12 Tips To Write Great Fundraiser Email Subject Lines That Works

Fundraising is a noble act, but quite challenging at times due to everyone being quite busy with life. However, as a nonprofit organization, you have to find creative ways to reach out to potential individuals who may be interested in contributing to your cause.

One of the best ways to request funds is via email marketing. You may collect potential leads and try to convince them to contribute to your fundraising efforts. However, while many are sentimental and willing to help, it’s hard to have them notice your plea due to being overwhelmed with tons of emails in their inboxes.

Writing good email subject lines is crucial at this point if you are willing to connect with more donors.

Today, you will learn various ways to plan fundraiser email subject lines to help you come up with creative and effective ways to get noticed by prospects who may consider donating.

In this article, you will get ideas on different types of fundraising email campaigns you may use, plus example subject lines with an explanation of why they work. So, you will get a good idea of what works and why they work so that you can make your efforts worth the time.

So let’s begin.

How Email Marketing Can Help With Fundraising

Since it’s difficult to get hold of potential donors, the most effective method is to reach them via email marketing. It is the second most personally used channel where you can directly connect with prospects. Hence, using fundraiser emails is perfect to help nonprofits and charity firms find more people who are generous and willing to donate to noble causes.

Through effective fundraiser emails, you can spread awareness, make emotional appeals, provide updates on your organization’s impact, and make clear calls to action to support your cause. If done right, it will help you connect with potential prospects who are willing to contribute to your cause.

Impact Of Fundraiser Email Subject Lines To Get More Donations

The subject line is one of the most critical areas of any email marketing campaign. The same goes for fundraiser emails.

You see, the people you are reaching out to have tons of emails sent to them by various other businesses or entities every day. So, a good subject line is a way to try and grab the attention of prospects out of the several other emails in their inboxes.

In fact, if you can write good fundraiser email subject lines, you will be able to create an emotional connection to make the recipients care and read the email with a good impression and, possibly, with a positive intention of contributing, provided that you have a good cause or proposal.

Hence, let us look at how you can craft great fundraiser email subject lines.

12 Tips To Write Great Fundraiser Email Subject Lines To Create More Engagements

Following are a few tips you may use when writing your fundraising email subject lines so that you can connect with more potential entities that are willing to contribute with meaningful donations.

1. Infuse Emotional Appeal

For any cause, the emotional aspect is one of the strongest factors in triggering action. You may tab into feelings like joy, hope, fear, and urgency in your fundraising email subject lines to make a heartfelt connection with your recipients. Make them feel emotionally connected so that they feel proud to contribute.

Following are a few examples of good fundraiser email subject lines with emotional triggers.

• “Urgent: Families Are Going Hungry This Holiday Season”
  
  It combines a sense of urgency with a specific and relatable situation (families going hungry during the holidays), invoking empathy and prompting immediate action.

• “They have no one, but they have you – Help us save them”
  
  This one appeals to the reader’s sense of compassion by emphasizing their pivotal role in providing support to those in need, creating a personal connection and a compelling reason to take action.

• “Restoring Vision, One Donation at a Time – Contribute now!”
  
  By linking the act of donation directly to the impactful outcome of restoring someone’s vision, this subject line tugs at the heartstrings and inspires a sense of purpose and immediate involvement in making a positive change.

• “Join the Fight Against Hunger: Your Contribution Matters”
  
  This subject line effectively communicates a collective effort in addressing a critical issue (hunger), making the reader feel part of a larger cause and emphasizing the significance of their individual contribution.

• “They lost their homes due to the flood… Please help them survive.”
  
  By presenting a specific and dire situation (loss of homes due to a flood) and a plea for survival, this subject line evokes empathy and a sense of responsibility, compelling the reader to take action to alleviate the immediate crisis.

2. Take The “Positive Impact” Approach

You may focus on the positive impacts you convey to the real world with your cause thanks to the donations. Make the recipients feel that they can be responsible for positive changes in the world with little contribution and become changemakers.

Let us look at a few examples.

• “Join Us to Shelter Those Without Homes”
  
  It invites the recipient to be part of a collective effort, emphasizing the positive change they can contribute to by providing shelter for those in need.

• “Help Us Empower Young Minds – Sponsor A Bright Future Today!”
  
