Set yourself up for a successful end-of-year fundraising campaign with these GivingTuesday email examples paired with a great messaging strategy.
During the last months of the year, folks are getting into the spirit of the holiday season. Generosity runs high, but potential donors are faced with opportunities to give at every turn. So how do you stand out in the sea of nonprofits to be your supporters’ charity of choice?
GivingTuesday comes early in the holiday season, so it’s a great opportunity to remind your audience why their support is needed. We’ve gathered our best tips on this popular campaign here, along with some GivingTuesday email examples to help you reach people who will gladly give to your organisation at just the right time.
What is GivingTuesday?
If you’ve heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you probably know about GivingTuesday: a 24-hour campaign for year-end giving during the week of Thanksgiving. Founded in the United States in 2012, GivingTuesday has grown into a global year-round generosity movement.
The past two years in particular have brought in record numbers of donations for participating charities. Last year in the U.S. alone, nonprofits raised $2.7 billion on GivingTuesday, a 9% increase from 2020 and a 37% increase from pre-pandemic levels.
This year, 2022, marks the 10th anniversary of GivingTuesday. With record-high participation and the ease of collecting online donations through the Raisely platform, there’s never been a better time to set up a landing page and get started with your first GivingTuesday fundraising campaign.
GivingTuesday email strategy
Even though people receive more emails than ever before, your email list is still the most effective tool you have for promoting fundraising campaigns — the average ROI for email marketing is $36 for every dollar spent. Don’t be afraid to use it!
Thousands of other organisations will be campaigning for donations at the same time, so it’s important to engage your audience early and give them a nudge to take specific, simple actions.
- Send an email at least a week before GivingTuesday to preview your fundraising campaign.
- Then, follow up with an attention-grabbing subject line and a compelling message on the day-of.
- Don’t shy away from creating a sense of urgency — include a strong call to action.
- Make the donation process as simple and streamlined as possible (that’s where Raisely comes in).
A winning GivingTuesday strategy includes multiple short messages that resonate with potential donors’ personal connections to your cause, like the GivingTuesday email examples in this article. Segmenting your list into groups such as donors who have given before, donors who gave on GivingTuesday in the previous year, and subscribers who haven’t donated yet can help you send the right message to these groups.
Sending regular newsletters and fundraising letters throughout the year gives you plenty of opportunities for A/B testing things like subject lines, email length, use of images, personalisation, and other elements to see what gets the most open rates and clicks. Read more about the top five fundraising tools you can use to make this year’s campaign the best yet.
Effective GivingTuesday subject lines
Your email subject lines are the first thing potential donors will see, so you want to make them count. If you’re running a donation-matching campaign or another promotion, this is where you should highlight that time-sensitive information.
Most people check their emails from a mobile device, and the ideal subject line length for small screens is between 28 to 50 characters. If you have room and collect your subscribers’ names, personalising the subject line is a great way to establish a personal connection.
Subject Line Examples
- Double Your [Organisation Name] Donation This GivingTuesday
- Countdown to GivingTuesday: 24 Hours to Support Women in Need
- Local Families Need Your Support, [First Name]
- Make This GivingTuesday the Best Ever for Disabled Veterans
Along with the subject line, preview text gives you a bit more space to encourage subscribers to open your GivingTuesday emails. Use preview text to show the impact this donation drive will make and connect with why supporters care about your cause. The ideal preheader text length is 40-100 characters.
Preview Text Examples
- A one-time gift of only $25 provides a blanket to someone in need
- [First Name], don’t miss this opportunity to make Christmas special
- Share some joy with [Organisation Name] this season
- Help us provide holiday meals to 1,000 families this year
GivingTuesday email examples
The body of your email should pull at your audience’s heartstrings, showing them the difference they can make with their gift. Speak directly to them and make them feel like the hero of the story.
The ideal length for email copy is 50-125 words, or up to about 20 lines. However, people are willing to read longer emails from nonprofit organisations than businesses selling products and services. Check out our list of GivingTuesday email dos and don’ts for more tips on optimising your campaign for the best results.
