Your nonprofit is doing incredible work, but none of it happens without communication.
Whether you're reaching out to donors, organizing volunteers, or promoting an event, your messages need to be clear, compelling, and quick to send. That’s why we’ve created this collection of real-world examples and email templates for not-for-profit organizations, covering the wide range of communications you’re likely to manage.
Let’s start with the most mission-critical emails—fundraising.
As a nonprofit, you’re constantly involved in fundraising initiatives, whether it’s a year-end appeal, an emergency campaign, or a call for monthly donors.
However, finding the right words to ask for support can be challenging. You want to inspire action without sounding impersonal or overly formal, and you often need to do it on a tight timeline.
Here’s a simple fundraising email template 👇
There are also other, more specific, types of fundraising emails that you might be required to send. Let’s quickly go over them next.
These emails are direct appeals for financial support. They should be emotionally resonant, easy to act on, and tailored to the specific type of donation you’re requesting.
These messages are designed to engage your supporters beyond direct giving by inviting them to help fundraise on your behalf or attend events tied to fundraising efforts.
These emails request non-monetary contributions like goods, services, or corporate sponsorships. They should highlight your immediate needs and offer convenient ways to give.
If your nonprofit relies on volunteers, then communication is critical for recruiting, organizing, and appreciating the people who power your mission. These emails should be welcoming, respectful of people’s time, and clear about expectations and next steps.
Below is an example volunteer recruitment and onboarding email from Live at LICA, an arts organization that regularly engages students and community members as event volunteers.
What makes this email effective is its friendly, low-barrier tone, clear logistical information, and added incentives: flexible shifts, resume-building opportunities, and free access to shows. It also encourages quick action by asking recipients to confirm their attendance via reply.
Recruitment emails should clearly explain the roles available, why they matter, and how easy it is to get involved. The goal is to spark interest and lower the barrier to taking that first step, whether it’s attending an open day, signing up for a shift, or learning more about the cause.
For some roles—especially event-based or frontline opportunities— it helps to schedule a quick call to go over expectations and event details. Nonprofit scheduling tools like YouCanBookMe (YCBM) make that easy, saving the usual back-and-forth of trying to agree on a time that works for everyone.
You can create a customizable booking page with your nonprofit’s branding and use configurable forms to collect key information before the meeting. Once the meetings are scheduled, YCBM automatically sends confirmation and reminder emails, helping reduce no-shows.
Once someone signs up, these emails help build trust and reduce no-shows by clearly confirming what’s expected and when.
Keeping volunteers engaged over time means recognizing their efforts and making them feel like a valued part of the community.
Sometimes, nonprofit email is about mobilizing your community to take action or educating them about an important issue. Advocacy and awareness emails should be clear, timely, and mission-driven, helping your audience understand the issues and get involved in meaningful ways.
Below is an example advocacy and awareness email from Cancer Research UK, a leading nonprofit dedicated to cancer research and public education.
This email spotlights a breakthrough surgical innovation, the iKnife, and explains how it could revolutionize breast cancer surgery by making it more precise. Instead of making a direct fundraising ask, the focus is on informing supporters about the impact of their contributions and building excitement around medical progress.
These time-sensitive emails are designed to prompt immediate action from your audience, usually in the form of signing, sharing, or contacting someone in power.
These emails align with thematic moments and help educate your audience around broader topics tied to your mission.
Supporters want to know their actions are making a difference—these emails help you show that impact clearly and compellingly.
Whether you're hosting a gala, an online event, or a community cleanup, events are a vital way for nonprofits to connect with supporters. Effective event emails should drive sign-ups, clarify logistics, and keep participants engaged before and after the event.
Here’s an example event promotion email from Calgary Run for Palestine, a community-driven initiative now in its fifth year of organizing annual charity runs in support of humanitarian efforts in Palestine. 👇
These emails are the first touchpoints in your event communications. They should clearly explain what the event is, why it matters, and how to RSVP.
Once someone signs up for your event, your job isn’t done—you need to keep them engaged and prepared to attend. Confirmation emails should reassure attendees that their spot is secured, while reminder emails help reduce no-shows by keeping the event top-of-mind.
The event might be over, but your communication shouldn’t stop there. These follow-up emails help you build long-term relationships and collect valuable feedback.
Acquiring donors is hard work. Keeping them is all about communication. Your emails should show them the impact of their giving, celebrate their commitment, and make them feel like a valued part of your mission.
This donor thank-you email from Movember does a great job of combining appreciation with action. After confirming the donor’s contribution and linking to their receipt, the message zooms out to remind supporters why their gift matters: men are dying too young, and the issue isn’t getting enough attention.
Acknowledging a gift is the bare minimum—great thank-you emails make donors feel truly appreciated.
These emails help donors see the results of their generosity in action.
Celebrating important moments with your supporters helps build lasting relationships. These touchpoints below are small gestures, but they can go a long way in turning first-time donors into lifelong advocates.
Newsletters keep your audience informed, connected, and invested in your mission over time. Whether sent monthly or quarterly, these emails should mix organizational updates with content that educates, inspires, or highlights the people behind your work.
This newsletter email from HEAL Palestine is a strong example of an impact update—a format that keeps supporters informed, inspired, and connected to the mission.
The email highlights two key storylines: the success of recent 5K awareness events across Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and the recovery progress of three young patients who received life-changing surgeries through HEAL’s programs.
What works well here is the blend of community engagement and direct impact storytelling. Event recaps and photos give a sense of momentum and scale, while the patient updates add an emotional, human touch. Each section ends with a clear and purpose-driven call to donate, helping bridge awareness with action.
These are your go-to touchpoints for maintaining engagement and keeping supporters in the loop.
Sharing content that aligns with current events or timely topics helps your emails feel relevant and worth opening. It shows supporters that your organization is paying attention to what’s happening in the world, and how it connects to your mission.
Bringing supporters behind the curtain helps them feel more connected to your mission. Sharing the faces, stories, and everyday efforts that power your work builds trust and makes your organization more relatable.
First impressions matter. The initial emails someone receives after signing up, donating, or expressing interest can set the tone for how they engage with your nonprofit going forward. Onboarding communications should be warm, informative, and make it easy to take the next step.
One of the simplest ways to welcome someone is with a friendly, well-structured email that introduces your mission and outlines what to expect next. Below is an example you can adapt:
This is your chance to make a strong first impression and reinforce their decision to connect with your organization.
After someone signs up, donates, or expresses interest, a thoughtful follow-up email can help guide them toward meaningful, long-term involvement.
Not every supporter stays active, but that doesn’t mean they’re lost! Re-engagement emails give you a chance to reconnect with lapsed donors or disengaged subscribers by reminding them of your impact and showing them what you’ve been working on recently.
Reconnecting with past donors is a chance to rebuild the relationship and remind them that their support still matters. With the right message, you can spark renewed interest and show them the difference they’ve helped make.
If someone hasn’t opened your emails in a while, it’s a sign to check in, not check out. Re-engagement emails give you a chance to remind subscribers why they signed up in the first place and showcase what they’ve been missing.
From donation appeals to volunteer reminders and impact updates, you’ve now got the templates and examples to communicate with confidence and clarity across every part of your nonprofit. The right message, sent at the right time, can deepen relationships, drive action, and grow your community of supporters.
If you’re looking for a scheduling tool to run volunteer interviews, onboarding sessions, or meetings with your donors, YouCanBookMe is worth checking out. It’s simple to use, takes the hassle out of finding a time that works, and helps you stay focused on the important work that you do.