Boost Donor Engagement Before Year-End: This ONE Nurture Email Sparked 268 Replies

We explore the power of nurture campaigns as a critical strategy before launching year-end appeals. Sharing personal stories and gratitude before making asks creates deeper connections with donors and significantly improves engagement metrics.

• Previous bonus episodes covered LinkedIn thought leadership, making monthly giving the centerpiece of events, and getting featured in holiday gift guides
• Nurture campaigns should share stories and milestones without making asks
• Dana's personal case study of a National Nonprofit Day email generated 268 replies
• Simple, heartfelt gratitude emails with small engagement incentives build relationships
• Nurture emails boost deliverability metrics – subsequent emails reached 56-60% open rates
• Creative incentives can include digital guides, playlists, coffee gift cards, pins, or stickers
• Partnerships with local businesses can provide gifts for engagement incentives
• Interactive calls-to-action where supporters can choose gifts or share personal stories work particularly well
• Try implementing a nurture challenge with plain text, story-driven emails before year-end appeals

If you enjoyed this mini-series, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. The call for speakers is now open for Monthly Giving Summit on February 25-26: https://www.monthlygivingsummit.com/

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This year, on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, join the conversation: share your favorite nonprofit’s campaign, volunteer for a cause you care about, share an act of kindness, or encourage your audience to do the same.

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