right balance between urgent and polite.
- Test it: Send the message to different devices to double-check that it displays correctly.
Consider creating an internal checklist based on your most effective fundraising email tips that your entire team can use to review for brand voice, formatting, and more.
Measuring fundraising email success
The number of donations you receive can help you gauge the effectiveness of your fundraising emails, but it’s not the only thing you should look at. Use an email analytics tool to track these key metrics:
- Average donation amount
- Click-through rates
- Conversion rates
- Open rates
Websites like the Nonprofit Hub have benchmarks that you can use to see how your performance stacks up to other organizations. Use these insights to refine your fundraising campaigns. For example, low open rates might indicate that you need to spice up your subject lines to pique your audience’s interest.
Advanced fundraising email tips and strategies
Once you’ve mastered the basics, take your fundraising game to the next level with these fundraising email tips:
- Design multi-email campaign sequences, such as an initial email, a follow-up reminder, and a thank you for donors.
- Map how potential donors interact with your nonprofit — email, social media, etc. — and look for opportunities to guide them to action.
- Set up automatic trigger-based emails, such as welcome emails for new supporters.
- Experiment with retargeting for people who click your email but don’t contribute. You might invest in paid social media ads for these non-donors or send a follow-up message.
Common fundraising email mistakes to avoid
It’s normal to spend time getting the hang of email marketing, but you can speed up the process by avoiding these fundraising faux pas:
- Avoid overwhelming donors: Even monthly emails might be too much for some people, so be sure to spread out your calls for donations. Experiment with email frequency and try segmenting your list to reach people who prefer both frequent and intermittent communication.
- Prioritize directness: Vague, impersonal emails don’t inspire action. Keep your emails specific and connect with donors on a personal level by customizing the greeting, subject line, and more.
- Make CTAs stand out: Burying your CTA at the bottom of your message just adds another barrier for donations. Ensure your CTAs are prominent by placing them toward the start of your message and using brightly-colored buttons.
- Give readers their next move: You want your readers to feel as passionate about your cause as you do. Effective calls to action use direct, confident language and avoid unclear statements.
- Mobile first, desktop second: Small text might be okay on desktop, but it can be hard for mobile users to read. Be sure to optimize your messages for smartphones and link to mobile-friendly donation pages.
Most emailing mistakes are relatively minor, such as broken links and incorrect statistics. If you make a mistake (hey, it happens), apologize quickly and correct the error in a follow-up email if possible.
Win over donors with powerful emails
Email fundraising is still an excellent way to connect with donors and get support. By following our simple fundraising email tips — like optimizing for mobile, tracking your analytics, and writing strong CTAs — you can hit your campaign goals.
Check out our marketing advice blog for more practical resources and inspiration for your next fundraising campaign. Now get out there and start crafting messages that drive donations!
