Nonprofit organizations face restricted workers and budgets, however they nonetheless must personalize donor communications at scale, section audiences primarily based on giving conduct, keep engagement between campaigns, and observe the total donor journey from first contact to recurring supporter. Electronic mail advertising and marketing software program addresses these challenges by automating donor segmentation, personalizing communications with out handbook effort, monitoring engagement throughout the donor lifecycle, and centralizing donor knowledge in a single platform.
This text compares the very best electronic mail advertising and marketing instruments for nonprofit organizations in 2025. You may discover a comparability desk of high platforms, detailed function breakdowns for every instrument, steering on deciding on the suitable software program to your group, step-by-step directions for creating efficient nonprofit electronic mail campaigns, and solutions to steadily requested questions on nonprofit electronic mail advertising and marketing. To carry you this complete information, we used AI for analysis and drafting, and a HubSpot workers author reviewed and revised the article earlier than publication.
The median electronic mail open price for nonprofits in 2024 was 53.21% — a lot greater than the median throughout all industries of 42.35% (knowledge from MailerLite).
Organizations like Greater Good Charities use HubSpot Advertising Hub to extend electronic mail open charges and reduce bounce charges whereas scaling customized engagement to succeed in supporters with tailor-made messages throughout channels.
Desk of Contents
What’s electronic mail advertising and marketing for nonprofits?
Electronic mail advertising and marketing for nonprofits is the observe of utilizing electronic mail communications to construct relationships with donors, volunteers, and supporters whereas driving fundraising and mission engagement. Nonprofits use electronic mail advertising and marketing to share impression tales, ship donation appeals, recruit volunteers, promote occasions, and keep ongoing supporter relationships. Efficient nonprofit electronic mail advertising and marketing segments audiences primarily based on giving historical past and engagement ranges to ship customized messages that encourage motion and construct long-term loyalty. HubSpot Advertising Hub allows nonprofits to scale customized electronic mail engagement and attain every supporter with the suitable message on the proper time.
Comparability Desk: Electronic mail Advertising Software program for Nonprofits
|
Electronic mail Advertising Device |
Finest For |
Key Options |
Pricing |
|
HubSpot Advertising Hub |
Nonprofits needing CRM-integrated electronic mail alongside their donor database |
Built-in CRM and electronic mail instruments, workflow automation, third-party donation platform connections |
40% nonprofit low cost obtainable. Free plan obtainable. Paid plans begin at $15/mo/seat billed month-to-month for as much as 1,000 advertising and marketing contacts. |
|
Sender |
Funds-conscious nonprofits sending average electronic mail volumes month-to-month |
1,100+ electronic mail templates, drag-and-drop electronic mail editor, integrations |
Free plan. Paid plans begin at $10/mo billed month-to-month for as much as 12,000 emails monthly. |
|
Brevo (previously Sendinblue) |
Nonprofits with intensive contact lists sending periodic multi-channel campaigns |
Superior segmentation, multi-channel messaging, transactional electronic mail included |
Free plan obtainable. Paid plans begin at $9/mo billed month-to-month for as much as 100,000 month-to-month electronic mail sends. |
|
SendGrid |
Nonprofits prioritizing electronic mail deliverability and inbox placement charges |
Deliverability optimization instruments, automation workflows, CRM and donation platform integrations |
Free trial for 60 days. Paid plans begin at $15/mo for as much as 300,000 emails monthly. |
Finest Electronic mail Advertising Software program for Nonprofits
The next platforms provide electronic mail advertising and marketing options suited to nonprofit organizations. Every instrument consists of pricing particulars, key options related to donor communication and fundraising workflows, and differentiated strengths that can assist you determine the very best match to your group’s wants.
1. HubSpot Marketing Hub
Finest For: Nonprofits needing CRM-integrated electronic mail alongside their donor database
Key HubSpot Advertising Hub Options:
HubSpot Marketing Hub Pricing:
HubSpot presents a nonprofit low cost of 40% off its common pricing. HubSpot Advertising Hub is frequently priced as follows:
- Free plan obtainable for as much as two customers, no bank card required.
- Advertising Hub Starter: $15/mo/seat billed month-to-month for as much as 1,000 advertising and marketing contacts.