  This one directly links the act of sponsorship to the positive outcome of empowering young minds and creating a brighter future, inspiring donors to feel the positive change their contribution can make.

• “Your Small Donation Can Help Save The Homeless In [Location]”
  
  This subject line assures the reader that even a small donation can contribute to the positive outcome of saving the homeless in the locality, making it a proud donation for the recipient.

• “Let’s Change Lives Of The Unfortunate With A Little Help From You”
  
  It frames the act of helping as a means to change lives positively, conveying the message that even a little help can lead to significant and positive transformations for the less fortunate.

• “Let’s Fight Poverty In [Location] Together”
  
  By using inclusive language and emphasizing togetherness, this subject line encourages a positive impact approach by portraying the act of fighting poverty as a collective effort, highlighting the positive change that can be achieved when working together.

3. The Storytelling Drive

Use a ‘storytelling’ approach to make the recipient picture a situation that they may feel emotionally connected to. You may introduce the story of an individual, group, or location in your fundraiser email subject lines and connect effectively with recipients who actually care.

Here are a few great examples.

• “From Homeless to Hopeful: How Your Donation Rebuilds Lives”
  
  It introduced a narrative arc, from homelessness to hopefulness, clearly illustrating the transformative impact of the recipient’s donation on individuals’ lives.

• “Watch Maria Smile – Your Support Heals, One Child at a Time”
  
  By invoking the image of a child’s smile, this subject line combines a visual element with the promise of healing, creating an emotional connection and conveying the tangible impact of the reader’s support on individual lives.

• “Help Susan (13) fight cancer… Even $1 can make a difference!”
  
  This one used a personal story and urgency to convey the immediacy of the need, while the mention of a specific amount made the impact feel achievable and emphasized that every contribution, no matter how small, matters.

• “Meet Javier: A Story of Hunger, and How You Can Make a Difference”
  
  By introducing a specific person and their struggle, this subject line engages the reader with a real-life story, making the issue of hunger personal and emphasizing the potential impact of their contribution.

• “Read Aisha’s Journey: Your Support Brought Her to School”
  
  This subject line highlighted a specific journey, effectively telling a story of progress, and emphasizing the transformative effect of the reader’s support on an individual’s life, in this case, bringing Aisha to school.

4. Use A Personalized Message

Personalization boosts open rates by addressing readers directly. If you have recipient names, address them directly in the subject lines to make them notice your email easily.

Here are a few examples:

• “[Recipient’s Name] – You Can Save Lives In [Crisis]”
• “[Recipient’s Name], [Local Area Name] needs your help to fight poverty”
• “[Recipient’s Name], Keep Families Warm This Winter with Your Gift”
• “[Recipient’s Name], Join Us to End Childhood Hunger”
• “Can We Count on You, [Recipient’s Name], to Fund Clean Water Wells?”

All of these subject lines have their own tactics implied such as emotional appeal, storytelling, etc., along with a personalized push.

5. Show Gratitude & Recognition

Expressing gratitude helps build a community with your donors. Thank them and highlight their critical role in your mission’s success.

Here are examples of how you can appreciate the donors in the email subject lines.

• “We Couldn’t Do This Without Your Incredible Support!”
• “A Special Thank You, [Donor Name]: Maria Smiles Because of You”
• “Heartfelt Thanks, [Donor Name]: Your Support Battles Cancer”
• “You Have Just Helped 10,000 Families Survive! We Can’t Thank You Enough!”
• “The Winter Is Now More Warm For The Homeless Thanks To You!”

In such emails, you will be sharing the story of how you handled the fund they contributed to and helped with the cause. Then near the end, you can urge them to donate again to help more people.

6. Milestone Celebration & Appreciation

Share exciting milestone achievements on your mission and invite readers to celebrate with you and, possibly request them to contribute.

• “10,000 People Served So Far Thanks to You!”
• “We Did It! $50K Raised To Build The New Healthcare Center”
• “1 Year Cancer-Free for Joey – Let’s Keep Fighting!”
• “500 Homes Rebuilt After Disasters And More to Go – Please Help Us”
• “We did it! You helped build a school in [Location]! We can’t thank you enough!”

All of these include numbers or specific milestones that were achieved through donations, making people feel proud and eager to contribute even more.

