Email Marketing to Non-Profit Organizations: How to Launch, Which Metrics to Track and Where You Can Save

As a member of a Non-Profit team, chances are that you sometimes have to fundraise and send thank-you messages to your donors. If you or your organization works this way, then you might need to shoot your shots with email marketing. 

The reason is simple. Email marketing is the most significant tool that can help you engage better with your supporters and donors. It can also help you to build a long-term relationship with them. 

 Email marketing for non-profit organizations does not need to revolve around only your supporters and donors. It is also one of the sure-fire ways to engage other people and let them know your goals and objectives. What does your non-profit organization stand for? You can answer this question through effective email marketing.

In this post, we will walk you through the importance of email marketing to non-profit organizations and how to get started. You will also get to explore the metrics to track and how you can save money when you leverage email marketing. 

Why Email Marketing is Important for Non-Profit Organizations?

First things first, what is email marketing? It is the practice of sending promotional materials to people in bulk quantities.

Non-profit organizations that desire to build a network of loyal subscribers or supports can opt for email marketing. It offers numerous benefits over all other online channels and offline tactics.

Let’s look at some of the benefits that non-profit organizations could gain from incorporating email marketing into their short-term and long-term plans. 

Cost-Effectiveness

You will agree that in an industry where there is a limited budget, efficiency is vital. Email marketing provides an excellent communication platform for non-profits. Plus, it is affordable and comes with results. 

There's no heavy cost that comes with sending reminders and updates to donors. In any case,  you don't have to break the bank while creating the email campaigns. There are numerous free options for non-profit organizations such as Mailchimp, Hubspot, Omnisend, SendPulse, and many others. 

What’s more? Email marketing is known for its high return rate in terms of investment. 

Engagement Boost

Email provides direct interaction with individuals or entities that are interested in what you do. This way, you can maintain or build a good relationship with them. 

You can express your appreciation through thank-you messages. It would help to also encourage further assistance by sharing developments on recent projects and how to get engaged with them.

Seamless Donor Experience

Email marketing allows you to create a smooth donor experience that enhances response rates. Rather than encouraging them to fill and return a paper donation form, the donor donates via online forms. 

Personalization

You will agree that nothing beats a tailored conversation with a donor and other subscribers. Email marketing can provide the next fantastic option.

Email allows you to interact with more people without leaving behind the one-on-one conversation. 

In any case, your email marketing channel will garner data on how your contacts engage or what interests them. You can customize your approach based on that. 

A Few Common Examples of Emails From Non-Profit Organizations

• Thank-you Emails.
• Donation Appeals.
• Follow up Emails

Non-Profit Tactics to Get Started with Email Marketing

We have all been there. So not all email marketing strategies deliver the results you want. However, you need to keep a few points in mind to get the best out of this channel. Let's dive into a few tactics that can help you to get cracking with non-profit email marketing.

Verify Emails before Initiating Campaigns

Do you happen to know? Your strategies won’t work as planned if you send emails without the right assessment. It is vital to utilize an email verifier to check the email list.

Various options allow you to verify your email list within the shortest possible time. They range from Mailfloss, Email Checker, Hunter to ZeroBounce. 

You will probably encounter a high bounce rate when you send emails to invalid contacts. The point is that you should guard against such issues by assessing the addresses on your list carefully before sending your emails. 

Boost your Donor Base

Potential donors will constantly look out for your signup form. Make sure that they can quickly find it.

There are specific areas that are best for displaying your signup form. They include your company's social media pages like Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. You can position the form in the "About Page" of your website or a pop-up form at the homepage.

It is also a fantastic idea to garner names and emails at any corporate and social events. If there is a registration table, you should fix an IPad or desktop with a signup form. It would help to utilize tools like the Google Form and HubSpot Form to create presentable registration forms. 

It would help to also consider partnership opportunities as part of your action plans. Make sure you set up campaigns with other non-profit brands with similar goals and values. By doing so, you can expand your reach. 

What Are the Metrics that Non-Profits should Track for Email Marketing? 

Mapping out the right data can help non-profit organizations carve out messages that engage and retain loyal supporters. Metrics also allow them to set and monitor performance that mirrors their operations and shows what's working and what is not.

Email metrics are one of the best ways to know what your audience wants and what they don't.

Email Open Rate

Email open rate refers to the number of recipients who open your emails. These metrics help you to figure out whether recipients trust your messages. It helps you to know whether you are sending the right emails to the right network. You will figure out whether contacts find your content valuable enough. 

The trick is to send content at the right time and with relevant messages. You might like to segment your audience based on age, gender, geographical location, and another criterion. It will help you to offer more personalized messages for stronger connections. 

How to Estimate Email Open Rate

• Send contents at a time when readers can probably read them.
• Revamp your subject lines to increase interest in your content.
• Make sure you are consistent and intentional about the frequency of the emails. 

Click-to-Open Rate

It is the number of recipients who read your email and access the CTA link or button. If your goal is to ensure that recipients complete an action, this metric will help you to figure out whether they have clicked and opened your content or not.

How to Improve Click-to-Open Rate

• Incorporate high-quality images into your content.
• Utilize compelling CTAs and headlines.
• Utilize top-notch designs. 

Unsubscribe Rate

It is the number of contacts who have unsubscribed from your email connection. Many recipients will not read your messages for a long time or they might delete them. In some cases, they might unsubscribe to prevent further messages. 

An email marketing tactic is effective because it helps to generate more leads and retain subscribers. It's little wonder that some non-profit organizations feature general news, useful tips, and a welcome package for new donors. If you ask for financial engagement all the time, subscribers may get furious and unsubscribe.

You need to leverage emails to remind your subscribers why your non-profit’s cause is vital. This way, you can prevent them from unsubscribing. 

How Can Non-Profits Save Money When They Start Email Marketing?

Since non-profit brands do not thrive on profit-making, they have a limited budget. So, how can they save money or work around an affordable budget when they start email marketing?

It is simple. They can utilize affordable and effective email marketing channels such as Campaign Monitor, Email Octopus, Flodesk, and many others. These channels create campaigns that are accessible on any device. Plus, you can pay as low as $9 per month for the premium package.

Conclusion

Email helps non-profit organizations to boost their donation drive and achieve their goals. Offering the right content with a high-quality design to the right audience will help you to boost your donor base. 

It would also help to garner relevant pieces of information to expand your reach.