Our Favorite Giving Tuesday Email Examples

If you work at a nonprofit, you know that participating in Giving Tuesday is an absolute must for charitable organizations.

Celebrated on the day after Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season, a time when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. And with all the attention it generates, it’s a great way to build awareness…not to mention bring in much-needed donations.

While many nonprofits focus primarily on social campaigns for the big event, why not get your email audience involved in the action, too? It’s a fantastic way to get the word out and reach even more potential donors. These are some of the best Giving Tuesday email examples we’ve seen, so use them as inspiration for your own special send later this month.

1. Roundabout Theatre Company

Draw people in with a bold header, like in this Giving Tuesday email from Roundabout Theatre Company. We love how they tied their Giving Tuesday campaign to more than just dollars. Phrases like “It’s about feeling good” and “Support the theatre you love” trigger an emotional response in subscribers and make them more likely to act.

2. Oxford American

While we don’t normally advocate for this much copy in an email, a personal letter feels just right for the occasion. And since it’s Oxford American, they know their subscribers are readers. Lay out your goals and big accomplishments from the past year to subscribers and invite them to give back with a note from your CEO, publisher, or another notable figurehead.

3. Dismas, Inc.

Use email leading up to the big day (and not just on it) to help drum up excitement. Better yet, show your subscribers the potential impact of their gifts with an emotion-packed video and quick explanation of how you plan to use their donations in 2017. After all, according to our friends at Wistia, including video in your email can boost your click rates by as much as 300%.

4. The Hermitage

Tie different donation amounts to different elements of your organization – “X dollars for X amount of people we’ve helped” or “X dollars for the number of years we’ve been around” to make their gift feel more tangible and connected to your nonprofit’s unique identity.

5. Nashville Humane Association

The right images can remind your audience what they love about your organization. In this example, for instance, how can you say “no” to those sweet, furry faces? Be sure to include photos of projects or people you’ve helped, too!

6. OrderUp

Giving Tuesday isn’t just for nonprofits. Encourage your audience to do some good by tying a special promotion to the day’s events. A “buy one, we’ll give one” model works well, or you can even offer to donate a certain amount of money to a great cause every time a subscriber performs an action, like sharing your email or following your organization on social. Be creative!

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our favorite Giving Tuesday resources for nonprofits.