Fundraising Do’s vs. Don’ts: Year-End Email Appeal Strategy Review

Here comes my occasional “Do’s vs. Don’ts” feature, where I share with you something arriving in my mailbox that seems a good ‘teaching opportunity.’

Today we’re going to review a last-day-of-the-campaign online appeal strategy.

It arrived as an email. There’s (1) a sender’s address, (2) subject line, (3) preview pane, and (4) the email itself.

We’ll take a look at the various elements; then assess what works/doesn’t work.

I’ll ask you some questions.

1. Would you open this email?
2. If yes, why?
3. If no, why?
4. What looks good about the body of the email?
5. What looks not so good about the body of the email?

First, I’d like you to think about your answers and jot them down.

Second, I’ll tell you what I think.

Third, if you disagree with me please let me know in the comments below.

Really take the time to notice what you like and don’t like.

I promise you’ll learn a LOT more this way. We learn best by doing.

Seriously, I mean it.

Let’s begin at the beginning.

The Intro to the Appeal

Here’s a ‘clean-up’ email sent by the San Francisco Marin Food Bank December 31st – the last day of the most generous time of the year for fundraising. The timing is great, because research shows emails on the 31^st yield an especially high conversion rate and average gift.

Sender’s Address

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank (online@sfmfoodbank.org)

Subject Headline:

We pulled your record…

Preview pane:

Time is running out. Don’t miss your final chance.

What are you thinking and feeling so far?

This may help: Take three minutes and jot down your answers to the first three questions above on a piece of paper or your screen. I want to know if what was in the subject headline would have caused you to open the email or hit ‘delete.’

Okay.  Ready to learn what I think thus far, and also see what else we’re working with?

Let’s begin!

Does this Email Say “Open Me?”

What’s wrong or right with the sender address?

The sender’s address identifies the organization, which is generally a good thing.

What’s wrong or right with the subject line?

Your email subject line and preview pane are the online equivalent of the direct mail envelope. Bad ones get tossed in the garbage. Or, in the case of emails, deleted.

The only purpose of this line is to get the recipient to open the email. You don’t need to persuade them of the merits of your appeal or fully explain the reason you’re sending it. Not here. You simply need to begin a conversation and/or arouse curiosity.

This subject line did do the latter, albeit in a somewhat alarming way.

• It aroused curiosity… the recipient wonders why was my record was pulled?
• It used the personal “your,” so I feel this is specific to me.
• It is brief — only 4 words. Research from Constant Contact shows emails with a subject line of 6-10 words have the highest open rate at 21%. Shorter subject lines, at 1-5 words, have the next highest open rate at 16% — but that’s a pretty steep drop. BETTER alternatives might have been:

• • We pulled your record… and hesitated
    This is high curiosity and taps into human vulnerability. You see, the reason I was alarmed by the shorter version is that I’d already made my gift. So, I immediately thought poorly of them. They should have pulled my name out of this mailing! But, now I see they hesitated. Maybe there’s another reason they singled me out? This is very hard not to open.
  • We pulled your record… and almost didn’t hit send
    Similarly, this arouses curiosity and creates tension. It feels personal, not automated.
  • We pulled your record… and thought of you
    This is warm, donor-centered, and non-judgmental. I can imagine it being followed by some text like this: “You are always so generous, yet we seem to have missed your gift this year – unless, perhaps, you made it in the past few days? If so, thank you – and our apologies for this email.”

Honestly, I also like that it didn’t begin like the lion’s share of last-day-of-year emails – all about grabbing a tax deduction or leveraging a match (e.g., “Last chance to get your 2025 deduction;” “You still have time to make 5X the impact.”)

Here’s a great email subject line tester you can use moving forward.

What’s wrong or right with the preview pane?

The preview pane was a bit meh. If it were another time of year, I might be curious about what time is running out on. But, here it’s pretty clear they just want my money. Were I in need of a year-end charitable deduction, perhaps the “final chance” language might resonate. But, let’s face it, fewer and fewer people itemize deductions – roughly just 1 in 10. And even for those folks, tax benefits are way down on the list of reasons people give.

For this type of subject line, you want a preview pane that releases tension and alleviates anxiety. For example:

• No guilt. Just gratitude — and one last invitation.
  This would have immediately lowered my defenses. It’s about me, not the organization or its timeline.
• This isn’t a reminder — it’s a thank you.
  Again, this is disarming and reassuring.
• Before the year ends, we wanted to say this.
  This is time-aware, but without the alarming urgency overload.

Bottom Line

Even though it triggered a bit of suspicion and disdain, I opened it.

TIP: Read this article: You Deserve to Rock Nonprofit Email Subject Lines!

Does This Email Message Inspire Action?

This is the last day of the calendar year. If folks don’t act today, your email hasn’t done its job.

What looks good about it?

Again, I beseech thee to take a few minutes to think this through yourself before you look at my thoughts.

What do you especially notice?

What do you like? Not like?

Don’t cheat and scroll down to what I have to say.

You may disagree, and I’d love to know your thoughts. Your thoughts matter!

Okay?

Ready?

Okay. It’s a mixed bag.

Here’s what I don’t like:

The opening immediately does four risky things:

1. Assumes a tax deduction is the big motivator.
2. States a possibly wrong fact (“you haven’t had a chance to make your year-end gift yet”).
3. Leads with urgency + transaction before trust is established.
4. Relies on a footnote (*), which many donors won’t see — and some, like me, will feel stung if they already gave.
5. Includes a graphic that makes the reader think “automation.”

This is where donors think: “Oh. This isn’t actually for me.” And they stop reading. I only kept reading because the match was motivating. Rather than beginning with an asterisk that the reader only finds if they scroll down to the very bottom of the email, why not flip the order?