These GivingTuesday email examples cover the entire campaign, from a soft launch with existing donors to your thank-you message with the final totals. With Raisely, you can automate thank-you emails and reminders to create an engaging user experience. Keep reading to get inspired for this year’s campaign:
Two Weeks Before GivingTuesday (For Previous Donors)
Dear [Name],
Last year, you helped [Organisation] raise [amount] for [mission]. Since then, we have helped [number of people/service provided] because of supporters like you. We couldn’t do it without you!
This year, GivingTuesday falls on November [date]. You can mark it on your calendar now or make an early donation [link to donation page] to help us get to our goal of [this year’s goal] a little faster. When we start the day closer to our goal, new donors are more likely to contribute.
Thanks again for your generosity. Have a happy holiday season!
Week Before GivingTuesday (For New Subscribers)
Dear [Name],
Thank you for showing interest in helping us [mission]. We’re doubling down on [problem you solve] with donation matching from [Sponsor Organisation] this GivingTuesday. Now is your chance to make a difference [link to donation page]!
[Describe the impact the average donation will make: For example, just $1 buys a meal for a hungry person. How many people can you help us feed with your one-time donation?]
Help us meet our [amount] fundraising goal before midnight on Tuesday, November [date]. Early donations go a long way to increase participation, so any amount you can give now is appreciated.
Know anyone else who’s as passionate about [cause] as you are? Forward this email to spread the word!
Have a happy Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday season.
GivingTuesday Kickoff
Hi [Name],
Today’s the day! We’ve raised [dollar amount] so far in our GivingTuesday campaign for [mission], and now we’re in the final stretch. Help us get to our goal of [goal amount] in the next 24 hours by visiting our donation page and making your gift now.
Did you know that [statistic about the problem you solve]? It takes less than a minute to join the [Organisation Name] community and help stop [problem you solve]. [Statement about donation impact: A donation of $25 provides a blanket to someone in need. How many people can you help us keep warm this winter?]
This is our biggest fundraising drive of the year, and it will support programming through the next year. Can we count on you to help us get to [goal amount]?
[Call to Action button: Give Now, Donate, etc.]
Can’t make a gift this year? Share [this link] on your favourite social media platform to help us spread the word about our campaign.
Thank you for your interest in [mission].
Happy GivingTuesday!
During GivingTuesday: Progress Update
Hi [Name],
We’re almost there! Thanks to donors like you, we’ve raised [dollar amount] for this year’s GivingTuesday campaign, and [dollar amount] of that was given since midnight today. [Add up the impact. For example: That’s 300 holiday dinners, or 75 families fed!] We are just [dollar amount] from reaching our goal. Just [number] more gifts at $25 each will get us all the way there.
Will you be one of the generous supporters we need to make our GivingTuesday goal? Click here to make your donation now:
[Call to Action button: Give Now, Donate, etc.]
Thanks again for supporting our community during this critical time. We’ll see you at the finish line!
Wrap Up and Thank You
Dear [Name],
We did it! Your gift helped us reach our goal of [dollar amount], [describe impact or number of people this will support]. [Number of donors] pitched in to make this possible. We can’t thank you enough.
Your gift will keep making an impact well into the new year and beyond. You’ve definitely raised our holiday spirits, and we hope you’re feeling the love too! Have a happy Thanksgiving.
With gratitude,
[Signature]
More Ways to Get Involved
While you’ve got your audience’s attention, don’t forget to highlight other opportunities to donate goods, volunteer time, and use their voice to spread awareness on important topics and areas of need. Feel free to modify these GivingTuesday email examples to fit your community and the user experience you want them to have.
Take a look at GivingTuesday’s list of Cause Coalitions to see if you can align your campaign with one of these existing communities, like #NextGenGenerosity, #MuslimsGive, #GivingTuesdayMutualAid, #GiveToWomenAndGirls, #GivingTuesdayLGBTQ and more. Spreading the word on social media is always a great alternative for those who aren’t in a position to give!
Create Your GivingTuesday Campaign with Raisely. These GivingTuesday email examples cover the basic details you’ll need to include, but we recommend adding impact stories, statistics, and messages from your organisation’s leaders for a personal touch. Start using Raisely today and launch your GivingTuesday campaign in no time!