The Emails module gives you a simple way to communicate directly with your supporters and use the information in REACH to send more targeted, relevant fundraising messages.
Instead of sending every message to your entire supporter database, you can email supporters based on their connection to a Campaign, Project, Sponsorship, Group, Report, or other activity.
This makes the Emails module useful for everything from a broad year-end appeal to a targeted update for supporters of a specific project.
Use Email to Build Relationships and Raise More
Email can do more than announce your latest fundraising campaign. Regular, relevant communication helps supporters understand your organization’s work and gives them reasons to stay engaged.
Consider using email to:
- Share progress on a fundraising Campaign
- Ask supporters to help reach a specific fundraising goal
- Thank donors after a campaign or event
- Share stories and updates from a Project
- Promote a Gift Catalog or sponsorship gift
- Invite supporters to an upcoming fundraising Event
- Encourage recurring giving
- Re-engage former donors or sponsors
- Share year-end giving opportunities
- Ask supporters to start a Supporter Campaign
- Follow up with event attendees
- Share how donations were used and the impact they made
Send More Targeted Fundraising Emails
One of the biggest advantages of sending email through REACH is that you can choose who receives each message.
For example:
| Audience | Email Idea |
|---|---|
| Campaign supporters | Share progress and encourage them to help reach the goal |
| Project supporters | Provide an update and invite continued support |
| Event registrants | Send event information, reminders, and follow-up |
| Sponsors | Share updates about the children or programs they support |
| Recurring donors | Thank them and communicate the ongoing impact of their giving |
| New supporters | Send a welcome message and introduce additional ways to get involved |
| Former sponsors | Invite them to reconnect with your sponsorship program |
| Supporter Campaign fundraisers | Provide fundraising resources and encouragement |
| Year-end donors | Thank them and share upcoming giving opportunities |
Targeted communication can help you send a message that is relevant to the recipient instead of sending the same appeal to everyone.
Fundraising Email Ideas
Campaign Updates
Keep supporters informed about the progress of a Campaign.
For example:
We’re 75% of the way to our goal!
Share what has already been accomplished, what remains, and how supporters can help close the gap.
You can also use Campaign Updates and Supporter Notifications to keep supporters informed throughout a campaign.
Project Stories and Updates
Use email to tell supporters what is happening with the Projects they care about.
For example:
- Share photos from a completed project
- Introduce a new program
- Report on how funds were used
- Celebrate a milestone
- Ask for continued support
You can send an email directly to supporters who have donated to a particular Project. REACH also allows you to create a new email directly from a Project for its supporters.
Event Promotion
Use email to promote fundraising Events before registration closes and to keep attendees engaged afterward.
Consider sending:
- Save-the-date messages
- Registration reminders
- Event updates
- Sponsorship opportunities
- Merchandise or product promotions
- Last-minute reminders
- Thank-you messages
- Post-event fundraising results
Year-End Fundraising
Email is especially useful during the year-end giving season.
Consider creating a series of messages rather than sending one large appeal:
- Tell the Story – Share a program or person whose life has been impacted.
- Show the Need – Explain what your organization is working to accomplish.
- Make the Ask – Provide a clear way to give.
- Create Urgency – Remind supporters about the year-end deadline.
- Say Thank You – Share the results and thank supporters for making them possible.
You can use Campaigns, Donation Levels, Products, and Donation Forms alongside these emails to give supporters a clear next step.
Promote a Gift Catalog
If you use Products for a gift catalog, email can help supporters discover the giving opportunities.
For example:
Give a Gift That Makes an Impact
This year, choose a gift that directly supports the work of our organization. From school supplies to livestock to medical equipment, your gift can help provide exactly what is needed.
Link directly to your Gift Catalog or the appropriate product page so supporters can act immediately.
Encourage Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Supporter Campaigns give your supporters an opportunity to raise money on your organization’s behalf.