- Advertising Hub Skilled: $890/mo billed month-to-month. Consists of three core seats and as much as 2,000 advertising and marketing contacts.
- Advertising Hub Enterprise: $3,600/mo (annual billing solely). Consists of 5 core seats and as much as 10,000 advertising and marketing contacts
2. Sender
Finest For: Funds-conscious nonprofits sending average electronic mail volumes month-to-month
Key Sender Options:
- 1,100+ electronic mail templates – Make the most of onboarding, academic, and focusing on templates to save lots of time in your emails.
- Drag-and-drop electronic mail editor – Use the visible electronic mail builder with pre-designed templates that require no coding information.
- Integrations – This instrument integrates with Pipedream, ZohoFlow, and Zapier, permitting you to increase the capabilities of your electronic mail advertising and marketing.
Contact Sender to inquire about nonprofit reductions. Under is Sender’s pricing:
- Free plan. Consists of one seat for as much as 2,500 subscribers.
- Normal. $10/mo billed month-to-month for 3 role-based seats and as much as 12,000 emails monthly.
- Skilled. $20/mo billed month-to-month for 10 role-based seats and as much as 24,000 emails monthly.
- Enterprise. Contact for pricing. Consists of limitless emails.
3. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Finest For: Nonprofits with intensive contact lists sending periodic multi-channel campaigns
Key Brevo Options:
- Superior segmentation – Group contacts by buy historical past, demographics, and subscriber exercise.
- Multi-channel messaging – Ship electronic mail, SMS, and WhatsApp messages from one platform with a CRM.
- Transactional electronic mail included – Advertising plans can help you ship transactional emails, too.
Contact Brevo to inquire about nonprofit pricing. Under are Brevo’s pricing plans:
- Free plan. Consists of one consumer and as much as 300 electronic mail sends per day monthly.
- Starter. $9/mo billed month-to-month for one consumer and as much as 100,000 month-to-month electronic mail sends.
- Normal. $18/mo billed month-to-month for as much as three customers and as much as 1 million month-to-month electronic mail sends.
- Skilled. $499/mo billed month-to-month for 10 customers and as much as 10 million month-to-month electronic mail sends.
- Enterprise. Contact for pricing. Consists of limitless customers.
4. SendGrid
Finest For: Nonprofits prioritizing electronic mail deliverability and inbox placement charges
Key SendGrid Options:
- Deliverability optimization instruments – Constructed-in spam testing, electronic mail rendering previews, and authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM) to enhance inbox placement charges.
- Automation workflows – Construct automated electronic mail sequences, together with welcome collection and drip campaigns triggered when contacts be part of lists or meet particular standards.
- CRM and donation platform integrations – Integrates with CRMs like Salesforce and donation platforms like Donately to sync donor knowledge and set off automated electronic mail responses primarily based on contribution exercise.
Contact SendGrid to inquire about nonprofit pricing. Under are SendGrid’s Advertising Campaigns pricing plans:
- Free trial for 60 days. Consists of as much as 100 contacts and as much as 100 emails per day.
- Fundamental. Begins at $15/mo for as much as 100,000 contacts and as much as 300,000 emails monthly.
- Superior. Begins at $60/mo for as much as 200,000 contacts and as much as 1 million emails monthly.
- Customized. Contact SendGrid for customized pricing.
Advantages of Electronic mail Advertising Software program for Nonprofits
Automates Repetitive Donor Communications
Electronic mail advertising and marketing software program automates welcome messages and re-engagement campaigns that might in any other case require handbook sending. Nonprofits with restricted workers can keep constant supporter communication with out dedicating hours to particular person electronic mail sends.
Allows Viewers Segmentation With out Handbook Checklist Administration
Utilizing software program, you may group supporters primarily based on donation historical past, engagement stage, or customized standards. Organizations can ship focused appeals to main donors, first-time givers, or lapsed supporters with out manually sorting contact lists earlier than every marketing campaign.
Offers Marketing campaign Efficiency Knowledge in One Location
Platforms observe open charges, click-through charges, and donation conversions for every electronic mail despatched. Nonprofits can determine which topic traces, content material varieties, and ship instances generate essentially the most engagement with out compiling knowledge from a number of sources.
