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My fifth annual Giving Tuesday 2025 Emailpalooza Review Extravaganza is here- part three!
I opened, read, reviewed and analyzed all 576 Giving Tuesday (GT) emails I received from 104 different nonprofits of all sizes. This year’s review is divided into four parts. Read part one, part two and part four.
As in previous years, I’ll be sharing insights, tips, strategies, how to and best practices to help with your fundraising, marketing, email, storytelling, content and much more. Let’s dive in!
The data
1. Only 2.3% of GT emails utilized social proof.
When we see others like us (especially friends and family) donating or volunteering for a specific organization, there’s a good chance that will influence our decision when it comes to donating money/time. This is why including social proof- quotes, testimonials, recommendations- in emails is important.
As in past years, because of the cash grab, organizations focused on the need to donate and how much they have to raise. Social proof barely even showed up in their emails. Yuck.
2. Only 6.7% of emails included a story. This floored me.
Storytelling sits at the heart of your fundraising and marketing efforts. People connect to stories. Giving is an emotional decision and a great story can help encourage giving.
So why did so few emails include a story? I honestly don’t know. I could say “cash grab” but I don’t wanna sound like a broken record. (Not sure what a record is? Ask your local Gen Xer.) A little bit farther down in this post I’m going to share with you two organizations that did a FANTSTIC job with the storytelling.
Wanna learn how to craft compelling stories that mobilize people to give? How to get your Board to fundraise? How to raise more money via your online donation form? Then reserve your seat today at the How Do I conference! January 20 and 21- learn the steps and how to fundraise successfully in 2026 and beyond. Early bird pricing ends December 16. Buy your ticket/s today!
Good idea but not sure about the execution
A week before GT, Houston Food Bank included this at the top of an email:
At the bottom of the email they added this:
I’m a big fan of adding text to your fundraising and marketing apparatus. I think way too few organizations use text. (Can you think of anything else which has a 95% open rate within three minutes of being received???)
But I’m not sure what Houston Food Bank was trying to do. In the upper banner they offered early access to their GT match. Does that mean only thru text I could give before GT? And why do I need to text when I could give online?
The bottom banner makes a little more sense. They invite people to receive texts from them. Except if you saw the upper banner you might be a little wary- the number to join is the same. Meaning you might think that joining is free but you’re gonna receive texts about their 2x GT match and nothing else.
it’s all a bit confusing. Text is good. Use it as part of your efforts to engage your audience. But not like this.
DO NOT DO THIS!!!
This one drives me bananas. In a pre-GT email Easterseals wrote: “Instead of spending your Black Friday shopping, make a gift to Easterseals of $25 or more…”
Here’s what I wrote on LinkedIn: “Don’t send emails asking people to purchase one less item on sale and instead donate to your nonprofit. This is not a game of either or!
Make the case for why they should support your organization. Share stories, impact data, how their gift will make their community a better place. Give them a warm feeling about making a donation.
Don’t try to guilt them or make them feel bad for shopping while X is happening in their backyard. People can do both- shop for deals AND donate to charity. Make giving a positive experience!”
DO NOT DO THIS part two
In a GT email signed by their CEO, Americares ended the email with “We’re counting on you.”
Think how that sounds to a donor: Giving is a burden. I have to give because if I don’t then bad thing X will happen.
Giving should be a positive experience, something I want to do, not something I feel coerced into doing.
NONONONONONONONONO
Can you feel the love?
I HATE the pending thing. It makes fundraising transactional. Like they’re standing in front of me, hand held out, tapping their foot just waiting for me to give what I “promised.” Yuck.
And that first sentence? Just makes it worse.
When I say Giving Tuesday has become a cash grab, these are the kinds of emails I’m referring to. And then people wonder why retention and household giving is down year over year.
Wanna learn how to write fundraising emails that convert? Purchase and download my 101 Email Fundraising Tips ebook today! (And with it you can also buy my 101 Email Content Ideas that are NOT a Fundraising Ask ebook)
THIS is how you do storytelling!
Two organizations really stood out with their GT storytelling.
(Notice the great shoutout to the partner sponsoring their campaign match!)
Throughout their GT campaign, Conquer Cancer shared Paula’s story and did a good job of doing so. In this pre GT email, they shared this:
Good example of the story of one. When you share a story, share the story of one person or one family. Makes it easier for readers to relate, connect and want to help.
Cure Epilepsy blew me away with two GT emails. Here’s the first (worth reading the whole thing):
Emotional tug? Check. Makes you smile and maybe shed a tear? Check. Now you wanna donate, don’t you? Check.
Later on Giving Tuesday they shared this email:
They resent the letter from Kora but this time they added a note above it from Kora’s mom. (This is a tactic you can use in campaigns once or twice, depending on length of campaign and how many emails you’re sending.) Kora’s mom adds details and her perspective to what Kora is battling.
And again, it makes you wanna donate.
What do you think?
A week before GT World Wildlife Fund (WWF) sent me an email. They included a list of things that happen when I donate. The first item listed was: “You’ll kickstart our campaign, inspiring others to follow your lead.”
Here’s my question: Is that true? They’re not gonna share via email that I gave $10 a week before GT. Are they expecting me to share my pre GT donation online and encourage my family and friends to give? Thoughts?
Part 4 of my review: It’s possible to give subscribers a positive email experience
Want to learn how to fundraise successfully, boost retention, build better relationships and have more impact in your community? Reserve your spot at the How Do I conference today! Over two days (all online!) you’ll learn how to do 8 duties every fundraiser faces. Once you learn the steps from the epxert presenters, you can go and implement them right away at work.
The How Do I conference is for staff at growing nonprofits (budget blow $5 million) and takes place via Zoom on January 20 and 21. Can’t join us those days? All sessions will be recorded and available online for two months after the conference! Buy your ticket/s now– early bird pricing ends December 16!