7. Event or Campaign Promotion

You may be organizing a fundraising event such as a charity concert or community competition to raise funds. Hence, you may use email marketing to invite people to your event here your main aim is to raise funds for a specific cause.

Many love to take part in such events, knowing that whatever they spend is going towards a noble cause.

Here are some example email subject lines for such fundraiser emails and why they work:

• “Join The ‘Save The Children’ Concert This [Event Date]”
  
  This subject line effectively communicates the event type (concert), the cause (“Save The Children”), and the urgency of the event date, providing a clear call to action for recipients to attend and support.

• “Let’s Celebrate True Heroes Of [Location] Who Helped Fight Poverty”
  
  By framing the event as a celebration of local heroes fighting poverty, this subject line creates a sense of community involvement and highlights the positive impact attendees can contribute to.

• “The [Organization] Food Festival – All Earnings Goes To Charity”
  
  It clearly states the event type (Food Festival), the organizing entity ([Organization]), and the charitable aspect, offering transparency and enticing recipients with the prospect of enjoying food while supporting a good cause.

• “Take Part In The [Local Area Name] Sports Contest – Exclusive Charity Event”
  
  By promoting a sports contest as an exclusive charity event in a specific local area, this subject line combines the excitement of sports participation with the appeal of exclusive involvement in a charitable cause.

• “They Want To Thank You Personally – Join Us Live This Sunday”
  
  This one creates a personal connection by implying that the beneficiaries or organizers want to express gratitude personally, leveraging the emotional appeal to encourage attendance at the live event on Sunday.

8. Highlight The Specific “Number” Of Impact

You may mention a number in the subject lines to showcase the tangible outcomes of donor contributions.

This approach adds transparency and immediacy, providing potential donors with a clear understanding of the measurable change their support can effect.

By featuring achievements, milestones, or goals expressed in numbers, such as the number of lives transformed, percentage progress toward a target, or specific project funding needs, you can create a compelling sense of urgency, transparency, and concrete impact. In the process, you may be able to motivate recipients to engage with the cause and contribute to its success.

Here are a few examples:

• “Help With Immediate Impact: $20 To Ensure Clean Water for 5 Families”
• “500 Donors Needed in 48 Hours To Save John – A Homeless Trooper In Hospital”
• “100% Goes to Charity: Every $10 Feeds a Family for a Week”
• “Thank You! You’ve Helped Us Save 10,000 In The [Crisis]”
• “Your $1 Can Make A Difference For The Homeless in [Location]!”

9. Asking A Question Approach

You may pose thought-provoking questions in your fundraiser email subject lines that engage recipients and prompt them to reflect on the cause or issue at hand. This will help you stimulate curiosity, evoke empathy, and draw attention to the urgency or importance of the fundraising campaign.

Questions create a sense of personal relevance, encouraging recipients to consider their role in addressing the problem posed and inspiring them to take action.

This approach taps into the psychological impact of inquiry, building a connection between the donor and the cause while compelling them to open the email and explore how their contribution can make a meaningful difference.

Here are a few examples of how to use questions on fundraising email subject lines.

• “Do You Believe In Humanity? Are You Willing To Help?”
  
  It invokes a sense of shared values and taps into the reader’s belief in the goodness of humanity, creating a personal connection and prompting them to consider supporting the cause.

• “Can You Spare $1 So That We Can Help 1000 others?”
  
  By directly asking for a small monetary contribution and emphasizing the potential impact of helping thousands, this subject line engages the reader with a specific request and highlights the multiplier effect of their donation.

• “What If Your $15 Could Bring Joy to 5 Families in Need?”
  
  This one presents a hypothetical scenario that encourages the reader to envision the direct and positive impact of their contribution, making the request more tangible and compelling.

• “Can we count on you to help Brian beat Cancer?”
  
  By personalizing the request and mentioning a specific individual, Brian, this subject line adds an emotional element, making the reader feel directly involved in supporting someone’s battle against cancer.

• “Would You Consider Sponsoring A Child In Need?”
  
  Here, the subject line employs a direct question, prompting the reader to reflect on their willingness to make a meaningful difference in the life of a child, which can resonate emotionally and drive engagement.

