These are turbulent times, no doubt. With federal funding cuts, organizations are scrambling to fund their programs and adjust their approaches. Keep in mind that no matter how unstable these times are, this is a time to pivot, not panic. You have the potential to engage donors and leverage a stream of funding in a channel you may already be using… Email.
Email is one of the most effective marketing strategies for nonprofits. According to M + R Benchmarks, email generated 16% of all digital fundraising revenue last year. Nonprofits are pivoting to individual fundraising after the funding cuts earlier this year.
Let’s consider how email marketing can work for your nonprofit marketing strategies.
Email: Direct communication with prospects and donors.
There’s less noise and competition in the inbox than on social media. On social media, you’re competing against algorithms, active times, user behavior, and many other factors. But when someone opts into your email list, they are giving you permission for a direct line of communication. Email keeps people engaged. We are in control of who we give our email address to. If someone is on your list, they care about your mission and relate to it in some way.
No matter what stage of the donor journey they’re in, you can speak to that by segmenting your list. For example, automate a welcome sequence for anyone who opts in. In that automated sequence, provide a chance for them to either identify themselves or tag themselves once they click a specific link. You could also move people manually or connect your email provider to your donor CRM platform. Once they are in the designated segment, have another sequence that speaks specifically to that stage of the donor journey. For major donors, I recommend using less automation and more 1:1 communications.
Even if they don’t read your email, you’re top of mind just by showing up in their inbox.
Can Email Marketing Help My Nonprofit?
Email marketing can certainly help your nonprofit raise more funds and build stronger donor relationships. But here’s the catch: You have to actually send emails. I promise that if someone has signed up for your email list, they want to hear from you. If big box stores have no problem sending multiple emails per day, you should have no issue sending your email list one email per week, minimum. I see too many nonprofits ignoring email and then scrambling to “fix” their social media, website, or other marketing channel. Use your marketing channels to send them to your email list. This is a place they can stick around. And if they decide they don’t want to, they can unsubscribe. No big deal!
Here’s how using email effectively can look for you: Have your social media posts give call-to-actions for an incentive to join your email list > send them specific, personalized communication according to their stage in the donor journey > send them fundraising emails during a campaign > continue sending valuable updates, invites, and information after they’ve donated. Then repeat the cycle.
Benefits of email marketing for nonprofits
I could nerd out for hours about how email is one of the best marketing strategies for nonprofits, but I’ll keep it to a quick, short list for your sake:
- Email works for all budgets. I recommend using Kit’s free plan if you’re not ready to pay for an email service provider. Once you are ready to pay, I recommend upgrading with Kit for easy integration, segmentation, and advanced analytics.
- You don’t have to have a big marketing team. Emails are pretty simple, and learning how to use Kit (the top email service provider I recommend) is also easy. Even if you have minimal bandwidth, you can take 30 minutes per week to send an email, even if you start with a weekly update or newsletter. You can also save time by outsourcing your nonprofit’s email marketing to me!
- Build stronger donor relations. Email serves as a touchpoint. So whether someone heard about you for the first time or just made it to the mid-level donor segment, you have an opportunity to send them automatic updates, impact stories, and ask for their opinion. This makes donors and prospects feel valued, and it’s an opportunity to invite them to be an active participant in your mission.
There’s still time to reach funding goals in 2025 and set you up for a successful 2026 fundraising strategy. Creating an additional stream of funding can help you bounce back or jump ahead. That’s where email marketing comes in.
More than 25% of organizations surveyed in Feathr’s 2025 State of Nonprofit Marketing Report marked individual donors as their primary source of funding for the first half of this year. Building strong long-term donor relations can help you future-proof your funding – and email is a low-cost way to make that happen.
If you’re looking for a trusted partner for your email fundraising, contact me so we can discuss how I can best serve you and move your mission forward!
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