{"id":1665,"date":"2025-07-15T23:03:29","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T03:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildapricot.wpengine.com\/?p=1665"},"modified":"2025-07-18T17:41:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T21:41:24","slug":"nonprofit-email-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wildapricot.com\/blog\/nonprofit-email-list","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Nonprofit Email List Isn\u2019t Working (and How to Fix It)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Year over year, nonprofits find that email messaging is the most effective way to <\/span>get the word out<\/span>.<\/span> After all, <\/span>88% of people check their email every day<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>58% of people check their email first<\/span><\/a>, before their social media.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your <\/span>important<\/span> messages – whether <\/span>it’s<\/span> about fundraising, new volunteer opportunities, upcoming events or new member activities – should all be sent via email. <\/span>But making sure<\/span> your emails <\/span>actually get<\/span> opened and read by your supporters is something many nonprofit organizations struggle with.<\/span> We know people are checking their emails, but are they <\/span>reading <\/span><\/em>yours?<\/span><\/p>\n

If <\/span>you feel like<\/span> you’re<\/span> just throwing emails into the void, <\/span>it’s<\/span> likely an issue with your email list.<\/span> Have no fear, we have all the tips and tricks for ensuring your list is healthy and consistently growing. After all, the more people you can reach, the<\/span> more awareness you can bring to your mission.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ready to get started? Read on to level up your email marketing skills.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Building a Nonprofit Email List is Crucial<\/span><\/h2>\n

Every nonprofit organization has valuable information to share with its subscribers. However, with the average person <\/span>receiving 121 emails per day<\/span><\/a>, your messaging needs to resonate with <\/span>your specific audience<\/span><\/strong>. <\/span>If you fail to do this, <\/span>then<\/span> you’re<\/span> spending valuable time crafting email communications to the wrong people.<\/span> Resulting in revenue loss and missed opportunities to connect with real supporters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your mailing list should be curated from direct supporters of your organization. Whether this includes donors, volunteers, members, or individuals who subscribe to your newsletters but <\/span>don’t<\/span> fit into one of those categories. You should never send emails to addresses obtained in any other way, such as buying email lists.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a personalized email list, your email campaigns will make a bigger impact. Think about it – if you are passionate about animal welfare, you may have subscribed to a local animal <\/span>shelter’s<\/span> email newsletter. <\/span>In their quarterly email, they share about their fundraising goal and how it will help save 50 more animals, <\/span>so<\/span> you donate through their call-to-action button.<\/span> This was a valuable email to you, and you are a valuable subscriber for the nonprofit. A win-win for each party. Whereas someone who <\/span>doesn’t<\/span> share the same passion <\/span>wouldn’t<\/span> donate, they probably would have sent the email straight to the trash.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quality, Not Quantity<\/span><\/h3>\n

Many people assume the wider net you cast, the more fish <\/span>you’ll<\/span> catch. However, this <\/span>isn’t<\/span> always the case. You want your mailing list to work <\/span>with<\/span><\/strong> your mission.. A massive list of random individuals can result in your emails being marked as spam, even if, every once in a while, you gain a new donor. <\/span><\/p>\n

If marked as spam by too many addresses, your nonprofit <\/span>organization’s<\/span> reputation will suffer. Major email providers, such as Gmail and Outlook, will automatically mark all your communications as spam, placing them in folders like<\/span> “<\/span>Junk,<\/span>” “<\/span>Spam,<\/span>” <\/span>or<\/span> “<\/span>Other.<\/span>” <\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, a nonprofit email list curated of those who care about your cause makes a huge difference in your ROI. <\/span>It’s<\/span> better to have a list of 50 passionate subscribers who open and read your messaging than 500 who ignore you. <\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, some data to back it up:<\/span><\/strong> Per <\/span>The Nonprofit Email Report<\/span><\/a>, the average nonprofit raised about $1.11 per email <\/span>contact –<\/span> with smaller nonprofits raising $6.15 as opposed to larger nonprofits (who have larger lists) raising only $0.88 per email contact. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now that you know the importance of curating your nonprofit email list, <\/span>let’s<\/span> dive into our top 5 tips for growing your email list and best practices for nonprofit email marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n

5 Tips for Growing Your Nonprofit Mailing List<\/span><\/h2>\n

Growing your email list <\/span>won’t<\/span> happen overnight; <\/span>it’s<\/span> important<\/span> to go slow and steady – be the tortoise. <\/span><\/p>\n

One of the <\/span>best<\/span> ways to achieve this is to focus on building relationships with supporters online and capitalizing on the momentum from events or fundraising campaigns.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Create Compelling Lead Magnets<\/span><\/h3>\n

Lead magnets, also known as<\/span> “<\/span>freebies,<\/span>” <\/span>are the things you offer people in exchange for their email address. <\/span>I’m<\/span> sure <\/span>you’ve<\/span> experienced these lead magnets in real life – I know that in college, I signed up for <\/span>many<\/span><\/strong> newsletters for a free slice of pizza in the quad.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the most common freebies <\/span>you’ll<\/span> see<\/span> in the nonprofit industry <\/span>are<\/span> access to educational assets.<\/span> Whether <\/span>it’s<\/span> a robust piece of content, such as an e-course, or a simple checklist, you can gate your virtual resources in exchange for email addresses. <\/span>It’s<\/span> essential to include a privacy policy statement when collecting email addresses and a clear opt-in\/opt-out for marketing content.<\/span><\/p>\n

