How to Build Your Nonprofit's Email List SquareThe following is an excerpt from Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits.

Not all email lists are the same. You may have an e-newsletter list that includes all donors and supporters, another list specifically for repeat donors, and another list for supporters who have not yet donated. Your ability to segment your email lists will depend on your CRM and your email communications software, but having multiple lists can help your nonprofit better craft your messages and fundraising requests. That said, there are proven strategies that can help your nonprofit quickly grow your e-mail list, such as:

  • Create an e-newsletter subscribe page on your website that describes your e-newsletter and how often it will be sent and promote this page on your social networks. Asking for a mailing address will significantly decrease your e-newsletter opt-in rate, but if your nonprofit has a mobile alert campaign, you should add an optional mobile alert opt-in field.
  • Promote an online contest and offer free giveaways where signing up for your e-newsletter is required to enter.
  • Offer exclusive content such as reports and e-books that require an email address in order for these to be downloaded.
  • Create online petitions and pledges.
  • Host free webinars.
  • Create and upload a compelling e-newsletter subscribe graphic (600 × 600 pixels) to social networks with a link to your e-newsletter subscribe page to better grab the attention of your followers and thus increase your opt-in rate.
  • Add call-to-action overlays to your YouTube videos that link to e-newsletter subscribe page.
  • Add e-newsletter opt-in forms to online event calendars.
  • Send a text alert that links to a mobile-optimized e-newsletter opt-in form.
  • Finally, ensure that an e-newsletter opt-in form is prominently featured on your homepage, on every page of your website, on your blog home page, and in every blog post.

Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits

mobile for good look insideBased on more than 20 years of experience and 25,000+ hours spent utilizing mobile and social media, Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits is a comprehensive 256-page book packed with more than 500 best practices. Written on the premise that all communications and fundraising are now mobile and social, Mobile for Good is a step-by-step how-to guide for writing, implementing, and maintaining a mobile and social fundraising strategy for your nonprofit.