Reduces Communication Prices In comparison with Direct Mail
Electronic mail campaigns eradicate printing, postage, and achievement bills related to bodily mailings. Organizations sending month-to-month updates can attain 1000’s of supporters for a fraction of unsolicited mail prices whereas sustaining common communication frequency.
Centralizes Donor Contact Knowledge and Electronic mail Historical past
Electronic mail advertising and marketing platforms can retailer supporter contact data, communication preferences, and engagement historical past in a single system. Groups can entry full donor communication data with out looking out by way of a number of spreadsheets or electronic mail accounts.
5 Vital Options for Nonprofit Electronic mail Advertising Software program
- Automated workflow capabilities. Nonprofits want software program that triggers electronic mail sequences primarily based on donor actions like first-time donations, recurring reward cancellations, or occasion registrations with out handbook intervention.
- Donor segmentation instruments. Platforms ought to section contacts primarily based on giving historical past, engagement stage, volunteer standing, and customized fields to ship customized appeals to totally different supporter teams.
- Donation platform integrations. Your electronic mail advertising and marketing software program ought to combine with fundraising instruments like Donately or Fundraise Up — and occasion platforms similar to Eventbrite — so donor and attendee knowledge sync robotically and set off well timed follow-up emails.
- Marketing campaign efficiency analytics. Nonprofits want entry to open charges, click-through charges, unsubscribe charges, and donation conversion monitoring to measure marketing campaign effectiveness and optimize future appeals.
- Contact administration and checklist constructing. Software program ought to retailer excessive volumes of contacts, import knowledge from spreadsheets, and supply signup kinds to develop electronic mail lists with out technical limitations.
Find out how to Select an Electronic mail Advertising Device for Nonprofits (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Map your donor communication workflows.
Doc your present electronic mail sending patterns, together with donation acknowledgments, month-to-month newsletters, fundraising appeals, occasion invites, and volunteer recruitment messages. Establish which communications are one-time sends versus automated sequences triggered by supporter actions.
Step 2: Establish must-have options to your group.
Decide which options are important versus nice-to-have primarily based in your workflows. Nonprofits usually require automation capabilities, donor segmentation, donation platform integrations, and marketing campaign analytics at minimal. Organizations with technical workers could prioritize API entry whereas smaller groups want intuitive visible editors.
Step 3: Examine ease of use and staff capability.
Consider whether or not your staff has devoted advertising and marketing workers or depends on volunteers and part-time workers. Platforms with drag-and-drop editors, pre-built templates, and easy automation builders cut back the technical experience required. Check free trials to evaluate whether or not your staff can execute campaigns with out intensive coaching.
Step 4: Verify pricing as your contact checklist grows.
Calculate prices primarily based in your present contact checklist measurement and projected progress over 12 to 24 months. Some platforms cost per contact whereas others cost per electronic mail despatched. Think about nonprofit reductions. HubSpot offers 40% off for qualifying nonprofit organizations.
Step 5: Select a platform that connects electronic mail with donor knowledge.
Choose software program that integrates together with your current donation platform and CRM to keep up unified supporter data. Greater Good Charities uses HubSpot Advertising Hub to extend electronic mail open charges and reduce bounce charges whereas scaling customized engagement throughout its donor base.
Find out how to Create Electronic mail Advertising Campaigns for Nonprofits
Step 1: Write an attention grabbing topic line.
Topic traces could be tough. You’re on the lookout for a brief phrase that communicates your intent whereas retaining your non-profit’s distinctive voice. An fascinating topic line ought to embrace the next components.
- Urgency. You need recipients to really feel the urgency to each open emails out of your NPO and take motion.
- Specificity. If in case you have an fascinating statistic or knowledge level to share, make sure you put it within the topic line.
- Upcoming occasions. To extend engagement, your publication ought to let individuals know what upcoming occasions they will attend or volunteer at.
- Identify recognition. Pique your viewers’s curiosity by together with their title within the topic line (when applicable).
- Relevancy. If present occasions or politics affect your nonprofit’s purpose(s), referencing these occasions could make your publication extra related and well timed.
Step 2: Give compelling updates.
An incredible nonprofit publication ought to embrace the most recent and biggest out of your group. Inform your recipients of current objectives reached, heartwarming tales of these you assist, life updates of workers and volunteers, and anything of observe.
