How do I write a grassroots fundraising email?

You've built your grassroots fundraising page; now you need people to see it, and email campaigns are how most of that happens.

This article covers what to say in a fundraising email, how to lay it out, and what to check before you send. If you haven't created your grassroots fundraiser form yet, start with How can I create my own supporter form?

When you send out a fundraising email, you’re reaching out to people who already know you. . Use that connection. Here’s how to craft a story that people will want to be part of.

Show the reader what their money changes. Walk them through it: here's the problem, here's what a contribution does about it, here's what changes as a result. Campaigns call this a theory of change. What matters is that the reader takes an active role in this process.

Write as a peer, not a solicitor. Don’t tell what your donors what they can do for you, but what you and your donors can do together. You're inviting people into something you're already doing, and that framing tends to land better than a pitch.

Use the right voice. Write the way you talk. Conversational and personable.

Give relevant content. Email is a two-way street, so write for the people actually on your list. Ask yourself: Is this a delight to read? Will your audience find it meaningful? Would your family or friends donate in response to this email?

Be intentional about inclusion. Keep your email friendly and accessible. Short paragraphs, plain words, and link text that says where it goes all help. Always spell out names and terms on first use, as not everyone on your list may be familiar with them..

Every email is a chance to connect with grassroots donors. Here's a template that helps your content land in a competitive inbox.

1. Subject line: captures the tone and emotion of your copy. If you have writer's block (we've all been there), finish the body of your email first, then pull the subject line from it.
2. Hook: introduces your moment, or the "why" of your email. A good hook gives donors a reason to keep reading.
3. Explainer: a paragraph or two on why this moment matters and what this contribution goes towards.
4. Ask: invites donors to be part of the solution, with your form link right there in the paragraph..
5. Second explainer and ask: comes at the same point from a different angle, so you can speak more fully to the range of people on your list.
6. Thank you: thank your donors. Never skip it.

A few minutes here saves you from sending a broken link to everyone you know.

1. Publish your form. Click the green Publish button at the top of the form editor. Changes you haven't published won't appear on the live form.
2. Test your link. Open it yourself and confirm it goes where you expect. If you want to contribute to your own form, sign out first, since donating while signed in throws off your conversion rate.
3. Add a refcode. A refcode is a short word you add to the end of your form's URL to make that version of the link trackable. Use one for email and a different one for social media, and your Stats page will show you which is working. See Refcodes for how to set them up.
4. Proofread. Build a process with multiple checkpoints. Reading it out loud catches things your eye skips.
5. Send. When you feel confident, hit send.

You'll receive a daily automated email summarizing contributions to your active forms. For anything more specific, open your form, select Alerts from the More dropdown, and set up an email alert for new contributions or refunds at whatever threshold you choose.

Your form's Statistics page shows visits, contributions, conversion rate, and progress toward your goal, broken out by refcode. That tells you whether to send again, and where to send from.

Then thank the people who gave. It's the reason they give again next time.