10. Influencer or Partnership Reference

Often it is a great idea to work with influencers or famous entities to help with your fundraising programs. You may address them in your emails to make more people read your emails just because they recognize the influencer in question.

In this case, you may mention the name of the influencer or the organization in the subject lines to grab immediate attention with your fundraiser emails.

Let us look at a few possible subject line examples:

• “[Major Corporation] Teams Up With Us On The ‘Save The Earth’ Project”
  
  It leverages the credibility and influence of a major corporation, creating an immediate sense of importance and legitimacy to attract attention.

• “Join [Celebrity Nick Name] In The [Organization] Fundraising Concert This April!”
  
  By associating the fundraiser with a well-known celebrity, this subject line aims to captivate recipients who admire the celebrity, increasing the likelihood of them opening the email and getting involved in the event.

• “[Influencer Name] Seeks Your Help To Save People In The [Crisis]”
  
  Highlighting an influencer’s personal involvement in addressing a specific crisis adds a human touch, fostering a sense of urgency and personal connection that may resonate with recipients.

• “Watch [Sports Teams] Play For The ‘Save The Children’ This Friday!”
  
  By aligning the fundraising cause with a popular sports event involving recognized teams, this subject line taps into the existing fanbase, using the sports theme to generate interest and encourage participation.

• “[Influencer Name] Helped Sponsor John’s Education… Would You Help Someone In Need?”
  
  Personalizing the impact of the fundraiser through a specific example, and referencing the influencer’s previous involvement, makes the email relatable and encourages empathy, increasing the likelihood of recipient engagement.

11. Exclusive Access Or Benefit

You may arrange certain exclusive benefits for people who decide to contribute to your fundraising efforts. For example, you may offer access to a discount on a certain partner brand’s merchandise, or a VIP invitation to an event only for donors, etc. The idea is to promise some type of incentive to get funds.

Following are a few fundraiser email subject line examples for this approach.

• “Help Our Cause And Get Exclusive 10% Off On All [Brand Name] Merchandise!”
• “Thanks For Your Contribution – Join Our VIP Party This Sunday”
• “Donate $500 or more and get exclusive [Brand name] merchandise!”
• “Donate To Get A Chance To Win Free Tickets To The [Celebraty Band] Concert!”
• “Here’s Your Badge Of Honor For Helping Us Save Over 10,000 Lives!”

12. Leverage Urgency

The use of “urgency” is a common marketing tactic that can be used in fundraising emails and the subject lines to create a sense of time sensitivity to prompt immediate action from recipients.

You may show urgency on the time left before you head out with the donations, the approaching of a certain crisis moment, time left for a person with health risks in need, etc., to trigger more actions.

Let us look at some examples:

• “Urgent: Need Help For [Location] Hurricane Relief Fund – Let Us Save The Helpless!”
  
  This effectively combines urgency with a specific crisis (hurricane relief), creating a compelling call to action by emphasizing the critical need for immediate support to aid those in distress.

• “Food Supplies Going Out To [Crisis] Survivors In 24 Hours – Donate While You Can”
  
  By highlighting the imminent distribution of crucial supplies within a specific time frame, this subject line conveys urgency, urging recipients to contribute swiftly to ensure timely assistance for crisis survivors.

• “Final Push: Help Us Feed 1,000 Kids Before the Weekend Begins!”
  
  It employs urgency by framing the fundraising effort as a final push, setting a clear timeline (before the weekend), and prompting immediate action to address the pressing issue of child hunger.

• “Maria only has 3 weeks left to survive! Help us fund her recovery!”
  
  By introducing a personal and time-sensitive element, this subject line creates urgency by stressing the limited timeframe for a specific individual’s survival, compelling recipients to contribute swiftly to support Maria’s recovery.

• “Winter will get colder in a week! Help us donate warm clothes to the homeless.”
  
  This subject line incorporates urgency by highlighting the approaching cold weather and the imminent need for warm clothing, motivating recipients to act promptly to assist the homeless population before the situation worsens.

Tips To Ensure Subject Lines Are Optimized

Now, apart from using the tactics above, there are a few tips you may follow to ensure your subject lines are optimized. You may use the following tips to refine your nonprofit fundraiser email subject lines for optimum response.

