An essential component of any non-profit organization's digital strategy, an email marketing campaign can help build relationships with supporters, drive donations and awareness for your cause, and bring you a step closer to achieving your mission.
If you want to learn more about email marketing for non-profits, its importance and best practices, and discover handy tools you can use, you’re in the right place.
Table of Contents
Why Is Email Marketing Important for Non-Profits?
Email marketing is a powerful tool for non-profits, providing a cost-effective way to reach their target audiences with timely, relevant content. Email marketing helps you not only to cultivate relationships with existing donors and members but also to reach out to potential new constituents and spread the word about your mission.
Through email campaigns, you can raise awareness and support for your cause by engaging current supporters and keeping them up to date on the good work your organization is doing. Plus, it’s an easy way to collect donations from people worldwide in just a few clicks.
If you need concrete reasons why email marketing is beneficial for non-profits, here are several most obvious ones:
- You don't need expensive software or extensive coding knowledge to create successful email campaigns.
- Emails provide significant opportunities for storytelling which increases engagement and donations.
- Email marketing leads to higher conversion rates than other channels.
- You can use automated emails to nurture leads and donors over time.
- Email marketing reaches a wider audience than social media.
- You have more control over segmentation.
- It offers high levels of personalization.
- You can measure results in real time.
Five Non-Profit Email Marketing Best Practices
If you want to supercharge your non-profit email marketing efforts, make good use of these practices:
1. Build a Contact List
One of the most critical factors in the success of email marketing for non-profits is building a solid contact list. However, solid does not equal large — the quality of your contact list is more important than its quantity.
That said, shy away from buying mailing lists. While it is a quick solution, it is very likely to cause a long-term problem. Your email marketing efforts will be more effective if you reach out to a smaller audience that’s truly interested in your work.
Here are some tips on how to build your non-profit email list the right way:
- Include a signup form on your non-profit's website or blog where visitors can enter their email addresses to receive updates and newsletters from your organization.
- Promote your email list on your social media channels, at events, and in other marketing materials.
- Consider offering incentives for people to sign up, such as a free e-book, a discount code for your non-profit's store, or early access to an event or program.
- Ask for signups in person. A physical signup sheet at networking or fundraising events is a great opportunity to keep in touch with attendees.
- Capitalize on those who’ve already engaged. When someone commits to your cause, offer them the option to opt-in to your email updates.
2. Personalize Content
When thinking about email copywriting, personalizing content for your non-profit's email marketing is a great way to increase engagement and build relationships with supporters. By targeting messages to recipients' interests or past donations, you can create relevant content that resonates with everyone.
To make your emails as personalized as possible, try to:
- Address the recipients by their names.
- Segment your email list based on interests, location, or other criteria.
- Share personal stories of individuals who have benefited from your non-profit's work.
- Show the recipient how their support has made a difference.
- Tailor your calls to action based on the recipient's interests and engagement history.
- Keep it relevant.
In case you need help drafting an email that converts, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the best copywriting agencies.
3. Add Visuals
Visuals are another great way of grabbing attention in emails. Images create stronger connections with readers, leading them further down the sales funnel more quickly than text alone does. They also provide greater opportunities for storytelling, allowing organizations to get creative when sharing their mission statements.
To incorporate visuals, you should:
- Use images that can help break up the text and make your content more visually appealing.
- Create infographics to present data and statistics in a visually appealing way.
- Leverage videos to engage your audience and communicate your message.
- Rely on custom graphics that are unique to your organization to reinforce your brand.
When it comes to visuals, keep it simple. Avoid using too many visuals in your emails, as this can make your content feel cluttered and overwhelming. Stick to a few key images or graphics that are relevant to your message and use them strategically throughout your email.
4. Perform A/B Testing
Embracing A/B testing into all aspects of your email strategy not only ensures better performance but also helps maximize ROI from campaigns over time.
By creating two variations (A and B), marketers can access valuable data regarding open rates, clicks, conversions, and more, allowing them to tweak elements until they find what works best when reaching out to potential donors or supporters.
A/B testing for email marketing for non-profits comes down to these steps:
- Define the elements to test, such as subject line, call-to-action, email copy, or images. Choose only one element at a time to test for accuracy.
- Create two versions of the email, Version A and Version B. Both versions should be identical except for the element you want to test.
- Split your email list into two random groups and send one version to one group and the other to the other group.
- Measure the results of each email version. Analyze the data to determine which version performed better,
- Once you have determined which version performed better, conclude what worked and what didn't. Use this information to optimize future emails and continue testing other elements.
- Repeat the process. Continue to test and optimize your emails to improve your email marketing performance.
5. Include a Strong CTA
Including a strong call to action (CTA) in your non-profit's email marketing is essential to encourage your supporters to act and engage with your cause. A CTA is a button, link, or text that encourages the reader to take a specific action, such as donating, volunteering, or attending an event.
That said, your CTA is one of the key components of your email and you must do your best to showcase it. To achieve this:
- Make it clear and concise. Use action-oriented language, such as "Donate Now" or "Sign Petition."
- Place it prominently. You can use contrasting colors and font sizes to make it stand out if your email is longer.
- Create a sense of urgency as it can motivate your supporters to act quickly.
- Test your CTAs to see what works best with your audience. Monitor your results and optimize accordingly.
- Personalize it and align it with your overall message.
If all this sounds like a challenge, you can always hire one of the top email marketing agencies and have them do what they know best — deliver results.
Five Tools for Email Marketing for Non-Profits
There are hundreds of tools you can choose from, but you can also consider giving these a chance:
1. Constant Contact
One of the most popular email marketing tools available for non-profits, Constant Contact offers a wide range of features and allows you to customize your campaigns with ease.
The platform’s segmentation capabilities allow you to send targeted messages based on any combination of demographics, interests, habits, and behaviors. Plus, it provides reporting insights so that you can track ROI and monitor campaign performance in real time.
2. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is another powerful tool for non-profit organizations looking to create effective email campaigns. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy for marketers to get up and running quickly, while its comprehensive features help users personalize their emails with images, text formatting, surveys, polls, and more.
Mailchimp also has some great reporting capabilities, which enable users to analyze open rates and clicks, among other metrics, allowing them to optimize future campaigns accordingly.
3. Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor offers an affordable option for creating effective email marketing strategies for non-profits with amazing features, such as drag-and-drop tools, A/B testing, analytics tracking, and more.
This email marketing tool also provides helpful templates that ensure your message looks professional no matter what device or software readers may be using.
4. AWeber
AWeber is a reliable solution for those seeking out automated workflows designed around segmented audiences. With AWeber, you have access not only to customizable templates but also to advanced delivery optimization options, giving users full control over timing or frequency.
You can also take advantage of their detailed reports. They provide insight into subscriber engagement across various touchpoints, helping maximize conversions down the line.
5. MailerLite
Focusing on simplicity rather than complexity, MailerLite is a user-friendly platform that boasts impressive list-building capabilities, enabling non-profits to build relationships with supporters over time through personalized newsletters or automatic follow-ups.
Email Marketing for Non-Profits Conclusion
Email marketing is a convenient and budget-friendly tool for non-profits looking to engage potential supporters and grow their organizations. By following the five best practices and utilizing the tools we've outlined above, you can maximize ROI and, most importantly, get all the support you need for your cause.
Email Marketing for Non-Profits FAQs
1. Why should non-profits use email marketing?
Email marketing delivers one of the highest ROI compared to other outreach tactics. At the same time, it is the most cost-effective one.
2. What is a good email click-through rate for non-profits?
According to statistics, anything between 10 and 20% CTR is a solid score marketers should aim towards.
