Even in this age of digital everything, email marketing continues to be one of the most successful methods for nonprofits to connect with the people who support them, spread their message and raise money.
But getting the right Email Marketing Platforms for Nonprofits is important to get much impact and clearing the very minimal cost on that. Many nonprofits have small budgets, so it is important to choose a platform that combines features with cost effectiveness.
It’s the easiest way to reach out directly to their key stakeholders – supporters, donors, volunteers and community members in a personalized and meaningful method.
There are so many platforms, the choice can be overwhelming when it comes to finding one that suits an organization. In this post, we’ll show you some of the best email marketing services for nonprofits.
We will be taking into account things like ease of use, pricing and special nonprofit discounts, as well as some features that can help your not-for-profit rise above the ever-crowded email inbox.
Email Marketing Platforms for Nonprofits
Mailchimp: A Favorite Among Nonprofits
Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing tools around and a favorite choice for newcomers to email.
It has a free plan for those who need very basic email marketing, and it can support up to 500 subscribers and 3,500 monthly emails — fewer features than our other picks but suitable for smaller businesses.
With an easy-to-use interface and robust automation capabilities, Mailchimp makes it easier to reach donors and keep the community informed.
Key Features:
Segmentation and Personalization: Mailchimp supports nonprofits in reaching out to certain segments of supporters with personalized content, be it personal emails for recurring donors or volunteers.
Automation: Increase supporter engagement without working harder with automated welcome mails, donation follow-ups and event reminders.
Integrations: Seamless integration with leading fundraising and CRM platforms such as DonorPerfect and Salesforce, enabling nonprofit organizations to link their email campaigns with donor management systems.
Nonprofit Discount: Mailchimp provides discounts to nonprofit organizations and is actually one of the cheaper options for those just getting started.
Best For:
Nonprofits on a budget or just beginning with email marketing.
The plan is free for small teams, and allows us to get started without a financial investment.
Constant Contact: Easy to Use with Support You Can Trust
For nonprofits, I also like Constant Contact as a good basic option with quality customer support.
With an easy-to-use design interface, it allows nonprofits to craft beautiful emails without any requirement of technical knowledge.
Event management is a feature the platform also does well, which is essential for non-profits who plan various fundraising events, galas and community outreach programs.
Key Features:
Templates: A selection of professional templates that are created specifically for nonprofits, so you can easily build on-brand emails that showcase your organization’s mission.
Email Automation: You can automate donation reminders, event invitations, and follow-up emails so your supporters never miss an update.
Event Marketing: Features to organize events right from your email marketing service, complete with registration forms, ticket sales and event promotion.
Discount for Nonprofit: With a discount of up to 30%, Constant Contact increases affordability by helping nonprofit organizations use advanced features at lesser price.
Best For:
For organizations that value a user-friendly solution and customer support for event management.
Whether you’re promoting a fundraiser, webinar, or community event, Constant Contact simplifies everything — all in one place.
Brevo: Affordable and Feature-Rich
Brevo is an all-in-one email marketing solution that’s especially popular with nonprofits because it’s so cheap and has a load of resources to take advantage of, but in reality there are plenty of reasons why any organization might wish to give it a shot.
It offers up to 300 emails a day for free and has plenty of tools included even on its free plan, so it’s a good pick if you’re looking for low-cost options.
Key Features:
SMS Marketing: Communicate to your backers not just via email but also through SMS, an additional level in your communications strategy.
Automation: Establish robust workflows for welcome emails, donation asks and event reminders to keep your supporters engaged and informed as events unfold.
CRM Features: Store donor information and follow up with them directly in the solution, which can be handy for non-profits who need to keep current profiles on donors and establish deeper connections.
Discount For Nonprofits: Brevo offer discounts for nonprofits which is more affordable than some other services.
Best For:
Nonprofits in search of a mix of email and SMS marketing, as well as CRM features.
It is a great solution for organizations that need an all-in-one solution, with marketing combined with donor relationship management.
ActiveCampaign: Advanced Automation for Nonprofits on the Rise
For nonprofits requiring more advanced marketing automation, ActiveCampaign provides an arsenal of tools to help organizations grow and build relationships with their supporters in the long term.
Leveraging advanced segmentation and automation, nonprofits can now develop highly personalized campaigns that result in higher engagement and better donor retention.
Key Features:
Automation: Nonprofits can develop complicated workflows using ActiveCampaign around a donor’s behavior ranging from personalized donation appeals to follow up email based off of past donations.
Segmentation: ActiveCampaign email marketing database shows the segments you can easily create, which includes segmenting donors, prospects and other groups by activity level- something that most databases don’t.
CRM Integration: Use Work as your CRM system to manage and track all relationships with supporters in order to ensure organized outreach.
Nonprofit Offer: ActiveCampaign discounts for nonprofits are also available on their premium plans, so this one is a really good pick if you’re a bigger organization with more advanced needs.
Best For:
Big community based nonprofits or those with special needs in need of robust marketing automation and CRM capabilities.
It is especially useful for organizations looking to establish and grow long-term relationships with their supporters.
Bloomerang: Built for Nonprofits
Bloomerang is a CRM and email-marketing tool tailored to nonprofit needs.
It is donor retention, and engagement-centric so that it’s perfect for sustaining supporter relations over the long term.
