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TNF #002: Email List Rental & Digital Donor Acquisition

Read Time: 4 minutes

Maybe it just doesn’t work.

That’s one thought that crossed my mind when I got the results from the email list rental. We only received 4 donations for about $200 on a $5,000 email placement.

Or maybe the email isn’t right? Or the audience was wrong?

Other nonprofits are renting these lists, so there must be something to it.

Email fundraising is a great way to connect with potential donors and raise money for your cause. Many for-profit media companies will rent you space on their email list to send out an appeal or lead generation email. In this newsletter, we’ll discuss the “must-haves” to make email donor acquisition successful.

Let’s get back to the basics of digital donor acquisition and see what we could change to make this work.

The Right Audience

What exactly are we doing?

Many for-profit websites with email lists will rent out the list to organizations to send an email. You’re not gaining access to the actual email addresses on the list, but instead the organization is sending the email for you.

The cost for a list rental can vary by industry but we’re typically paying $8-20 per thousand subscribers (in industry terms, CPM). Some companies will let you buy a partial send and others may require you buy the entire list.

Some nonprofit organizations will use this placement for lead generation (usually offering a premium in exchange for a signup) while others will have a direct ask for donation. Both can be successful.

When writing a fundraising appeal, it’s important to keep your audience in mind. Who are you trying to reach? What kind of language will resonate with them? And what can you offer them that will motivate them to give?

The first thing you should look at when buying access to an email list is the audience. Does it fit your donor demographic?

You want the right demographic to match your offer. Look at age, income, affinity to your cause, religious affiliation, and the reason why they might have signed up for the list.

Second, ensure the list is clean and up-to-date. If you’re renting from a legacy brand, how many people on their email list are still receiving the email? How many are opening it? You can ask for average open rates and click-thru rates to get an idea of how clean the list is. I’d expect a clean list to have open rates in the 15-25% range and to have click-thru rates in the 3-5% range.

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The Right Offer

Next, you need the right offer for your email appeal. What makes the offer right? A great email for acquisition has:

The Hook

Your fundraising appeal is only as good as its hook. If you can’t capture your audience’s attention from the very beginning, you’re unlikely to raise any money.

So what makes a good hook? It needs to be relevant to your cause, it needs to be interesting, and it needs to make people want to keep reading.

Here are a few tips to help you write a fundraising appeal hook that will get results:

1. Keep it short and sweet. The best hooks are brief and to the point. You don’t need to go into great detail about your cause – just give a brief overview that will pique people’s interest.
2. Be specific. Don’t just say that you’re fundraising for a good cause – get specific about what that cause is. The more specific you can be, the more relatable your hook will be.
3. Use strong language. Use words that pack a punch and really grab people’s attention. Words like “desperate,” “urgent,” and “vital” are sure to get people’s attention.
4. Tell a story. People are more likely to respond to a fundraising appeal if it tells a personal story. Share an anecdote about someone who has benefited from your fundraising efforts, or describe how your cause has made a difference in someone’s life.
5. Appeal to emotion. tugging at heartstrings is a time-tested fundraising tactic for a reason – it works. When writing your hook, try to evoke emotions like empathy, compassion, and hope.

A Story

The best appeals feature a story of one person that was helped. Your fundraising appeal is your chance to tell a story that will inspire donors to support your cause.

Here are some tips:

1. Keep it focused. Your fundraising appeal should be narrowly focused on a specific need or project. This will help potential donors understand exactly where their money will go and how it will make a difference.
2. Tell a story. Donors are more likely to respond to an emotional appeal than a dry list of facts and figures. So, tell a story about someone who has benefited from your work, or about the difference your organization is making in the community.
3. Use strong imagery. Paint a picture in the donor’s mind of the problem you’re trying to solve or the people you’re helping.
4. Keep it short and sweet. Potential donors are bombarded with requests for their time and money, so make sure your fundraising appeal is brief and to the point.
5. Make a personal connection. Where possible, try to connect potential donors to the people or causes they’ll be helping. For example, if you’re raising money for a local food bank, include a photo of a family who has benefited from the food bank’s services.

Urgency

When you’re fundraising, it’s important to write with a sense of urgency. You need to let your donors know that their support is needed and appreciated, and that every gift makes a difference.

Here are some tips for creating a sense of urgency in your fundraising appeal:

1. Use language that evokes emotion and speaks to the heart. Words like “desperate,” “at-risk,” and “in jeopardy” can help create a sense of urgency.
2. Use images that depict the problem you’re trying to solve. Seeing is believing, and donors are more likely to respond when they see the need firsthand.
3. Set a deadline for your fundraising campaign. This will create a sense of urgency and encourage donors to give sooner rather than later.

Be clear about what you are raising money for, how the money will be used, and why there is a sense of urgency.

Clarity

It is vital to make sure that your appeal is clear and easy to understand. Otherwise, you may not get the results you are hoping for. Here are a few tips to help you write a clear and effective fundraising appeal:

1. Use simple language. Avoid jargon or technical terms that donors might not be familiar with.
2. Be clear about what you are asking for. Donors should know exactly how their donation will be used and why it is needed.
3. Keep the appeal short and to the point – you don’t want to overwhelm donors with too much information

By following these tips, you can be sure that your fundraising appeal will be clear and easy to understand, making it more likely to be successful.

Compelling

When writing a fundraising appeal, it is essential to articulate a clear and compelling need. This will help potential donors understand why their support is needed and how it will make a difference. Keep the following tips in mind when crafting your appeal:

1. Be specific about the need you are addressing. Donors want to know exactly how their contribution will be used and what impact it will have.
2. Show, don’t tell. Use your story to show the need. Connect the story of a beneficiary with how the donor helped. For example, if you’re providing backpacks to kids to attend school, tell the story of how little Johnny’s family couldn’t afford school supplies and how this backpack allows Johnny to success in school when he otherwise couldn’t.
3. Appeal to emotions. Donors should feel moved by the stories you share and inspired to make a difference.

Writing in a compelling way will produce a fundraising appeal that will resonate with potential donors and inspire them to give.

Call-to-Action

Your fundraising appeal is your opportunity to ask potential donors for their support. But before you do, it’s important to make sure your call to action is clear and concise.

Your call to action should explain what you’re fundraising for, how the money will be used, and why the donor should give. It should also be specific, detailing exactly how much you’re hoping to raise and by when.

Most importantly, your call to action should be inspiring, motivating potential donors to give generously. With a strong call to action, you can make a real difference in the lives of those you’re fundraising for.

Your call to action should be specific: Give Now. Donate Today.

Asking for “Support” isn’t strong enough to get readers to convert.

Email is an effective tool for donor acquisition because it allows nonprofits to connect with individuals who may be interested in supporting their work but may not be familiar with the organization. With the right partner, your organization can find success in acquiring new digital donors through email acquisition.

Discover how to create your donor persona with 20+ persona resources. Learn more about the Story of the One and how to create a compelling story for your fundraising appeals. Learn how to create great email appeals that raise more money.

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