Asking for donations is a vital part of any cause, and email is a powerful way to reach your supporters.
Starting from a template removes the guesswork and helps you write a compelling request quickly. Below are five different templates you can adapt for your next fundraising campaign.
Use your subscriber's name, but also try referencing their past support. A simple, "Thanks to your help last year..." makes your email feel like a personal update, not a mass message.
Instead of listing all your achievements, focus on a single, compelling story. Talk about one person, family, or community you helped. Stories create an emotional connection that statistics can't match.
Be direct about what you need. Suggest specific donation amounts and, if possible, tie them to tangible outcomes. For example, "$50 can provide school supplies for one child." This helps people visualize their impact.
People often scan emails, so use short paragraphs and a clean layout. Most importantly, have a single, obvious call-to-action button that's easy to see and click.
<template>
Subject: Urgent Help Needed: [Describe the urgent situation]
Hi [First Name],
I’m writing to you today because we are facing a critical challenge that requires immediate action. [Briefly explain the urgent situation, e.g., a sudden disaster, an unexpected funding shortfall for a key program, etc.].
Because of this, [explain the direct consequence or the people/cause at risk]. We have a very short window to respond, and that's why I'm reaching out to you directly.
Your support right now can provide immediate relief. A donation of [$Amount] will help us [specific, tangible outcome]. A gift of [$Amount] can [another specific, tangible outcome].
Please consider making an urgent gift today to help us navigate this crisis. Every moment counts.
[Link to your donation page, perhaps as a button in your email builder]
Thank you for being a vital part of our community, especially when it matters most.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Your Organization’s Name]
</template>
<template>
Subject: A small gift each month makes a big difference
Hi [First Name],
I’m writing to invite you to become a sustaining member of our community. While one-time gifts are incredibly helpful, monthly donations provide the steady, reliable support we need to plan for the future and commit to long-term projects that create lasting change for [describe your cause or community].
Your recurring gift ensures we can focus on our mission year-round. For example, just [$Amount] a month allows us to [describe a continuous, long-term outcome, e.g., 'provide ongoing mentorship to a young person' or 'consistently stock our food pantry shelves']. It’s an easy and powerful way to make your support go further.
Join our monthly giving program today and become a cornerstone of our work.
[Link to your recurring donation page, perhaps as a button in your email builder]
Thank you for believing in our mission.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Your Organization’s Name]
</template>
<template>
Subject: You're Invited: [Event Name]
Hi [First Name],
We’re excited to invite you to [Event Name] on [Date of Event]. Join us for an evening of [describe the event activities, e.g., live music, guest speakers, an auction] to celebrate and support our work.
This isn't just a gathering—it's an opportunity to make a real impact. All proceeds from the event will go directly toward [describe the specific program or goal the event is funding]. Your attendance helps us [mention a specific outcome].
You can support this cause by purchasing your ticket today. If you can't make it, please consider making a donation to help us reach our event goal.
[Link to your event/donation page, perhaps as a button in your email builder]
We hope to see you there.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Your Organization’s Name]
</template>
<template>
Subject: Double your impact today
Hi [First Name],
I’m writing to you with a special opportunity to make your support go twice as far. For a limited time, a generous partner, [Name of Matching Partner], has agreed to match every dollar donated up to [$Amount].
This means your gift will have double the impact. A donation of [$Amount] becomes [$Doubled Amount], directly helping us [describe the specific, amplified outcome]. This is a powerful way to help us reach our goal of [state the broader goal or mission].
Please consider making a gift today while this matching offer is available. Your contribution, doubled, will make a significant difference.
[Link to your donation page, perhaps as a button in your email builder]
Thank you for helping us seize this opportunity.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Your Organization’s Name]
</template>
<template>
Subject: Your year-end gift makes a difference
Hi [First Name],
As this year comes to a close, we're looking back at everything we’ve achieved with your help. Because of our community, we were able to [mention one key achievement from the year].
Now, we’re looking ahead to the work that remains. Before the year is over, we are aiming to [state your year-end goal]. Your support is essential to making this happen and starting the new year strong.
A year-end, tax-deductible gift of [$Amount] helps us [specific, tangible outcome]. Your contribution, no matter the size, makes a direct impact.
Please consider making a gift before the December 31st deadline to help us continue our work.
[Link to your donation page, perhaps as a button in your email builder]
Thank you for being a part of our story this year.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Your Organization’s Name]
</template>
Now that you have these five templates, Flodesk provides the tools to bring them to life. We offer an intuitive email marketing platform designed for small businesses, helping you grow and engage your subscriber list. You don't need any coding or design experience to create, send, and automate emails that connect with your audience and support your cause.
With the world’s most intuitive email builder, powerful automations, and beautiful forms, Flodesk gives you everything you need for brilliant email marketing—without the complexity. Trusted by over 100,000 businesses, our platform helps beginners and experts send well-designed, high-converting emails in a radically simple way.
These templates provide a solid framework for your fundraising requests. They handle the structure so you can focus on telling your story and connecting with your community.
Flodesk is the tool to design and send these emails to your audience. Sign up to start building your next campaign.
Stunning email marketing and automation tools to bring your brand to life and scale your small business.
