Email is a great way to stay in touch with your supporters and promote your cause. Regular emails keep your organization fresh in your supporters' minds and provide more opportunities for them to give.
After a while, though, the same old emails can begin to feel a bit stale. And for the person in your organization responsible for writing these emails, it gets harder each time to come up with new things to say.
Just as it’s important to keep your website looking fresh for your site visitors, it’s important to keep your email strategy fresh for your staff and your supporters. One of the best ways to do this is to include different types of emails in your regular rotation. You can even create templates for each different type so that they are as consistent and familiar as possible.
When switching up your email strategy, remember that the most important thing is to make sure your emails are relevant, fun to read, and contain a clear call-to-action (CTA). This list of four unique emails to send to supporters can help you get started, and will hopefully inspire you to come up with other email types that are even more unique to your organization.
1. Volunteer Spotlight
Everyone likes being recognized for doing good things. If your organization depends on a lot of volunteer support, this type of email is a perfect way to let them know how much you appreciate their contributions.
Volunteering is often hard work. People are giving their time, skills, and sometimes even their own money to participate in your volunteer programs. Though there is no doubt your organization appreciates these efforts internally, it is important to publicly recognize these individuals as well.
It’s also a great opportunity to share details about your organization and the types of volunteer programs you offer. Share the types of work they can do, what they can expect in a typical volunteer day, or even what they should wear. The sites showcased in Cornershop Creative’s guide to the best nonprofit websites show that the most effective sites have information like this on their volunteer pages already, and including it in the email goes a step further in making potential volunteers comfortable enough to take that first step and sign up.
The hidden bonus to this type of email is that it can help you get more volunteers! One of the big reasons that people stop volunteering is that they don’t feel wanted or appreciated. Once people see how much you care about your volunteers, and how you are willing to shout it across the internet, they will be more likely to sign up and keep coming back.
Elements to include:
Photo or video of the beneficiaries you’re spotlighting
A description of the program, or type of volunteer work they did
A short write-up of the impact working with your nonprofit has had—quotes are great!
Information on how other supporters can get involved and volunteer
CTA leading to your volunteer page
2. Matching Gift Guide
Matching gifts are a type of corporate philanthropy that allows nonprofits to collect more donations than they would from individual gifts alone. Many companies offer matching gift programs, where they will match an employee donation up to a certain amount.
Sadly, though lots of companies offer these programs, many employees aren’t aware of them or don’t think to use them. This amounts to big losses for the nonprofits these supporters are donating to. By providing information about these programs to your supporters, you have the opportunity to double your donations.
A good strategy would be to send a matching gift reminder email at least once a quarter to remind people to check into these programs. You can also include instructions for finding out about programs at work, checking their eligibility, and tips for starting a matching program at companies that don’t already have one.
Elements to include:
A quick explanation of what matching gifts are
A step-by-step guide to checking your matching gift eligibility, including the information they will need to register your organization
CTA leading to your donation page or a targeted landing page
3. Special Day Celebration
There are over 1,500 National Days in the U.S. alone. That doesn’t even include actual holidays, Cultural Observances, and other recognized celebrations. This means that nearly every day of the year is a special day, and you can help your supporters celebrate them. With this many special days on the calendar, you are certain to find a few (maybe even a few a month) that align with your nonprofit’s mission.
To get started, choose your special days in advance using tools like the National Day Calendar and apply your creativity to figure out how they are connected to your mission. For example, if your organization specializes in raising money for agricultural research, then you can encourage supporters to celebrate National Homemade Bread Day on November 17th so they can really appreciate the end product of the research.
Some special days are more serious in nature and will need to be treated with the respect they deserve. Others can be celebrated with a sense of humor and offer lighthearted suggestions for celebration. Either way, the point of these emails is to raise awareness for your cause and get your supporters actively involved.
Elements to include:
An explanation of the special day you’re celebrating (National Donut Day, Black Lab Friday, etc.) and how that day is connected to your mission
Tips for celebrating the special day (E.g., eat or make donuts while making your donation)
CTA leading to your donation page or a targeted landing page
4. Success Stories
Much like the Volunteer Spotlight, this email will highlight an individual or group that has been impacted by your organization. The difference is that this email will feature a direct beneficiary of the work you do.
Your supporters will love these emails because they personalize the impact a donation can make. Unless the work your nonprofit does is sensitive or private, you should be taking time to celebrate successes and impact by introducing your beneficiaries to your supporters and detailing how their lives or circumstances have improved due to the help they received.
Some examples of opportunities to celebrate are:
Scholarships
Fellowships or work programs
Donations to shelters, schools, hospitals, and other organizations
Animal rescue or adoptions
Disaster relief and rebuilding projects
If the nature of your work stops you from gathering individual stories, share general successes and statistics instead. Your supporters will be thrilled to know that your organization helped 35 people recover from addiction this month, even if they don’t see the individual people involved.
Sharing your success stories and (when possible) the people involved will help supporters understand how their donations are being used, and why they should consider giving more in the future. Doing so will also enhance your nonprofit’s reputation in the community.
Elements to include:
A “character” or individual to feel invested in. This can be an individual or group photo, a photo of a completed project, or a large colorful graphic showing your success numbers.
A cause-and-effect story with a beginning, middle, and end. Share the impact your work has had by introducing the problem that existed, the action taken by your organization, and the impact that action had.
Put the donor at the center of the story (“Because of your generosity, we’ve built four new schools in developing countries…”)
CTA leading to your donation page
Adding new types of campaigns to your email strategy can be fun for you, rewarding for your nonprofit, and exciting for your supporters. These four email types will let you exercise your creativity while being transparent with your supporters, which is a beautiful combination.
As you develop your email campaign strategy, consider creating email templates and landing pages to help increase conversions. And don’t be afraid to reach out to a nonprofit web design company to help you develop the materials you need to make your new emails really stand out.
About the Author: Sarah Fargusson - Director of Digital Strategy at Cornershop Creative
Self-described as a “non-profit junkie,” Sarah has dedicated her career to serving the needs of the non-profit sector. Her project management experience spans a variety of non-profit management disciplines including strategic planning, community engagement, capacity building, fundraising and research. She has worked both in and for the non-profit sector at the Feminist Majority Foundation, the Sadie Nash Leadership Project, and the consulting firms The Lee Institute and The Curtis Group. With her ever expanding non-profit tool belt, Sarah joined Cornershop Creative to tap into her techie, creative side, while developing meaningful partnerships with her clients to help them more effectively achieve their goals.