#GivingTuesday Email Templates and Best Practices
What’s your #GivingTuesday secret weapon? Your email list. Through email, you can make long-form, targeted appeals to those who have already donated to or expressed interest in your nonprofit’s work and send them straight to your #GivingTuesday donation page on Mightycause to make their gift. In this post, we’ll be sharing some #GivingTuesday email templates to help you get inspired, along with tips and best practices that will help you step up your email game for #GivingTuesday.
#GivingTuesday Email Templates
So, the idea behind #GivingTuesday email templates is that you can copy and paste them, customize a word here or there, and then send them off. But we’re hoping you’ll use these #GivingTuesday email templates as a jumping-off point and add more content about your nonprofit’s work and mission!
Sample 1 – Two weeks before #GivingTuesday
Subject Line: One day of giving, infinite impact
Body:
Picture this: After Thanksgiving, Black Friday and CyberMonday, generous donors across the world come together to give back on #GivingTuesday. [Organization Name] is a part of this global movement for generosity, and we need your support to continue our work to [Cause/Mission].
Your donation at [donation page link] is more than a contribution; it’s the spark for change. Your support empowers our mission, creating real impact in the lives we touch.
Save the Date for November 28th, or you can make your donation early today at [donation page link]. Your generosity transforms lives. We can’t wait to have you with us.
Thank you for your support!
Sample 2 – One Week Before #GivingTuesday
Subject Line: We are grateful for you
Body:
Thanks to the generous donors like you, [Organization Name] is able to work toward our mission of [insert mission/cause]. We could not do this without you and we are truly grateful for your support and partnership in this work.
Before you step away this week to give thanks with friends and family, we invite you to give back. You can be a vital part of our journey by supporting our #GivingTuesday campaign. A donation of any size from you, even just $10, can make a significant difference in strengthening our mission.
This year, we’ve set ambitious goals to [insert dollar goal or impact goal], and your support is critical in helping us get there. Early donations are now open, and every contribution, even before the big day, counts toward our #GivingTuesday goals.
Mark your calendar for November 28th, and join us in making an impact. Your support is invaluable in helping us reach our mission.
Sample 3 – One Week Before #GivingTuesday
Subject Line: Be a Hero and Support [Organization Name]
Body:
Here’s your chance to be a game-changer for [Organization Name]! By donating any day today through #GivingTuesday on Tuesday, November 28th, you could help us secure additional funding in the form of prize grants [and/or unlock a generous matching grant provided by our dedicated sponsor]. Your contribution of any size can create an incredible impact!
What: Give to [Organization Name] during #GivingTuesday
When: Tuesday, November 28th
Where: Online at [Link to Mightycause Page]
Donate Now
After you make your donation, your impact can even go further. Tell your friends! Forward this email! Share it on Social Media. Help us get the word out about #GivingTuesday.
Mark your calendar for November 28th, 2023! Early donations are open today, so if you’d like to give now, all donations count toward our #GivingTuesday totals!
Sample 4 — Day Before #GivingTuesday
Subject Line: Do you love [Cause/Mission]?
Body:
Tomorrow, November 28th, many will come together for a special 24-hour campaign called #GivingTuesday and we need YOUR HELP! Our goal is to raise [$GOAL] in 24 hours to support [Organization’s Mission/Cause]. Please help us make a real difference.
Please support the vital services of [Organization Name] by giving to our campaign. No need to wait until tomorrow, show your support and make your gift today!
Sample 5 – On #GivingTuesday
Subject Line: Ready, Set, Give!
Body:
Today is the day – #GivingTuesday is here! We are on our way to raising [$GOAL] for [Organization Name] in 24 hours. Will you help us?
(Optional if applicable to your campaign)
- [Organization Name] is competing to win prize grants, every donation helps to make us eligible for bonus funds.
- Thanks to your generosity and enthusiasm, we have already raised [$X]. We need [$X] more – can you help us get there?
