The document discusses 7 common mistakes nonprofits make with email and provides tips to improve email performance. The mistakes covered include bad subject lines, emails being too long, distracting designs, sending at bad times, weak calls to action, not growing or segmenting the email list, and over-relying on emails for fundraising. The tips encourage focusing on open, read and response rates, using concise subject lines, short emails, simple designs, optimized send times, strong calls to action, growing and segmenting lists, and adding value beyond fundraising asks.

1. 7 Nonprofit Email
Mistakes You Can
Fix TODAY

2. #WDIWebinar
Andrew Littlefield
Fundraising Education & Resources | WeDidIt
Andrew.Littlefield@wedid.it
blog.wedid.it

3. 7 Nonprofit Email
Mistakes You Can
Fix TODAY

4. The 3-Part Goal of Every Email
Open Read Respond

5. “Agree”
“Disagree”
“Let’s Discuss”

6. 1. Bad Subject Lines
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7. 1. Bad Subject Lines
Giving it all away
and not piquing
interest.
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8. #WDIWebinar

9. 1. Bad Subject Lines
Screaming
“THIS IS A
MARKETING
EMAIL!”
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10. “The XYZ Org Spring 2016 Newsletter”
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12. No one wants to read a newsletter.
They want to read news.
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13. 1. Bad Subject Lines Sounding like a robot.
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14. “Recommended Pins”
“ZooMail – April 2016”

15. 1. Bad Subject Lines ps and Tricks
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16. lower case letters
Use numbers
Ask questions
Do a resend

17. 2. Too Long
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18. 2. Too Long Say it quick!
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19. Short online attention spans
Use the “nut graf”
7 sentence rule

20. 2. Too Long The Wall-of-Text
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21. Don’t “sell” them in the email,
“sell” them on the landing
page.
The goal of most emails
is to have the recipient
follow a link.

22. 2. Too Long Too Many Choices
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23. “If you have two
quarterbacks, you have no
quarterback.”

25. 3. Too Fancy
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26. 3. Too Fancy Distracting Design
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27. Is it helping your goal?
They scream “mass email”
How does it look on mobile?

28. 3. Too Fancy Make It Personal
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30. More likely to get a response
Just good #DonorLove

31. 4. Sending at a
Bad Time
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32. 4. Sending at a
Bad Time
Depends on Audience
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33. https://blog.mailchimp.com/insights-from-mailchimps-send-time-optimization-system/

34. https://blog.mailchimp.com/insights-from-mailchimps-send-time-optimization-system/

35. https://blog.mailchimp.com/insights-from-mailchimps-send-time-optimization-system/

36. Weekends = bad
Mornings = good
Generally

37. 5. Bad Calls to Action
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38. 5. Bad Calls to Action Weak
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39. Passive
Too Many

40. “Give Now!”
“Give $50 and provide a meal for a family.”
vs.
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41. MAY SPECIAL
Sign up in May and get a 0% processing fee for 6-months.
“Once again, WeDidIt made the
checkout process so easy for
everyone! It's so great for our
events and makes things so much
more efficient.”
Sayra Havranek
Program Coordinator | HelpUsAdopt.org

42. wedid.it/fundraising_software_demo
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43. 6. Bad Audience
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44. 6. Bad Audience
Not Growing Your
Audience
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45. Always. Be. Growing!
Events, online, offer
incentives

47. 6. Bad Audience
Not Segmenting
Your Audience
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48. Donor or Non-Donor?
Event Attendees
Age
Location

49. 6. Bad Audience
Sending to an
irrelevant audience
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50. 7. Treating
Your Email
List Like an
ATM
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51. 7. Treating
Your Email
List Like an
ATM
Add Value!
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52. How can you fire up
their passion and
interest?
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53. 7. Treating
Your Email
List Like an
ATM
Mix Up Your Asks

54. Volunteer
Petitions
Pledges
Call a Lawmaker
Social Share
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55. Questions?
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56. #WDIWebinar
Blog.wedid.it/Email-Webinar-Survey

57. MAY SPECIAL
Sign up in May and get a 0% processing fee for 6-months.
“Once again, WeDidIt made the
checkout process so easy for
everyone! It's so great for our
events and makes things so much
more efficient.”
Sayra Havranek
Program Coordinator | HelpUsAdopt.org

58. wedid.it/fundraising_software_demo
#WDIWebinar