As part of a nonprofit organization, asking for donations can be a bit overwhelming—especially if you are not using all of your resources to your advantage. A smart way to overcome that feeling is to use proven email fundraising marketing techniques. Afterall, email marketing is one of the most economical methods of communicating with individuals.
If your organization has aggressive year-end fundraising goals, Trillion recommends these tips and tricks to build an effective email strategy.
Shape Your Plan for Annual Appeals Messaging
Start off simply.
- Determine your audience segments for your annual campaign. For example, you might target prospective donors, one-time donors, and sustaining donors. Tag them accordingly in your marketing database.
- Create a set of bullet points with the specific messages that will appeal to each audience segment. Many of your potential donors or sustaining donors are likely donating to other organizations in addition to yours, so be sure to keep your messaging clear and concise—with a clear call to action as to what you are looking for from them. Building on the example above, create an outline with the messages that will appeal to your audience segments. For instance, prospective donors will need an introduction to your organization and explanation why your cause should matter to them. Whereas, when you are contacting previous donors, convey your appreciation for their ongoing support, reinforce your shared passion for your organization’s special cause, and share any new priorities for the coming year.
- Identify a clear call-to-action and deadline tied to each segment. With first-time donors, you want to establish how easy it is to get started as a new donor with an added incentive to become a sustaining donor from the start. With previous one-time donors, appeal to them to become sustaining donors based on the nearby references. For long-term sustaining donors, ask if they will help grow your donor base by recommending family and friends or by sharing your cause on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.).
Plan a special reminder message by segment to reach those who have not yet responded with a donation prior to the deadline.
Differentiate Your Year-End Email Appeals Approach with Media
Now that you have established your target audiences for your organization and specific appeal messages for each segment, it’s time to get into the fun part: media!
It is likely that your audience is receiving many personalized emails with donor appeals, so having the ability to differentiate your content from “the competition” is a must for meeting your year-end email goals. This can be done by incorporating media and visual aids throughout your email campaigns!
We recommend that you share the stories about those who have previously donated so your donor base feels a sense of community. If suitable, you can also include some clips of those who have previously benefited from your donors. A great way to incorporate this into your emails is by using an emotional video to create a connection!
Set up a brief one-to-one video interview with one of your donors or beneficiaries over Zoom, Teams, or another meeting platform of your choice that has a built-in recording feature. Hit record, then share their story and how your organization has positively impacted their lives. If you are feeling ambitious, tweak your questions and film a series of these one-to-one interviews that you can combine into a highlight reel with careful editing.
Giving your donors—current and new—a heart-felt perspective as to why others have donated to your organization and why they continue to support the cause can help create a groundswell effect. Hearing multiple perspectives on how your organization has made an impact with both recipients and donors will speak to your audience and create more effective messaging when you are trying to reach your funding goals!
Two final thoughts on media:
- Be sure to have your interviewees sign a release form so you can use these testimonials in your fundraising and marketing campaigns.
- If you don’t have the confidence to launch into video, there are low-tech alternatives. For instance, written testimonials from donors and recipients alike can also be a great and simple way to share the story of those impacted by your organization and what you do! Just be sure to include some photos to catch your reader’s attention and create appeal. Trillion has even turned written testimonials into video content and Instagram Reels.
Leverage the Power of Cross-Promotion
The more channels and platforms you can share your year-end strategy with, the better. As we suggested earlier in the article, video or mixed media is a great tool for your email campaigns, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Incorporate anything you film for your organization on other video-sharing platforms like YouTube or condense the content into highlights to be shared on your organization’s Instagram, Facebook, or even TikTok accounts!
Be sure to implement subtitles to get the best reach for your video content, even without audio. It’s not only making your content more accessible to those who may be hearing impaired, but it also allows your audience to absorb the message of your content since so many users have audio turned off when scrolling through their feeds. For an effective campaign, keep your messaging consistent across your designated platforms and link to key tools for your campaigns! The more eyes you can get on your content, the more likely you are to meet your funding goals!
Are you ready to see results in your year-end email campaigns?
Email marketing is a must for any nonprofit organization! By incorporating some (if not all) of the suggested tools above, you will create more effective email fundraising campaigns that distinguishes your organization from others. This is especially important nowadays, knowing that prospective donors are thinking carefully about their contributions given the current economic uncertainty. Have more questions? Use our contact form or call 908.219.4703.