- Today only, all donations up to [$x] will be matched by a generous donor, donate now and double your impact!
Help me spread the word and let everyone know that today is the day to give to [Organization Name]. Share your support on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by telling everyone about #GivingTuesday.
Thank you for your support!
Sample 6 – Donor Retention Email on #GivingTuesday
Subject Line: Your Continued Support Makes a Difference
Body:
Your past support meant the world to us. On November 28th, 2023, #GivingTuesday returns, and we hope you’ll join us once more. Your contribution last year made [specific impact], and your help is needed again.
Please consider donating to [Organization Name] on #GivingTuesday. Visit [Link to Mightycause Page] to make a difference.
Your continued support drives positive change for [Organization’s cause], and we are so grateful for your contribution.
Sample 7 – #GivingTuesday on Mightycause Prize Email
Subject Line: Today, your gift can go further
Body:
Today, [Organization Name] is participating in #GivingTuesday on Mightycause, and that makes us eligible to win bonus prize grants to help advance our work. Throughout the full 24 hour campaign, random donations will be chosen to receive $100 boosts, and at special hours during the day, we can win up to $500 for raising the most dollars or having the most individuals make a gift.
There are over 40 chances for organizations like ours to win prize funding, but we can’t do it without your support. Donate now and follow along with us on social media to watch for updates!
Running Your Email Campaign
Now that you’ve reviewed our #GivingTuesday email templates, we want to step back and review your campaign as a whole. There are three basic phases to an email marketing campaign for #GivingTuesday:
- Build-up
- Day-of
- Follow-up
Build-up
The build-up phase of your campaign includes a “Save the Date” or introduction email, any email reminders you sent out in the week and days before the event, as well as including a #GivingTuesday reminder on any email blasts you send out after your first #GivingTuesday email. (See multiple examples in the #GivingTuesday email templates section above!)
You should make sure to weave #GivingTuesday into all of your communications — include a “Save the Date” in your e-newsletter, stick it at the bottom of any email blasts. Repetition is the key to making something stick in people’s minds to the more you repeat that #GivingTuesday is on November 28th, 2023, the more likely they are to remember it. Take a look at your full calendar of e-blasts to make sure you don’t miss any opportunities to plug #GivingTuesday!
How often you contact your donors about #GivingTuesday is up to you. Here are the must-have emails you’ll want to make sure you send out:
- Save the Date (send in early September)
- Announcement that #GivingTuesday donations are open
- Reminder the day before #GivingTuesday
Day-of
Email is going to be important on #GivingTuesday! Nonprofits typically see great returns with a well-considered #GivingTuesday email campaign. At a minimum, you will want to send these emails:
- Kick-off email at midnight
- Mid-day check-in and CTA to donate
- An email at the start of any Power Hours you’re trying to win
- An evening check-in and CTA to donate
- Email warning that #GivingTuesday is ending soon (final hour)
Follow-up
The most important part of any fundraising campaign is closing the loop and setting the stage for your next effort. (End-of-year fundraising, in this case!) Mightycause will send each donor an email with their tax receipt and the custom thank you message your nonprofit creates, but we recommend following up with all of your donors.
Plan on at least one email the day after #GivingTuesday. Thank your donors for helping you reach your goal. Tell them how much you raised and how it will be used. Something special, like a video of your entire staff saying thank you or an email from the Executive Director, are great ways to show your appreciation and keep your donors engaged so they will return to donate to your next campaign.
#GivingTuesday Email Best Practices
At Mightycause, we often get questions like, “What is the best time to send an email?” and “How often should we email our donors?” The truth is that there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to email marketing. There is no magical number of times you should contact followers that will be sure to keep them engaged but avoid donor fatigue. If we knew of a foolproof subject line formula that lead to opens, we’d certainly tell you. But even if there are no cool “hacks” or tricks you can use, there are best practices you can follow to make the most of your emails on #GivingTuesday.