• Understanding Your Audience Properly
  Know your donor personas inside out. This allows targeting subject lines to their specific motivations. For example, monthly donors may be compelled by recognition while one-time givers prefer urgent appeals.

• Maintain Clarity and Conciseness
  Subject lines with clear, scannable language and a focused message convert better. Avoid vague terms or long-winded phrases that risk losing the reader’s attention.

• A/B Testing Subject Lines
  Try different subject line versions to see what resonates best. This could be reordering words, adjusting emotional terminology, personalization, etc. Measure open and click-through rates to determine the optimal phrasing.

• Track Analytics For Performance Metrics
  Use email marketing analytics to understand top-performing subject lines over time. Double down on those formulas and characteristics in the future.

• Use AI To Generate Good Email Subject Lines
  AI tools can help you generate compelling fundraiser email subject lines that you can actively use to communicate with prospects, without having to face rejection due to poor subject line writing skills (although, if you are good in marketing, you will be able to write better subject lines than AI).

How To Send Fundraiser Emails With High Efficiency

While you may be a non-profit or an active private organization raising funds for a meaningful cause, it is important to have an email marketing tool that allows you to run your fundraising email campaign with high efficiency. Look for a tool that allows you to collect and segment leads, set up marketing automation workflows, use personalized customer data, and use AI to generate good email subject lines.

If you have a WordPress site, then we recommend you try using Mail Mint, a great email marketing automation tool, perfect for sending fundraising email campaigns.

Using Mail Mint To Create Fundraiser Emails

Here is a quick walkthrough of developing a fundraising email campaign with Mail Mint:

1. Choose from pre-made nonprofit templates or design a custom-branded email layout with images, text blocks, and call-to-action buttons.
2. Clarify your audience segments such as repeat/lapsed donors or a particular demographic group to tailor content.
3. Utilize the AI Subject Line Generation tool to suggest attention-grabbing subject line options. Pick one and customize further as needed.
4. Add the email copy detailing your funding request or event and include dynamic fields to personalize.
5. Set up timing and workflows to automate multi-message drip sequences.
6. Let Mail Mint handle responsive layouts, analytics, and deliverability at enterprise scale.

And that’s it. The plugin is so easy, that you will be able to follow these steps even on your first try. Here’s a video for reference.

• Get Mail Mint to start sending optimized fundraiser emails.

Conclusion

Compelling email subject lines are critical for successful nonprofit fundraising campaigns. They represent the first impression to capture donor attention in crowded inboxes. They also drive more contributions to your cause.

As you saw above, you may plan various types of fundraising email campaigns and then align the subject lines according to these tactics to make your efforts more meaningful.

With the right tactics in place, you will be able to trigger more engagements, and possibly get higher contributions.

FAQs

1. Why are fundraiser emails important for a campaign?**

Fundraiser emails serve as a direct and personalized way to connect with potential donors. They allow you to share your cause, demonstrate impact, and encourage financial support.

2. How long should a fundraising email be?

Ideally, keep your fundraiser emails concise. Aim for a length that effectively conveys your message, typically between 200 to 400 words. Long emails may lose the reader’s interest.

3. Is it better to be straightforward or creative in fundraiser email subject lines?

It depends on your audience and the nature of your cause. Strive for balance – be clear about your purpose while adding a touch of creativity or emotion to capture attention.

4. Are emojis effective in fundraiser email subject lines?

Yes, when used judiciously, emojis can add a visual and emotional element to your subject lines. Test different emojis to see which resonate best with your audience.

5. How often should I change my fundraiser email subject line strategy?

Regularly review and update your subject line strategy, especially if you notice declining open rates. Stay attuned to current trends and adapt your approach to keep your emails fresh and engaging.

6. Is it a good idea to use AI to write fundraiser email subject lines?

Yes, using AI to generate fundraiser email subject lines can be a valuable tool. However, it’s important to fine-tune and personalize the suggestions based on your specific audience and campaign goals. A good option here would be using an email marketing tool that has AI integrated for subject line generation, such as Mail Mint. This will help you craft complete email campaigns from one place with high efficiency.

7. Should I test different subject lines before sending a large-scale fundraising email campaign?

Absolutely. A/B testing different subject lines with a small sample of your audience allows you to identify which ones resonate best. Use the insights to optimize the fundraiser email subject line for your main campaign.