1. Acknowledge imperfection and show humility up front.
2. Center the donor, not the data.
3. Then introduce the opportunity – the match.

BETTER:

“We hesitated before writing — because our records aren’t always perfect, and you may have already given. If so, thank you.

If you haven’t yet, there are just hours left in 2025, and every gift will be matched 5x before midnight, turning each dollar into 10 meals for neighbors facing hunger.”

4. Omit the graphic showing the donor’s email and pending status. This seemed transactional and automated (even a bit creepy) – not at all motivating. The photo at the top says enough, and this insertion simply makes the reader scroll down further to take action.
5. Tighten the P.S. and make it match the 5X match (here it confuses the would-be donor, saying they can “double” their impact. Huh?

BETTER:

P.S. The 5× match also applies to gifts made through DAFs, QCDs, or stock — making it easier to give in a tax-smart way before midnight.

NOTE for Mobile Optimization: Keep messages “above the fold” 40–55 words total, with the reassurance unmistakable (no footnote needed) and the match immediately visible. The message above works, but you might try an editing tool like ChatGPT to tighten it a bit more for safety.

TIP: On the final day of the year, donors are emotionally saturated. Small trust breaks feel big. Matches work best after reassurance, not before. You’re not losing urgency; you’re removing friction.

Here’s what I like:

1. There’s a nice image showing people receiving healthy food. The people look happy, and this appears directly related to the fresh vegetables they’re holding.

2. There’s clarity on why they’re asking right now. It shows the system is under strain, but it’s fact-based rather than a dire warning that raises anxiety.
   • The need is especially great.
   • There’s a wait list.
   • Your gift goes further now – because of the match.

BETTER:

“That matters right now.
Federal cuts to food assistance and rising costs are pushing more families to the brink. and they’re already doing everything they can to get by.

At the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, we’re stepping in to meet this moment — serving 36,000 households every week. Still, nearly 8,000 more households remain on our waitlist, waiting for help.

Your year-end gift today can help close that gap — and thanks to this exclusive 5× match, it will go five times further than usual.

There’s still time to help before midnight.”

2. It includes donors who give stocks, QCDs or through DAFs – something that is often overlooked

BONUS TIP: Consider adding a psychological trigger to serve as a built-in decision-making shortcut. Here, right after the numbers of households on the waitlist, I would use a “social proof” donor testimonial. For example:

“I give because no one in our community should have to wonder where their next meal will come from.”

“Giving here is my way of making sure families don’t face hunger alone.”

“This food bank is how I show up for my neighbors when it matters most.”

“No one in our community should face hunger alone.” (Tighter; for mobile optimization)

Key Lessons Learned

1. The email subject line and preview pane matters. A lot. It’s what gets your email opened or deleted. It doesn’t matter what’s inside if no one opens what you’ve sent. Here the copy aroused my curiosity, but also created some tension.
2. The email copy must quickly resonate with the reader.  Here, I would have preferred if they began with their gratitude, reminding me to take advantage of this match opportunity – if I’ve not already done so.
3. The email copy must quickly get to the point. They did explain the urgency of the appeal now. The facts shared were what I needed to know. Enough so I could take action right now.
4. Donor centricity is a must. For most people, the P.S. would not have been noticed because they don’t take advantage of those “tax smart” strategies. For people who’ve already made a gift from a DAF, or a QCD, they might be concerned it wouldn’t qualify for the match. When composing an email, always first get inside your donors’ heads (Ask: “What might a donor think of this? How might they experience it? What will it make them feel?”).  If you make them like you, and show them how the values your organization enacts are the values they share, you’re more likely to get the action you desire.
5. Images help. They are seen first, and we like to see the mission in action. Particularly face shots.
6. Make it easy for the donor to give.  Any friction will cause the recipient to leave the page.  DAF, QCD, and stock language can unlock gifts that otherwise wouldn’t happen on Dec 31. Be sure the match copy in the email body matches the P.S. and donation landing page.

FINAL THOUGHT: You may think I’m nitpicking, but… I’m a donor too. And this went through my head: Will they thank me later for the gift I’d recently recommended from my DAF? Once they receive and deposit it, will they write or email “Thank you for your gift, recommended from….., that became $XXX and made it possible to provide XXXX meals”?

I’m waiting.

What do you think? Am I off base? Anything to add? Please share in the comments below.

Want More Help with Your Fundraising Appeals?

You may find my Anatomy of a Fundraising Appeal Letter + Sample Template.useful. It’s a simple, incredibly thorough, 62-page step-by-step guide to crafting a killer appeal letter or email appeal. If you speak straight to the heart – and to your donor’s passions — you’ll raise more money.

All Clairification materials come with a 30-day, no-questions-asked, 100% refund guarantee. If you’re not happy, I’m not happy.

Please note: Often I can’t omit the name of the charity in the examples I use. Today’s example has more “do’s” than “don’ts”, so hopefully I’ve not offended. And, to be fair, this was just one in a series of year-end emails they sent.  Many of the others were much better; this just happened to be the one I noticed.  And, that’s the thing about email. You never know when someone will have the time, or be in the mood, to open it. So, they all have to be carefully crafted — especially the subject line and preview pane. Please know I always come from a place of love, and don’t mean to shame anyone. As with almost anything you can think of, there’s good AND bad in the examples I share. We learn both from mistakes and stellar efforts. Our own, and others.  Kudos to all who put things out there and make an effort. The only way you learn is by trying. If I ever use you as an example, and you disagree or want to clarify, feel free to contact me directly. [Full disclosure: Once upon a time I worked as director of development for this food bank — and I think highly of them.]