Segment Your #GivingTuesday Email List
Your supporters are individuals. They came to support your cause in a variety of ways and show their support in different ways. So you should be talking to them as individuals. Make sure you’re sending the right content to the right people, at the right time and frequency.
Take a look at what data you have about the people on your email list. How can you tailor your message to suit each segment? A good place to start is separating out major gift donors, recurring donors, one-time donors, and people on your list who haven’t made a donation yet. Here are some other ideas for segmentation:
- Volunteers
- Board members
- Lapsed donors (last gave over 1 year ago)
- Interests
- Where they registered for your emails
A/B Test
If you’re not familiar with A/B testing, it’s testing the response to two variables and comparing the results. When it comes to email marketing, there are a lot of variables you can A/B test: subject lines, button placement and style, email length, colors, images, the list goes on!
We recommend doing your A/B testing during the Build-Up phase of your campaign. Try out different things and measure your results. Use that information to optimize your #GivingTuesday emails when it counts the most!
Optimize #GivingTuesday Email Templates for Mobile
It’s a tale as old as time. You spend hours perfecting an email that’s a cornerstone in your fundraising campaign. You fine-tune the copy, make sure you have the perfect images, check and double-check your links … on your desktop computer. You forgot to use a mobile-friendly template and didn’t check how it looks on an iPhone before you sent it. A board member opened it on their phone and lets you know that it looks bad. You’re mortified, and your email performs poorly. But this is so easy to prevent!
Make sure you use mobile-friendly email templates. Programs like Constant Contact and MailChimp make it easy for you to see that a template is mobile-friendly. Stay away from features like columns, sidebars and side-by-side content boxes because they can cause layout problems on mobile devices. And test your emails on different devices to make sure they look good and function the way they’re supposed to!
Do Quality Assurance
Here’s some nightmare fuel for you: imagine sending out an email to all of your supporters with a broken link to your #GivingTuesday page. Scary, right?! Having a Quality Assurance (QA) process in place will prevent this nightmare scenario from ever happening.
Think of QA as a “check yourself before you wreck yourself” policy. You’ll want to assemble a team (at least two detail-oriented people) and a checklist. Here are a few things to include your QA checklist:
- Check links to ensure they all work
- Look at how the email displays in different browsers and on different devices
- Detect and fix any formatting issues (line breaks, color display, alignment)
- Ensure that alt-text is provided for all images
- Check for typos, spelling errors or factual errors
- Double-check that personalized fields are working properly
Include a CTA with an “Ask” in all Email Templates
It’s all about the CTA, or call-to-action. Your subject line will get people to open your email and your content will keep them reading, but at the end of the day what matters most is the click-through to your Mightycause page. So it’s important to make sure you’ve got a strong CTA. Here are a few best practices to get the clicks you want:
- Be clear and concise. Your CTA button shouldn’t have two lines!
- Include why it’s important in your appeal – your donors want to know how their gift will impact your work.
- Don’t forget to include the ask. Believe it or not, it happens! A CTA button that says “Thank you for your contribution” is not going to be successful. This is because a) it’s not asking for anything, and b) it’s thanking the reader for something they haven’t even done yet (which can make them less inclined to click because they’ve already gotten the thank-you).
- Keep it focused. Your email should have one CTA. You’ve heard of the famous jam study, right? When you give people too many choices, they tend to choose nothing. The same goes for including too many CTAs and links.
Keep Your Design Simple
It may be tempting to get fancy with your #GivingTuesday email templates and add lots of design flourishes, but keep in mind that the most effective email designs are simple, easy to read and digest, use web-safe fonts and look great in all browsers, on all devices. Choose your color palette wisely and stay away from garish or clashing colors.
Make Sure Your Email is Easy to Read
Fundraising is an art and we don’t want to cramp your style, but your emails will perform better if they’re easy to read. Try running your copy through an online Readability Tester to clean up your copy.