Professional tip: To make your emails visually fascinating, take footage throughout occasions to incorporate in your newsletters. With permission, embrace the names of the volunteers pictured and describe what actions occurred.
Step 3: Have an perspective of gratitude.
Your trigger is close to and expensive to those that subscribe to your publication. Their time spent volunteering and cash donated ought to at all times be obtained with a spirit of gratitude.
Let electronic mail recipients know the speedy impression of their donations with fascinating knowledge factors. For instance, “Your donation helped x variety of households” or “Your volunteer efforts fed x variety of kids.”
Professional tip: A few of your publication recipients shall be extra concerned than others. Take into account opening the road of communication with these donors by sending a personalised, non-automated electronic mail that references their particular efforts to the trigger.
Step 4: Embody a call-to-action.
A call-to-action (CTA) is an invite to your viewers to do one thing. In an electronic mail or publication, your CTA needs to be a button that hyperlinks to the motion you need recipients to take subsequent.
Examples of CTAs to your nonprofit electronic mail may very well be “Subscribe to the publication,” “Donate now,” “Refer a buddy,” or extra. Don’t be afraid to get artistic together with your CTAs, and make sure you measure your conversion rate.
Pro tip: There are lots of CTA tools you can use to make linking to the next step easier. Explore common options here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best email marketing tool for nonprofits?
The best email marketing tool can be somewhat subjective, but here’s an objective fact: HubSpot Marketing Hub works well for nonprofits needing integrated CRM and email tools with fundraising platform connections. Sender suits budget-conscious organizations with its unlimited triggers and automation steps on the free plan. SendGrid serves organizations prioritizing email deliverability with built-in authentication tools.
What features should I look for in email marketing tools for nonprofits?
Nonprofits should prioritize automation capabilities for donor nurturing sequences, segmentation tools to target different supporter groups, donation platform integrations to sync contribution data, mobile-responsive templates for emails that display correctly on all devices, and campaign analytics to track open rates and donation conversions. Additional useful features include signup forms for list growth, drag-and-drop email editors for teams without coding experience, and contact management systems that handle large supporter databases.
Is HubSpot good for nonprofits?
HubSpot works well for nonprofits needing integrated CRM and email marketing tools. HubSpot offers a 40% nonprofit discount on Skilled and Enterprise plans and consists of options like workflow automation, contact segmentation, and integrations with donation platforms, together with GoFundMe Pro and Fundraise Up.
How a lot does electronic mail advertising and marketing software program for nonprofits price?
Electronic mail advertising and marketing software program prices differ by platform and call checklist measurement. Free plans exist for small nonprofits: HubSpot presents a free plan. Moreover, Sender has a free plan for two,500 subscribers max, Brevo supplies 300 emails every day, and SendGrid consists of 6,000 month-to-month emails. Paid plans usually vary from $9-$15 month-to-month for fundamental tiers. Many platforms provide nonprofit reductions, similar to HubSpot, which supplies 40% off.
Meet HubSpot, the Prime Electronic mail Advertising Alternative for Nonprofits
HubSpot Advertising Hub supplies nonprofits with built-in instruments to scale donor engagement whereas sustaining customized communication throughout rising supporter bases.
Key options for nonprofit electronic mail advertising and marketing:
- CRM-integrated email campaigns – Electronic mail instruments entry donor historical past, engagement knowledge, and customized properties saved in HubSpot’s CRM, eliminating the necessity to toggle between separate programs for contact knowledge and marketing campaign execution.
- Habits-triggered automation workflows – Automated electronic mail sequences set off primarily based on issues like contact properties and kind submissions, permitting small groups to keep up constant supporter communication with out handbook sending.
- Fundraising platform integrations – Native connections with GoFundMe Professional and Fundraise Up enable you energy your campaigns with donation knowledge.
British Red Cross Training boosted income 66% with Advertising Hub. Nonprofit FIRST used HubSpot to ship almost 5 million emails in a single yr whereas sustaining an open price above 38%.
Prepared to remodel your nonprofit electronic mail advertising and marketing with HubSpot? Get started with HubSpot for Nonprofits today and ask in regards to the 40% nonprofit low cost on Skilled and Enterprise plans.
Editor’s observe: This put up was initially revealed in February 2016 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
