Nonprofit newsletters: Top examples and strategies that work

You know your supporters care deeply about your cause, but trying to reach them consistently across multiple platforms can feel like shouting into the void. Important updates get buried in crowded social feeds and key opportunities to get involved, donate, or share your mission with potential donors slip through the cracks.

That's where nonprofit newsletters come in.

A targeted nonprofit newsletter creates a direct line with your most engaged supporters. No algorithms, no competing content—just your mission's impact landing in inboxes where it matters most.

In this guide, we'll share top nonprofit newsletter tips and examples, walk through how to create your own, and provide free templates so you can start sending emails with confidence.

Key takeaways

• Newsletters are one of the most effective ways to stay connected with supporters 💌 These low-effort, high-impact touchpoints can improve donor retention, re-engage lapsed supporters, and drive action. In fact, 30% of donors say they gave because of an email. 
• Personalized, visual email content performs better 🤩 Including a warm greeting and compelling visuals can boost open and click-through rates.
• Templates make it easier to send consistently ✨ A branded, mobile-friendly email template saves time and ensures every send is polished, professional, and on-message.
• A strong email list starts with the right strategy ⚡ From defining your ideal supporter to optimizing your sign-up form, strategic list-building leads to stronger engagement and better results.
• Email builds long-term donor relationships 💛 Nearly half of donors (48%) say regular email updates help them stay engaged and keep giving over time. 

Why nonprofit email newsletters work so well

You probably already know you should be sending newsletters—but maybe you're not sure what to include or worry it's just another task on your full plate. 

Here's the thing: well-crafted newsletters serve as low-effort, high-impact touchpoints that keep your mission top-of-mind, even when supporters are distracted by life's demands. They consistently drive website traffic, help nonprofits better understand what supporters care about most, and often lead directly to new donations: 

→ 30% of donors give because of email 📧 

→ 48% stay engaged and donate again thanks to regular emails 🔄 

→ 55% prefer email thank-yous over other forms of acknowledgment 💌

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How to build a nonprofit newsletter in just 6 steps

Transform your nonprofit newsletter from another inbox item into a powerful engagement tool. Here are six simple steps to write a newsletter for a nonprofit organization that supporters actually look forward to reading.

Step 1: Choose a template or start from scratch 🧰

Before you send a single newsletter, you need a solid foundation. That means selecting or building a template (or two!) that isn’t just visually appealing—it’s built for clarity, consistency, and connection.

Whether you start from a blank slate or customize a pre-built layout, your template will set the tone for every email you send—so it’s worth getting right. 

• Clear layout and navigation: A well-structured template with defined sections (like header, body, footer) and user-friendly navigation (e.g., clickable buttons) helps readers quickly find and interact with your content.
  
• Eye-catching call-to-action (CTA) placement: Effective CTA placement—like below text blocks or at the end of a newsletter—can significantly boost engagement. ‍
• Mobile responsiveness: The majority of email views come from mobile devices. Make sure your template functions smoothly and looks great on any screen.

More to explore

10 fundraising email templates to boost opens and donations →

Step 2: Add your logo and greeting 🖼

Next, you want to ensure that your newsletter is both personalized and on-brand. This is an essential step that reinforces the connection between you and your supporters.

• Use your organization’s branding: Always include your nonprofit’s colors, fonts, and typography. Place your logo at the top of the newsletter to reinforce immediate recognition.
  
• Speak directly to individual supporters: Personalize your greeting with a title block and use merge tags like “Hey {{first_name}}” for a warm, friendly intro. This small step increases open rates and prevents your message from feeling generic.‍
• Segment by interest or giving history: Group your subscribers based on what they care about (e.g., specific programs or event attendance) and donation frequency. Then, customize your updates based on those interests or previous gifts. ‍
• Tailoring content based on past behavior: Let your audience’s actions guide your messaging. Did someone click on a volunteer link but never sign up? Feature a volunteer spotlight or “ways to get involved” section next time.

Step 3: Showcase impact 📸

People don’t connect with numbers, they connect with people. That’s why one of the most effective ways to boost newsletter engagement is by weaving your mission into stories that resonate emotionally, supported by eye-catching visuals that bring those stories to life.

• Use authentic, high-quality photos: Showcase real moments from your work, like a volunteer in action, or a community member benefiting from your program. Authenticity builds trust, and real photos (with proper consent) help supporters feel closer to the cause.
  
• Tell one story at a time: Instead of trying to cover everything in one email, focus on a single person, family, or community impacted by your work, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
  
• Pair storytelling with action: End each story with a relevant CTA: “Donate now to help more families like Maria’s,” or “Want to make an impact? Sign up to volunteer today.” You’ve stirred emotion—now make it easy to take action.

Step 4: Promote what's next 📆

Your supporters want to help—you just have to show them how. Whether it’s an upcoming event, volunteer opportunity, or fundraising campaign launch, highlighting what’s coming up keeps readers engaged and turns passive supporters into active participants.

