The Internet is a very powerful tool for social change. Because it can motivate people to fight for the right cause. It helps people to connect faster and hence work efficiently. It empowers you to work with higher intensity by reaching new people.
It is the best tool for fundraising. Many non-profit organizations use the internet to ask for help from people. And people help them. It helps them to build a relationship with the donor.
There are some issues like people don’t trust online websites. However, trust can be gained with the help of the internet. So, despite the issues, it provides a medium to raise funds.
There are various ways to connect with people by using the internet. Email is one of them. You either are asking for donations directly or building a relationship to ask for a donation, in both cases, email is one of the best ways.
If you want to set meetings with donors, Email is the way to communicate it. It’s cost-effective so you can save and invest that money for a better cause. It has a high return on investment.
Emails are being used by marketers for marketing, establishing brand identity, building trust, etc. You can run email campaigns to raise funds. You can ask for donations from numerous people with just one click.
You can communicate with donors, build trust, update them about your future projects and collect a huge amount of funds through emails.
Write persuasively–
Writing has various purposes. Some may write to communicate the idea. Some people write for brand awareness. Other people can write for building a strong relationship. Some may write to convince the reader about the subject matter.
While writing about fundraising or donations, your job is to convince the reader to donate money for a good cause and build trust that the money is going to that cause and not anywhere else. So you must write your Email so persuasively that it will build trust and convince the reader to donate.
Subject Line.
The subject line is a crucial part of any email because it decides whether the reader will reach the donation link or not. Because if he doesn’t open an email, he will never know why you sent the email. Your message will be unread.
So, write a subject line that will compel the reader to open your email. It’s like a headline. It firstly gains the reader’s attention and then makes him curious to open the email and read further. Use the hook in the subject line.
Here are tips to write the subject line:
- Make it crisp.
- Write with clarity and to the point.
- Make it interesting.
- Make them feel like this is important.
- Tease the reader.
- Personalize it.
- Use emotional appeal
- Give the reason why it is useful, timely, and very relevant to their lives.
Email Body.
There are various ways to write an email body. The telling story is one of the best ways to write it. Storytelling will build trust in the reader’s mind. It is an effective tool of persuasion. Storytelling has tremendous power.
If your organization assists individuals in need, share personal experiences with readers to demonstrate the value of their donation. Using your email to tell a story engages readers more. You may choose to utilize an emotionally compelling story to persuade readers to act.
Use short paragraphs (3-5 sentences in each paragraph).
Call to Action.
At the end of the email, there must be a call to action. All the things that you have written will be of no use if you don’t add a call to action. Call to action means guiding the reader to take the action (in this case, donations.)
Be specific about what action you want them to take. If you don’t give your donors a way to donate in the body of the email, they won’t be able to. In the email’s body, anchor a link to your website’s donation site. Or you can use the “Donate Now” button in your email. Keep Your Call to action straightforward.
Make it personal–
Personalization helps in relationship building with the reader. Personalized emails stand out in the inbox because they are very relevant and personalized. Because it makes a message more likely to be opened and clicked on, the right content is sent to the right people at the right time.
Personalization makes your email seem genuine. It evokes honesty. You can personalize your message by using the name of that person in the subject line and email body. You can do it by using an email signature in your email.
Apart from personalization, and Email signature adds authenticity to the email. But how to create an email signature? Many organizations have this question. And the solution is simple. Use an email signature maker. Email signature maker is a tool that allows you to create your signature in a few simple steps.
Be clear-
The first rule in persuasive writing is being clear. Clarity of thought makes your writing crisp and to the point. Be clear about your vision and goals. And lead with one goal in mind. So, you won’t be vague in your emails.
Don’t be vague by saying “help please”. Instead, Ask about exactly what help you want—donations. When you will be adding a Call to action, use only one call to action. Adding more than one call to action will confuse the reader. And, instead of choosing one of the actions, they will choose no action.
Be honest–
Honesty builds a long-term reputation, possible funding from one-time and recurring donations, and expands promotional reach. Honesty brings a new significance in fundraising emails, as donors are choosing to trust in your vision and support your initiatives financially that will help you achieve your goals.
By providing an honest detail of your work, you can leave them with the impression that the information you are presenting is not simply marketing to gain funding, but rather evidence of your responsibility as an advocate and your effectiveness.
Don’t forget the follow-up thank you-
“Thank you” are the words to show your gratitude and appreciate the donors’ efforts. Following up and thanking donors ensures future donations. The warmer you are to your donors, the more likely they are to contribute again.
Do these things:
- Send a thank-you email after a donation.
- Feature one or more of your contributors on Facebook or other social media.
- Let donors know how their money was used and how it benefited their community.
- Keep donors updated by email.