Bloomerang’s functionality will enable you to overcome the one-and-done donor challenge and grow your support base for current and future success.
Key Features:
Donor intertwined: This software tracks donor behaviour and the history of changes, helping nonprofits to personalize campaigns, and monitoring support in time.
Email Campaigns: Customize email campaigns according to the donor’s existing relationship with your organization, making sure that each message is meaningful.
Reporting and Analytics: Monitor the performance of your email campaigns, measure your fundraising success, and see what’s working and what needs improvement.
Nonprofit Discount: Bloomerang has a discount for qualifying nonprofits, which makes the software more affordable for organizations at any size.
Best For:
Nonprofits concerned with donor loyalty and longevity.
Bloomerang Bloomerang is a CRM solution which enables users to develop long and impactful relationships with donors, which perfectly suits contingency-oriented campaigns.
Other Email Marketing Platforms for Nonprofits
Although it’s a set of great tools, the above options are far from being the only ones available for organizations like nonprofits. And here are a few more worth considering:
Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor is a full-featured tool to help nonprofits build visually stunning email campaigns.
Through robust email analytics and reporting, non-profits can monitor how their campaign is performing and tweak their efforts for more effective engagement.
It also works great with CRM systems and has awesome segmentation capabilities.
Benchmark Email
Benchmark Email is popular for its easy drag-and-drop email editor, making it great for nonprofits without a ton of design resources.
It includes email automation, analytics and a selection of templates targeted to nonprofits.
With the ability to sign up for a free plan and get discounts on larger packages, it’s a great way of getting in at an affordable rate for small to medium sized organizations.
GetResponse
GetResponse is a multifunctional email marketing tool, that includes webinars,landing pages and automation work flows.
Nonprofits are able to set up automated campaigns for more advanced relationship-building with donors, volunteers and supporters.
Also with a pay-what-you-want pricing model and significant discounts for nonprofits, it’s another great choice.
Select The Best Email Marketing Platforms for Nonprofits
Here are a few key considerations to keep in mind when selecting an email marketing tool for your nonprofit.
Budget
Find platforms that provide discounts toward nonprofits and the free plans that are right in your size category.
Most of these tools also have non-profit pricing, which is also a great way to save some while still meeting your needs.
Ease of Use
Opt for a platform where you don’t have to be so technically inclined.
Most of these email marketing tools are meant for one-time users or, if they’re not, there’s some level of difficulty involved in making them work as expected (like feature-rich Esps such as Getresponse and ActiveCampaign).
Key Features
Make sure the platform includes automation, segmentation and personalization for more effective campaigns.
Supporters of non-profits need to engage with their charitable benefactors, and these features aid in making the engagement process easier.
Support and Resources
Choose a platform that has reliable customer support or user community, which can be great for smaller organizations with few people/less technical skills.
Final Thoughts
For nonprofits to be able to keep in touch with their supporters, expand their donor pool and raise funds, email marketing is an essential tactic.
By picking the right platform, you’ll guarantee that your organization can not only make effective emails but also grow its relationships — all while working toward your mission more successfully.
The above platforms provide small and large nonprofits with many features and pricing models to choose from.
Whether you’re looking for simple email marketing or want to dig deep into automation and CRM, there’s an option that can accommodate you and help your nonprofit meet its goals.
Don’t wait, start growing your email list today and harness the power of email marketing to make progress for your nonprofit. Happy emailing!
Click here to read my content on Email Marketing for Lawyers.
FAQs
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What is the best email marketing platform for small nonprofits?
For very small nonprofits, platforms such as Mailchimp and Benchmark Email are excellent suits. They have a 100% free plan for up to a certain number of subscribers and emails, which is great if you’re on a budget. It also offers easy-to-use interfaces for nonprofits to get up and running right away.
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How do email marketing platforms help nonprofits raise funds?
Email solicitations for donations are made easier for nonprofits with the use email marketing platforms to automate requests, personalized thank-you emails and organize campaigns around individual fundraising goals. With automation tools, donation reminders can be scheduled, upcoming fundraising events can be promoted and targeted messaging to major donors can also boost engagement—and contribute more.
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Can email marketing be integrated with fundraising platforms?
Yes, popular fundraising platforms like DonorPerfect and Salesforce can integrate with most email marketing services such as Mailchimp and Sendinblue. These integrations aid nonprofits in maintaining donor records, recording interactions and using email to launch campaigns to targeted groups based on donor behaviors, thus making fundraising efforts effective.
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Are there any nonprofit-specific discounts available on email marketing platforms?
Email marketing platform Many email marketing platforms offer special discounts for nonprofits. For instance, Constant Contact offers a discount of up to 30%, Mailchimp has nonprofit pricing on paid plans. Be sure to check out the pricing page or contact the platform itself to learn about special deals for charity organizations.
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How can I personalize my email campaigns to engage supporters?
Most email marketing platforms are capable of segmentation and personalization that help nonprofits to present their offerings for desired audiences. For example, send unique messages to repeat donors, attendees of an event you hosted or new subscribers and in general make them feel more connected to your cause.
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What should I look for in an email marketing platform for my nonprofit?
When deciding on the right email marketing software for your nonprofit, think about ease of use, affordability, automation features, and any available discounts designed specifically for nonprofit organizations. You’ll also want to look for a platform that caters to the size of your nonprofit and its goals and communicating needs, whether they be fundraising campaigns or event management.