• Make it skimmable: Use bold headlines, clean layouts, and spacing to make content easy to scan.
  
• Link to deeper content: Don’t overload the email—use buttons or hyperlinks to direct readers to your website, campaign page, or signup form.
  
• Add calls to action: A bold “RSVP now” or “Join the campaign” button draws the eye and increases clicks.
  
• Use tables for structure: A simple table layout can be a great way to show multiple opportunities side by side—like a mini calendar!

Step 5: Share helpful resources 📚

Great newsletters don’t just ask for things—they give value back. Sharing educational or mission-related resources builds trust and shows you’re here to help, not just fundraise. The more useful and relevant your newsletter feels, the more likely readers are to open the next one.

• Share what your readers care about: This might be a recent blog post, a partner spotlight, online event, or a helpful guide.
  
• Use a visual layout: Feature 2–3 side-by-side resources using images, short descriptions, and clickable links.
  
• Invite participation: Encourage readers to reply with their own stories or resources. You can even link a “mailto:” message with a pre-filled subject line to make this easy.
  
• Keep it mission-aligned: Everything you share should connect back to your cause and audience interests.

Step 6: Close with mission and socials 🤝

You’ve delivered value—now wrap things up with a strong reminder of your mission and how readers can stay connected beyond the inbox. This final touch reinforces brand trust, encourages ongoing connection, and closes the loop on a beautifully crafted newsletter.

• Reaffirm your mission: A heartfelt closing line like “Thanks for being part of this work” reminds supporters they’re making a difference.
  
• Add social icons: Link to your social media channels with icons that match your brand so supporters can easily follow and share your content.
  
• Keep it compliant: Don’t forget to include the required unsubscribe text to stay CAN-SPAM compliant. 

3 best nonprofit newsletter examples to inspire your next send  

Ready to put your ideas into action, but need a bit more inspiration to start designing and creating? Here are three real newsletter examples to help you hit the ground running.

Using a tool like Givebutter Plus can make this even easier, with built-in email templates and a drag-and-drop editor designed just for nonprofits.

1. Behind-the-scenes newsletter 👋

Stone Soup Café, a pay-what-you-can restaurant promoting equitable access to healthy food, takes a heartfelt, storytelling approach to its behind-the-scenes newsletter. 

Instead of only sending fundraising appeals or quarterly roundups of events and activities, Stone Soup Cafe uses letters—this one from a volunteer—to give supporters a deeper look inside their operations.

⭐ What donors love about this newsletter: This newsletter creates a real connection between the mission and its community, showing the people and passion behind the cause.

2. Quarterly newsletter 📅

A quarterly newsletter is a consistent, low-lift way to keep supporters informed and engaged—from upcoming activities to current impact. The Jericho Project, a nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness, offers a standout example of a quarterly newsletter in action.

Perfect for busy nonprofits, this seasonal outreach is an ideal way to keep supporters in the loop without overloading them with emails too frequently.

⭐ What donors love about this newsletter: Jericho Project’s newsletter is reader-friendly, skimmable, and consistently branded, which helps build trust, familiarity, and connection.

3. Monthly newsletter ❤️

The Lady Josephine Foundation used a Givebutter Plus email template to rally their community during American Heart Month. Their newsletter encouraged supporters to team up for a peer-to-peer fundraiser, raising awareness and funds for pulmonary valve stenosis (PVS) research.

⭐ What donors love about this newsletter: Clear, high-impact calls to action made it easy for readers to join in, spread the word, and feel like they were making an immediate difference.

5 free nonprofit newsletter templates 

Finding the perfect template can save you tons of time and help maintain a consistent, professional look across all your newsletters. 

To make it even easier, Givebutter’s free email editor integrates directly with Canva, allowing you to browse, customize, and import beautiful Canva templates seamlessly into your newsletter. 

Check out these five free ones you can use right now—and instantly build a lasting connection and community with your audience.

1. Bulletin-board style newsletter template 📍

This bulletin-board style template is designed to give a concise yet comprehensive summary of your nonprofit’s progress every few months. 

It balances impact highlights, upcoming initiatives, and key organizational updates in a clean, easy-to-navigate layout. It’s perfect for keeping donors and volunteers informed on a regular cadence—without overwhelming them with too much at once.

⭐ What nonprofits love about this template: The clear, digestible format makes it easy to spotlight both big-picture wins and what’s coming next—fostering trust and keeping energy high.

2. Storytelling template 💛

This storytelling letter template format centers around a single compelling story, whether it’s a success story, volunteer spotlight, or heartfelt thank-you from a staff member. Paired with a few powerful visuals and emotive quotes, this template creates an emotional bond with supporters.

⭐ What nonprofits love about this template: This intimate storytelling approach helps donors feel directly connected to the people and outcomes they’re supporting.