Use email to invite supporters to:
- Start their own fundraising campaign
- Create a campaign for a birthday or special occasion
- Fundraise for a mission trip
- Ask friends and family to support a specific Project
- Participate in a team fundraising effort
You can also communicate specifically with supporters who have already started campaigns to provide encouragement and fundraising ideas.
Choosing the Right Audience
Before sending an email, ask yourself:
Who needs to receive this message?
The answer may not be “everyone.”
For example:
- A Project update should generally go to supporters connected to that Project.
- An Event reminder should go to registrants or attendees.
- A Sponsorship update should go to the appropriate sponsors.
- A year-end appeal may be appropriate for a broader audience.
- A recurring donor communication may be most useful when sent specifically to recurring donors.
- A peer-to-peer fundraising message may be best sent to supporters who have started or participated in campaigns.
Using a more targeted audience can make your fundraising communication feel more personal and relevant.
Send an Email to a Group of Supporters
To send an email to a group:
- Go to Communications > Emails.
- Click + New Mailing.
- If applicable, select an email template or choose No Template.
- Under Send To, select the audience for your email.
- Add a subject and compose your message.
- Add images, links, or other content as needed.
- Test your email.
- Send it immediately or schedule it for a future date and time.
The Send To selection determines who receives the email. For example, selecting Project > Project Item allows you to email supporters who have donated to a specific Project. You can also select All Supporters or other available groups and purposes.
Send an Email to an Individual Supporter
On the Essentials and Pro plans, you can send an email directly to an individual supporter from their Supporter profile.
Go to:
Supporters > Select Supporter > Actions > Email
This can be useful for personal follow-up, thank-you messages, questions about a donation, or one-on-one supporter care.
Send an Email from Reports
Reports can be a powerful way to create a targeted fundraising audience.
After generating a Report, select the supporters you want to contact and click Generate Email.
For example, you could create a Report to identify:
- Former sponsors
- Supporters who have donated to a particular Project
- Supporters who attended an Event
- Supporters in a particular location
- Supporters who meet certain giving criteria
- Other audiences based on the filters available in your Report
Then send a targeted message directly to those supporters.
Example: Create a Donation Details Report for supporters who donated to a specific Project, select those supporters, and generate an email inviting them to support the next phase of the project.
Personalize Your Emails
Whenever possible, make your emails feel like they were written specifically for the recipient.
Use the available Insert Fields options to personalize your messages with supporter information.
For example:
Hi {{ supporter.first_name }},
Thank you for supporting our education program…
A personalized greeting is a simple way to make a large mailing feel more personal.
Include a Clear Call to Action
Every fundraising email should make it easy for the supporter to know what to do next.
Your call to action might be:
- Donate Now
- Support This Project
- Join Us for the Event
- Start a Fundraising Campaign
- Shop the Gift Catalog
- Become a Monthly Donor
- Learn More
- Share This Campaign
Keep the primary action clear and make the link or button easy to find.
Tell a Story Before Making the Ask
Fundraising emails are often more meaningful when they explain why the supporter should care before asking them to give.
A simple structure is:
The Story → The Need → The Impact → The Ask
For example:
The Story: Introduce a student who is benefiting from your education program.
The Need: Explain how many additional students still need supplies.
The Impact: Show what a donation can provide.
The Ask: Invite the supporter to contribute toward the goal.
Donation Levels can be particularly helpful here because they allow you to connect different giving amounts with specific needs or outcomes.
Test Your Email Before Sending
Always send a test email before sending to a larger audience.
You can enter your own email address in the Recipients box without selecting a Purpose group. You can also create a Test Group as a Supporter Group containing yourself and other administrators.
Review the email for:
- Spelling and grammar
- Links
- Images
- Personalization fields
- Formatting
- The call to action
- Mobile readability
Testing is particularly important for fundraising emails because a broken donation link or incorrect personalization can prevent a supporter from taking action.
Schedule Your Emails
You don’t have to send an email immediately.
