Happy Spring!

Let’s imagine you just donated to a new organization.

You have that amazing feeling as you hit enter on the donation page.

But after a few days go by, you have yet to receive any communication from the organization.

No acknowledgement, not even a thank you.

You begin to wonder if they even received your donation.

Then, a week goes by—still, nothing.

Two weeks later, you receive a generic email from the organization, thanking you for your support but providing no additional information about their work or impact.
As time passes, you receive sporadic and unpersonalized emails from the organization. However, you still want clarification about how your contribution supports the mission.

You begin to wonder why you should continue supporting the organization.

Resources: Limited

Limited staff and budget are reasons one and two why nonprofits don’t thank their donors promptly. A lack of knowledge of donors’ expectations and technical barriers came in third and fourth.

These limitations make prioritizing new ways of communicating with donors, like learning how to create an automated welcome email series, quite challenging.

No matter the reason, limited communication creates an unenthusiastic experience for the donor.

Automate Your New Donor Welcome Series

One of the best parts of modern email marketing platforms is automation.

An automated welcome email series can solve the “lack of” problems by establishing a positive first impression, sharing the value of the organization's work and impact, and keeping the donor engaged and invested in the organization's mission.

New motto: create once, and share often.

According to Next After, “what you do in the first 45 days after a donation is arguably the most important communication you can have with your donors.”

A new donor welcome email series lets you make a positive first impression on new donors. It sets the tone for the rest of the relationship and shows your donor the value of their contribution.

Donors want to learn about the organizations they support and expect to receive communication once they give.

A welcome email series meets these expectations and gives donors the information they need to understand the organization's mission and impact.

A series helps build trust with your donor that eventually allows you to ask them for feedback on their experience with your organization. This feedback provides data that can help improve your service and build stronger relationships with donors.

You know I love personalization. With collected data, you can personalize the welcome email series to each donor's interests and preferences.

Craft and Set Up 8 Emails and Improve Your Donors' Experience:

1. Thank You & Welcome Email: This is the first email in the series, sent immediately after a donation. It should be a simple and sincere thank-you message expressing gratitude for the donor's support and welcoming them to the organization's community.
2. Impact Story Email: Two days later, share how a past donor's contribution impacted the organization's mission. The story shows how you intend to use the donation to make a difference.
3. Follow-Up Email: After four days, send a follow-up email to the donor, thanking them again for their support and asking if they have any questions or feedback. Asking your donor what they think is an opportunity to start a conversation with your donor.
4. Connect on Social Media Email: After seven days, send an email inviting the donor to follow the organization on social media platforms. Encourage your donor to share their experiences on social and connect with other supporters in the community.
5. Volunteer Opportunities Email: After 14 days, send an email inviting the donor to volunteer and participate in the organization's activities. Explain the various volunteer opportunities available and the impact that volunteers can have.
6. Impact Report Email: After 21 days, share a report on the organization's impact over the past year or quarter. This email shows your donor how their contribution helped your organization achieve its mission.
7. Personalized Thank You Video Email: After 30 days, send a customized video message thanking the donor for their support. Make it personal and heartfelt, showing the donor that their contribution is valued and appreciated.
8. Monthly Donor Invitation Email: After 45 days, send an email inviting the donor to become a monthly donor. Explain the benefits of monthly giving and how it can help the organization sustain its work in the long run.

​
Through your email platform, each email in the series is sent automatically to activate the donor and build a long-term relationship with your organization. Throughout the series, continue to offer a way to pause emails or cancel at any time.

As the series ends, commit to sharing a monthly update that helps share the impact of donations made. You'll consistently impress and inform your donors.

​

Ready to get started? There are a couple of ways I can help:

Hit reply and we'll begin brainstorming your emails!

Looking for help setting up your sequence? Book a 1:1 strategy call today - first 30 min is free.

---

Link Love

Looking for inspiration on what to say in your email series? Keela has you covered in their blog post, How to Write a Nonprofit Welcome Email​

Are you keen to begin using ChatGPT to help you craft your emails and power up your resources even further? Donor Box shows you how to maximize power with AI​

Your next cohort of the best digital writing course is around the corner and gets started on April 3. You've heard me talk about it before - Ship30for30 helps you learn how to write online.

---

​