9 Email Marketing Tips for Nonprofits

Keeping your supporters engaged is key to raising more money. There are many ways to do that — thank-you letters, events, social media — but nonprofit email marketing is one of the most effective tools you can use.

Why? Nearly half of donors say email is their favorite way to hear from the causes they support. And when your emails are clear, personal, and consistent, people are more likely to give — and give again.

This guide shares 7 simple and powerful tips to help your nonprofit send better emails, grow your list, and raise more money online.

1. Improve your email deliverability

Even the best emails won’t work if they don’t reach your donors. That’s why email deliverability matters. Spam filters are strict — and your messages can easily get flagged or ignored if you’re not careful.

Here are a few quick ways to stay out of the spam folder:

• Use a real email address from your domain (like you@yourorg.org).
• Ask subscribers to add your email to their contacts.
• Avoid words like “free,” “urgent,” or ALL CAPS in subject lines.

These small changes help make sure your nonprofit email marketing ends up where it belongs — in your donors’ inboxes.

2. Clean up your list

More subscribers doesn’t always mean better results.

If people on your list never open your emails, it tells email services your messages aren’t important. That can hurt your deliverability and even get you flagged as spam.

Here’s how to fix that:

• Remove inactive subscribers after about 6 months.
• Send a re-engagement email before you remove them.
• Always include an easy-to-find unsubscribe link — it’s required by law and helps protect your reputation.

Cleaning up your list means better engagement, fewer spam complaints, and potentially lower email service costs.

3. Skip the “no-reply” email address

No-reply email addresses can damage trust. They tell your donors, “We don’t want to hear from you.” And when people do reply, they’ll get an error message — not great for engagement.

Worse, some spam filters flag no-reply emails as suspicious. Use a real, monitored email address instead. It builds trust and opens the door for real conversations.

4. Build a newsletter that works

Email newsletters are one of the easiest — and most cost-effective — ways to stay connected. But to be effective, they need structure.

Here’s how to build a strong one:

• Set a schedule — Almost half of nonprofits who send email newsletters do them monthly, but you can opt for quarterly, weekly, or twice a month. Try different days, times, and frequencies to see what works best.
• Promote it everywhere — You should share an easy signup form for your email newsletter. Add it to your website, footer, social media, donation forms, and event materials.
• Use a template — Make a branded template for your newsletter. Avoid distracting design elements and include visual brand elements such as your logo, colors, and fonts.
• Give it a name — Give your newsletter a creative, catchy title. It will let subscribers know what the email is about and what they can expect before opening it.
• Segment it — Email segmentation is great for increasing engagement and delivering the most relevant content. Tailor messages for different groups like one-time donors, recurring donors, or volunteers.

Done right, your newsletter becomes something your supporters look forward to.

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5. Personalize everything

Personalization boosts engagement — by a lot. Emails with a personalized subject line are 26% more likely to be opened.

Here are a few easy ways to personalize:

• Use the person’s name in the subject line and greeting.
• Mention their recent donation or activity.
• Segment by location, giving history, or volunteer status.
• Write like a person, not a brand. Use “I” and “you.”

When supporters feel seen, they’re more likely to stay engaged — and keep giving.

6. Simplify your signup process

The easier it is to join your email list, the more people will do it.

Keep your signup form simple — just name and email. Place it where people will see it:

• Homepage
• Website footer
• Donation forms
• Blog posts
• Event pages

Then, follow up right away. Send a welcome email that thanks them, explains what to expect, and invites them to explore more.

A smooth signup process builds trust and helps your list grow the right way — with people who actually want to hear from you.

7. Share the right content

The best email strategy in the world won’t work without the right content. Luckily, email content doesn’t have to be tricky. You can reuse a lot of the content you’re already creating and share what your organization is doing.

Think about what matters to your subscribers:

• Why did they sign up for your email list?
• Have they donated recently?
• Are they new to your mission?
• Do they follow your events or volunteer?

Good content could include:

• Event invites
• Volunteer or donor spotlights
• Success stories
• Thank-you notes
• Campaign updates
• Blog posts, reports, or videos

Keep it short. Make it skimmable with clear headings, bold text, and spacing. And always include a clear call to action — whether it’s to donate, read more, or share.

8. Make design count

Design matters more than you might think.

A clean, mobile-friendly layout with strong branding helps people recognize and trust your emails. It also makes them easier to read.

Design tips to follow:

• Use contrast, like a light-colored background and dark text
• Use a responsive email template that is mobile-friendly
• Be consistent and feature branded elements
• Have a clear call to action button
• Visual hierarchy (headlines, images, buttons, zig-zag pattern)
• Break up text with lists, boxes, or bold subheadings

9. Track and learn from performance

Want better results? Start by tracking what’s working — and what’s not.

This insight can impact what types of emails you send and how often. It can also inform you of potential areas of improvement. For example, if you have a low open rate, you may need to tweak your subject line or preheader text.

Key metrics to watch:

• Open rates. This metric tells you how many people opened your email. If this is low, reduce send frequency, alter subject lines, or clean up your subscriber list. The average nonprofit open rate is about 28.5%.
• Click-through rates. This metric tells you how many people clicked on a link in the email (that link could be any link in the email, including your call to action). If this metric is low, you may need to change your content or call to action. The average nonprofit click-through rate is around 3.3%.
• Unsubscribe rates. This metric tells you how many people unsubscribe from your email list. Consider the signup process, send frequency, or content if this metric is high. The average nonprofit email unsubscribe rate is 0.19%.
• Donations. Your email marketing efforts should increase donations over time, especially for Giving Tuesday and end-of-year email fundraising campaigns. Look for how many donations can be attributed to your email campaigns, especially when you’re making an ask.

Checking your data regularly helps you adjust and improve your strategy over time.

Ready to excel at nonprofit email marketing?

Email is one of your most powerful tools for building relationships, raising awareness, and increasing donations.

By improving deliverability, personalizing your content, and tracking results, you can turn your email list into a high-impact fundraising channel.

And if you’re using a platform like Give, you’ll have built-in tools to manage donor data, create branded donation forms, and connect directly from your emails — making your nonprofit email marketing strategy even stronger.