3. Announcement newsletter template  📣

Designed for high-impact updates, this announcement newsletter template is ideal for sharing progress, launching a campaign, announcing upcoming events, or communicating important news with your supporters. 

⭐ What nonprofits love about this template: The clean, focused format builds excitement without bombarding readers, helping your audience absorb key information and take action without missing a beat.

4. Event invitation newsletter template 🎉

Perfect for fundraising galas, volunteer drives, or community events, this event invitation template features eye-catching visuals and strong CTAs to increase engagement and RSVPs while maintaining a cohesive brand look.

⭐ What nonprofits love about this template: The vibrant design immediately grabs attention and makes it easy for supporters to view event details and get involved.

5. Impact reporting newsletter template 📈

This impact report template uses bold statistics, donor testimonials, and meaningful visuals to showcase your nonprofit’s progress. It offers a quick, visually engaging snapshot of your achievements.

⭐ What nonprofits love about this template: The clean layout makes it easy to scan key impact numbers and heartfelt stories, showing them exactly how their support changes lives.

Did you know?

Learn how to write an interactive nonprofit impact report donors can’t wait to read →

7 nonprofit newsletter subject lines that get clicks 

Your email subject line is your first—and sometimes only—chance to grab a reader’s attention. The best nonprofit newsletters use subject lines that spark curiosity, speak directly to the reader’s values, and hint at the story or action inside. 

Here are seven examples to inspire your next send, along with the strategy behind each one.

“You made this possible 👇”

💡 Why it works: This subject line puts the donor at the center and piques curiosity about the outcome of their support.

“3 ways to help, 5 minutes or less”

💡 Why it works: It offers clear, bite-sized ways to take action—perfect for busy readers quickly scanning their inbox.

“Meet the dog YOU rescued 🐾”

💡 Why it works: This heartwarming line highlights the donor’s role and promises a feel-good story inside.

“Our founder has something to tell you”

💡 Why it works: It feels personal and exclusive, encouraging readers to open for a direct message from leadership.

“We thought you’d like to see this ❤️”

💡 Why it works: The casual tone feels like a friendly recommendation, inviting readers to open a meaningful story or photo.

“Your monthly impact report is here 📬”

💡 Why it works: This subject line signals value by delivering the results of donor support—something they love to see.

“Where your dollars went last month 💛”

💡 Why it works: It builds trust and transparency by clearly showing donors exactly how their contributions were used.

Nonprofit newsletter best practices 

As you grow your newsletter list, follow these best practices to maximize engagement and effectiveness:

• Always personalize your emails 😍 Address supporters by name and tailor content to their interests or giving history to boost engagement and build stronger donor relationships.
• Maintain list hygiene 🧼 Effective email list management for nonprofits starts with regularly cleaning your nonprofit’s mailing list. Removing inactive subscribers and bounced addresses helps increase deliverability rates.
• Segment your donor base ⚡Use donor segmentation software to deliver personalized content that resonates with each group on your nonprofit’s email list.
• Optimize for mobile users 🤳 Use mobile-friendly email templates and formatting so your content is easily readable on smartphones and tablets—where many donors check their inboxes.
• Track meaningful metrics ✨ Monitor key performance indicators such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to understand what’s working and improve future sends. 
• Choose a frequency that works for you ⏰ Stay consistent—whether you send your newsletter weekly, monthly, or quarterly, stick to a schedule your team can maintain.
• Create an email content calendar 🗓️ Plan ahead with a calendar that strategically balances fundraising appeals with impact stories, updates, and other valuable content.

“Givebutter offers a user-friendly platform with multiple features that allow us to connect with our donors regularly. We have utilized it for quarterly newsletters, regular updates to partners, and fundraising events. It was simple to integrate our existing contacts into the system and we continue to grow our donor base through the use of this platform.” —  Ryn F., Deptury Director at Crime Victim Services

Create and send your best newsletters yet with Givebutter 

Creating a successful newsletter for a nonprofit organization means building a loyal community of supporters who stay engaged and inspired by your mission. The key is to deliver consistent, valuable content that speaks directly to their interests—right in their inbox.

With Givebutter’s email marketing software, you can:

• Build branded emails using customizable Canva templates 🎨
• Send newsletters directly from your nonprofit CRM 📨 
• Track key metrics like open rates and clicks 📊 
• Segment and personalize emails using donor data 🛠️ 

Givebutter’s core email tools are free to use, but with Givebutter Plus, you’ll unlock even more powerful nonprofit newsletter features—like drag-and-drop editing, 300+ customizable templates, smart automation and workflows, and seamless design options. 

“Givebutter is helping us fundraise on our website, social channels, and newsletter, and create unique campaigns for digital, print and in-person events with unique URLs and QR codes. All of these things have made it simple for our small team to stay organized, strategic, and lean into the data to be more effective.” —  Kristie T., Co-Executive Director at Bridge to Basics

Create your free account today to discover how Givebutter can help you deepen donor relationships and raise more for your cause.