What to Know About Email Marketing Software for Nonprofits

Although newer communications channels, like text messaging and social media, have risen in popularity, email is still an important channel for nonprofit marketing and fundraising. According to the “2023 Nonprofit Tech for Good Report,” 68% of nonprofits utilize email marketing. 

While there are many effective email marketing software products that have been on the market for years, newer tools are emerging that give nonprofits more choices and more sophisticated email marketing capabilities. So, is it time to find new email marketing software for your organization? 

Let’s look at some key considerations as you think about the tools your nonprofit uses for email marketing.

What Email Marketing Tools Are Available to Nonprofits Today?

There are four main categories in which email marketing tools for nonprofits generally fit.

1. Industry-Agnostic Email Marketing Software

These are the most common email marketing products that organizations of many types and sizes use. Popular products that  can be cost-effective in this category include Campaign Monitor, Constant Contact and MailChimp. 

These can be a good fit for nonprofits that need a tool with basic, solid email functionality. However, unlike other options, they typically do not have more advanced or nonprofit-focused features, such as the ability to present dynamic content based on giving history.

2. Email Tools Built Into Nonprofit Software Products 

Several fundraising and/or nonprofit customer relationship management (CRM) software platforms include email marketing tools and functionality; these include platforms from companies including Blackbaud, Bloomerang, Bonterra, Charity Engine, Engaging Networks, Neon One and Virtuous. 

Some nonprofits might find these email tools to be extremely handy since they are baked in to the core software they use across the organization and have direct access to constituent data to help segment and personalize audience communications. However, nonprofits with more sophisticated and growing email marketing campaigns might find that the email functionality included with their software lacks more complex capabilities to support their needs.

3. Nonprofit Marketing-Focused Email Tools

Some newer email marketing tools, like Feathr, have emerged in the market that provide email marketing software specifically for nonprofits. Nonprofits looking for more sophisticated marketing capabilities might find these types of tools attractive because they integrate with commonly-used nonprofit software and support more complex marketing campaigns and journeys (beyond just email) through functionality that’s powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

4. Enterprise-Level CRM Platforms With Advanced Email Marketing Capabilities

CRM platforms from companies including HubSpot, Microsoft and Salesforce provide sophisticated email marketing solutions that integrate with the companies’ solutions for nonprofits. These email marketing solutions are continuously evolving and increasingly support email marketing automation and AI-driven functionality, making them attractive options for nonprofits with sophisticated and complex marketing needs. 

How to Choose the Right Email Marketing Software for Your Nonprofit

With so many email marketing tools on the market today, how do you know which is the right fit for your organization? Here are some things to research and consider as you search for the right email marketing software for your organization:

Ease of Audience Segmentation 

Segmenting your audience and sending targeted email messages makes your email communications more relevant to recipients and can ultimately improve response. Look for a solution that aligns with your organization’s audience segmentation needs. For example, can you segment your audience based on previous interactions, transactions, demographic data and other areas that you want to target? 

Integration Capabilities

To segment your audiences accurately, your email tool should be able to integrate with your organization’s other software, such as your donor management and/or CRM systems. Consider the key systems that you use to track constituent information and make sure the email marketing software you choose integrates well with them.

Ability to Create Email Journeys

Depending on the level of sophistication of your marketing campaigns, you might want to create email journeys. These involve the ability to set up multiple email messages and automatically send a specific message or series of messages to specific audiences based on their interactions with your organization. 

These types of journeys can range from simple to very complex, so be sure to think about your organization’s marketing strategy and how advanced your needs are in this area. If you require this type of functionality, it’s a good idea to ask potential product vendors to provide you with a detailed demonstration of how this functionality works in their product so that you fully understand its capabilities and how easy/difficult it is to use.

Ease of Email Design

Most tools these days provide an easy-to-use email builder with drag-and-drop features. However, it’s still important to consider the complexity of the email messages you will be sending and the skill level of your staff members who will need to create, edit and send email communications. 

For example, if you include lots of visual elements, videos and conditional content in your email communications, but your staff does not have a lot of email design experience, make sure it’s easy to build those elements into emails or at least create email templates that can be easily used. 

Artificial Intelligence Capabilities

AI capabilities are becoming more common and have the potential to help you create email messages faster, and even build more impactful email marketing campaigns. Consider your organization’s marketing strategy and how much you would like to incorporate AI in your campaigns. Some AI-powered capabilities you might want include the ability to:

• Generate initial drafts of email communications.
• Identify audience personas and segments for marketing and fundraising campaigns.
• Streamline and sharpen your marketing and fundraising communications by helping you determine things like who to contact, how often to contact them and what messages would be most impactful in your communications.

As you can see, there are many things to consider when you’re looking for the right email marketing software for your nonprofit organization. In today’s evolving nonprofit technology market, it’s important to know your organization’s goals and understand your options. 

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.