In your lead magnet form, <\/span>simply<\/span> create a form with a newsletter opt-in checkbox like seen here:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Or include an automatic consent statement upon completion of your lead magnet form, seen here:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Types of Digital Lead Magnets<\/span><\/h4>\n

Here’s<\/span> a list of online lead magnets to consider. Try testing a couple <\/span>of <\/span>different options for your supporters – you never know what will resonate with people!<\/span><\/p>\n

1. A Case Study: <\/span><\/strong>Case studies can be inspirational giveaways for your audience, and they can position your organization in a great light, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. A Toolkit<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span> Put together a collection of <\/span>useful<\/span> resources that your subscribers <\/span>would find interesting (like cheat sheets, blog posts, checklists, videos or ebooks<\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n

3. A White Paper<\/span><\/strong>: One of the most popular ways nonprofits showcase their value to prospective members who visit their website.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. An Online Course\/Webinar<\/span><\/strong>: Currently offer educational sessions or webinars to members? Offer the recording as one of your lead magnets – <\/span>easy to do<\/span> if <\/span>you’re<\/span> already producing the content!<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Access to a Live Q&A with You<\/span><\/strong>: Some nonprofits offer a monthly Q&A where audience members can ask questions that are on their minds. This type of open Q&A can be a great way to establish your authority and connect with your subscribers.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can offer the live session to your new subscribers, and also send them recordings of previous Q&A sessions right after they sign up for your list.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. A Cheat Sheet<\/span><\/strong>: Everyone wants to do things quickly! Is there a shortcut or<\/span> \u201c<\/span>cheat<\/span>\u201d <\/span>that your audience would find beneficial?<\/span><\/p>\n

7. A Checklist<\/span><\/strong>: People love checklists. <\/span>Offering a digital download that people can print out <\/span>on their own<\/span> is a great way to <\/span>give<\/span> options <\/span>to<\/span> those who prefer physical resources.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pick<\/span> an idea from your brainstormed list, create<\/span> the<\/span> “<\/span>freebie,<\/span>” <\/span>and <\/span>advertise<\/span> it on your social media or website <\/span>with<\/span> an opt-in <\/span>landing page<\/span><\/a> or email subscription form.<\/span> Track the results and see how your audience responds. When you find the right incentive for your audience, <\/span>you’ll<\/span> notice a spike in the number of subscribers you receive.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Leverage Your Social Media<\/span><\/h3>\n

It seems like everyone<\/span> is on their phones, scrolling through their various social media platforms.<\/span> Whether <\/span>it’s<\/span> LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X or TikTok<\/span> – <\/span>millions of individuals consume content from all types of creators, organizations and businesses.<\/span> And thanks to the abundance of the <\/span>platforms’<\/span> algorithms, your nonprofit can be seen in <\/span>someone’s<\/span> newsfeed even if <\/span>they’ve<\/span> never heard of your organization before. <\/span><\/p>\n

But the question is – how do you gain the favor of the all-powerful algorithm, and once <\/span>you’re<\/span> on <\/span>someone’s<\/span> radar, how can you get them to subscribe? <\/span><\/p>\n

Valuable freebies, of course.<\/span><\/p>\n

Share Valuable Content<\/span><\/h4>\n

As we mentioned <\/span>before<\/span>, <\/span>there’s<\/span> a ton of<\/span> digital resources you can create and share with your audience to <\/span>gain<\/span> email subscribers.<\/span> This content should align with your nonprofit <\/span>organization’s<\/span> industry and mission. For example, a nonprofit focused on childhood nutrition can offer an on-demand webinar of<\/span> “<\/span>Cooking Seasonally: How to Prepare a Fresh, Fully Balanced Meal in Every Season<\/span>.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Be sure to post on your social media channels whenever you have a new asset and include a link with a CTA for your email newsletter. Verbiage like<\/span> “<\/span>Be the first to know when we share new content – subscribe to our email list<\/span>!”<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Sunny Tip: Keep the balance but maintain consistency<\/span><\/h4>\n

It’s<\/span> essential to have balance when it comes to your social media. No one wants to feel like <\/span>they’re<\/span> asked to input their email <\/span>every<\/span><\/em> time <\/span>you<\/span> share content through <\/span>your<\/span> social accounts. While <\/span>you’re<\/span> not necessarily selling anything to your followers, it can negatively impact your reputation if it seems like you only offer gated resources. <\/span><\/p>\n

Posting consistently will also ensure that you pop up frequently in newsfeeds. Share your lead magnets, but also things like milestones of your org, behind-the-scenes photos and repost industry content to be active in your community.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Utilize Events for List Growth<\/span><\/h3>\n

Events are one of the easiest ways to add your offline supporters to your mailing lists. <\/span>There are <\/span>a couple of different<\/span> ways <\/span>you can<\/span> drive subscriptions through fundraisers, volunteering opportunities, conferences, networking events and even your meeting<\/span>s!<\/span> Not only will you <\/span>get<\/span> direct confirmation that these individuals want to be on your email list, but <\/span>it’s<\/span> likely they will<\/span> be highly engaged and interact with your CTAs (calls-to-action).<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider these methods for mailing list growth at events:<\/span><\/p>\n