Use the Send At fields to schedule an email for a future date and time.
This can be helpful when planning a fundraising campaign in advance.
For example, you could schedule:
- A campaign announcement
- A mid-campaign update
- A final-week reminder
- A final-day appeal
- A thank-you email
Planning a short series can help you stay consistent without having to remember to send each message manually.
Track Email Engagement
If you are on a REACH Pro or Pro Plus plan, you can track email open rates after an email is sent.
The Emails page can show:
- Number of supporters who opened the email
- Percentage opened
- Number of times an email was opened
- Last opened date and time
You can also click on an individual email to see more detailed tracking information and export mailing open information.
Email activity is also recorded in the individual Supporter’s Activity history.
Use this information to understand which communications are getting attention and to help inform future fundraising emails.
Use Email as Part of a Larger Fundraising Strategy
Email works especially well when combined with other REACH fundraising features.
Campaigns: Use email to announce a Campaign, provide progress updates, and make additional appeals throughout the campaign.
Projects: Share stories, updates, and fundraising opportunities with supporters who have already invested in a Project.
Events: Promote registration, communicate with attendees, and follow up after the event.
Products and Gift Catalogs: Introduce supporters to mission-focused gifts and seasonal fundraising opportunities.
Donation Forms: Link directly to the appropriate Donation Form so supporters can move from reading your message to making a gift.
Supporter Campaigns: Invite supporters to start their own fundraising campaigns and provide encouragement along the way.
Messages: Use Messages to post ongoing updates about Campaigns, Projects, Places, and Sponsorships. When Supporter Daily Digest Email is enabled, supporters can receive email updates about new content associated with areas they support.
Text Messages: For supporters who have opted in to text communication, consider using email and text together for important fundraising announcements and reminders.
Email Best Practices
Send relevant content
Not every supporter needs every message.
Segment your audience
Use Projects, Campaigns, Sponsorships, Groups, and Reports to target your communications.
Focus on impact
Show supporters what their giving makes possible.
Make the ask clear
Give supporters an obvious next step.
Don’t over-email
Create a communication plan so supporters aren’t receiving too many unrelated messages.
Thank supporters
Not every email needs to ask for money. Share successes and thank supporters for making your work possible.
Use compelling images
Photos can help supporters connect with your mission and understand the impact of their giving.
Test your links
Make sure every donation, event, campaign, or project link works before sending.
Email Templates
The Emails module uses the Emailings Template by default. Organizations on the Essentials, Pro, and Pro Plus plans can also create custom email templates for recurring communications.
You can customize the Emailings Template by going to:
Settings > Email Templates
Keep in mind that changes made to the Emailings Template will affect all emails sent from the Emails module.
Templates can save time when sending recurring communications such as:
- Monthly newsletters
- Campaign updates
- Event reminders
- Thank-you messages
- Fundraising appeals
Email Preferences and Opt-Outs
REACH respects supporter communication preferences.
If a supporter has opted out of email communication, they will not receive non-transactional emails sent through REACH by your organization. Supporters can manage their communication preferences through the Donor Portal, and administrators can also manage the preference from the Supporter record.
Keep these preferences in mind when building fundraising audiences and sending communications.
Getting Started
If you’re new to using REACH for fundraising communication, start small.
Consider creating a simple three-email campaign:
Email 1 – Tell the Story
Introduce the need or fundraising opportunity.
Email 2 – Show the Impact
Share an update, story, photo, or milestone.
Email 3 – Make the Ask
Invite supporters to help reach the goal with a clear donation link.
As you become more comfortable, use Groups, Reports, Projects, Campaigns, Events, and Sponsorships to create increasingly targeted communications.
Related Articles:
- Communications Overview
- Supporter Groups
- Organizing and Segmenting Supporters
- Email Template Editor
- Supporter Notifications
- Messages
- Donation Forms and Links
- Campaigns Overview
- Starting a Supporter Campaign