An Analysis of 83 #GivingTuesday 2017 Email Appeals

In 2016, I received 40 email solicitations on Giving Tuesday from a mix of orgs I had given to previously and ones I had never given to (but engaged in some other way with).

In 2017, that number rose to a whopping 83 through the normal course of interacting with nonprofits in my daily life.

Below is an analysis of those 83 emails, highlighting several features of the message and their asks. All of the emails were received on 11/28/2017, the day of Giving Tuesday.

# of orgs I received emails from: 65

Time Sent (Eastern):

1. 1:10 AM
2. 5:00 AM
3. 5:24 AM
4. 6:00 AM
5. 6:18 AM
6. 6:39 AM
7. 7:03 AM
8. 7:06 AM
9. 7:06 AM
10. 7:06 AM
11. 7:07 AM
12. 7:07 AM
13. 7:13 AM
14. 7:15 AM
15. 7:17 AM
16. 7:21 AM
17. 7:45 AM
18. 8:00 AM
19. 8:00 AM
20. 8:04 AM
21. 8:06 AM
22. 8:07 AM
23. 8:09 AM
24. 8:12 AM
25. 8:23 AM
26. 8:24 AM
27. 8:30 AM
28. 8:46 AM
29. 8:57 AM
30. 9:24 AM
31. 9:25 AM
32. 9:28 AM
33. 9:34 AM
34. 9:47 AM
35. 9:59 AM
36. 10:20 AM
37. 10:23 AM
38. 11:10 AM
39. 11:25 AM
40. 11:32 AM
41. 11:41 AM
42. 11:52 AM
43. 12:02 PM
44. 12:09 PM
45. 12:23 PM
46. 12:27 PM
47. 12:31 PM
48. 12:40 PM
49. 12:48 PM
50. 12:50 PM
51. 1:21 PM
52. 1:26 PM
53. 1:32 PM
54. 2:05 PM
55. 3:27 PM
56. 3:35 PM
57. 3:48 PM
58. 4:00 PM
59. 4:15 PM
60. 4:18 PM
61. 4:23 PM
62. 4:30 PM
63. 4:34 PM
64. 4:53 PM
65. 5:08 PM
66. 5:12 PM
67. 5:19 PM
68. 5:29 PM
69. 5:53 PM
70. 6:06 PM
71. 6:11 PM
72. 6:20 PM
73. 6:48 PM
74. 7:10 PM
75. 8:22 PM
76. 8:34 PM
77. 8:37 PM
78. 8:57 PM
79. 9:00 PM
80. 9:25 PM
81. 9:45 PM
82. 10:59 PM
83. 11:28 PM

29/83 emails were sent between 7am-10am eastern.

Subject Lines:

1. 24 hours to fight hunger x2!
2. Jackson, Walter, #GIvingTuesday, (Org Name) Calendars and more!
3. 2x the impact on #GivingTuesday
4. Support what you love on #GivingTuesday – (Org Name)
5. 650 Gifts. 24 Hours. One Mission.
6. Don’t forget! Today is Giving Tuesday
7. It’s #GivingTuesday. Support (Org Name) Today!
8. Double your donation this #GivingTuesday!
9. Let’s turn #GivingTuesday into #GivingTreesDay!
10. Give kids the chance to eat healthy!
11. MATCHING OFFER with the help of American Airlines & Mastercard
12. Steven, Give Hope Today
13. Grant a Little Wish for #GivingTuesday
14. Help change outcomes on #GivingTuesday
15. #GivingTueday [LIMITED Time Match]
16. Show Your Support On GivingTuesday | (Org Name)
17. Changing their future begins with you.
18. Steve, share your blessings!
19. Invest in strength.
20. #GivingTuesday Match (and Lotus Ball Pics!)
21. #GivingTuesday: Your Support Goes Twice as Far
22. Ready, Set, #GivingTuesday!
23. Join Us TODAY to Give 100 Mentors!
24. They left the home they knew for their safety. Give them a home they can feel safe in.
25. RE: the global day of giving back
26. It’s #GivingTuesday! Double Your Impact and Double Your Chance to Win Hamilton Tickets!
27. Will you join me?
28. Give Thanks. Give Hope. Give Tuesday.
29. Our Scholars, Our Leaders!
30. #Giving Tuesday: Your Dollars, Where They Matter Most
31. 24 Hours. 1 Bike Every Minute. Let’s Go!
32. Until midnight tonight, $15 becomes $30
33. Take Action: A Stronger Illinois Begins with You
34. Please consider supporting (Org Name) this Giving Tuesday
35. Invest in Women and Girls
36. Make a difference on #GivingTuesday
37. It’s Giving Tuesday! Help your community thrive
38. Today is #GivingTuesday!
39. Your contribution will make all the difference.
40. Guess what day it is?
41. It’s Giving Tuesday: Support Women Entrepreneurs Today!
42. Today is #(Org Name)GIVINGTUESDAY
43. Give local. Give #Indiana.
44. Steven, It’s Giving Tuesday – #BeAHero, Right Now!
45. Experience Making a Difference TODAY!
46. It’s Giving Tuesday at (Org Name)!
47. Too many indulgences lately?
48. #GivingTuesday MATCH ends tonight!
49. Giving Tuesday: A Lemonade Stand In Honor of Her Dad!
50. Want a Happier Future?
51. Why do you Support (Org Name) on #GivingTuesday?
52. Provide Hope on #GivingTuesday
53. DOUBLE your (Org Name) gift: Hours left!
54. Today’s the day! Get your #GivingTuesday donation to (Org Name) matched!
55. Today Is Giving Tuesday!
56. Give Trees on #GivingTuesday
57. This #GivingTuesday, Your Gift Will Be Matched. Seek The Renewal Of The Community With Us.
58. Support what you love on #GivingTuesday – (Org Name)
59. #GivingTuesday a Chance To Help (Org Name)’s Kids!
60. #GivingTuesday Match Time Running Out!
61. Consider (Org Name) for #GivingTuesday
62. Let’s Keep Rolling Towards 1,400 Bikes
63. DOUBLE your (Org Name) gift: Hours left!
64. Too many indulgences lately?
65. Hours left to be a part of Giving Tuesday [2x Match]
66. Still time left to Give a Lifeline
67. #GiveAMentor – We’re almost halfway there!
68. Only hours left
69. Steven, #GivingTuesday is All About Heroes Taking Action – Give Now!
70. It’s not too late to make a #GivingTuesday gift to (Org Name)
71. The Final Push
72. Why stop at 650?
73. Last Chance! Donate Before Midnight to Double your Impact and Double Your Chance to Win Hamilton Tickets!
74. #GivingTuesday: Your Support Goes Twice as Far
75. So close! Will we make it to $15,000? Thank you for your #GivingTuesday support!
76. This match ends at midnight!
77. Steven, will you support girls in Chicago?
78. Steven, the Clock is Ticking–#BeAHero for Children and Families, Now!
79. 100,000 reasons
80. Just a Few Hours Left of #GivingTuesday
81. #GivingTuesday — Thanks for Helping (Org Name)’s Kids
82. Just a Few Hours Left to Make an Impact!
83. Last chance to DOUBLE your gift!

43/83 emails referenced some variation of “Giving Tuesday” in the subject line

Was Email Sent from Role-Based Email Address (info@, donate@, etc.)?

1. Y
2. Y
3. Y
4. Y
5. Y
6. N
7. Y
8. N
9. N
10. Y
11. Y
12. Y
13. N
14. Y
15. Y
16. N
17. Y
18. Y
19. Y
20. N
21. Y
22. N
23. Y
24. N
25. Y
26. Y
27. N
28. N
29. N
30. Y
31. Y
32. Y
33. N
34. Y
35. Y
36. Y
37. Y
38. Y
39. N
40. Y
41. Y
42. Y
43. Y
44. Y
45. Y
46. N
47. N
48. Y
49. Y
50. Y
51. Y
52. N
53. Y
54. Y
55. N
56. N
57. N
58. Y
59. Y
60. Y
61. Y
62. Y
63. Y
64. N
65. Y
66. N
67. Y
68. N
69. Y
70. Y
71. Y
72. Y
73. Y
74. Y
75. Y
76. Y
77. N
78. Y
79. N
80. Y
81. Y
82. N
83. Y

25/83 emails came from a personal email address.

Did Email Reference What Type of Donor I am (never given, given once, etc.)?\

1. Y
2. N
3. N
4. Y
5. N
6. N
7. Y
8. N
9. N
10. N
11. N
12. N
13. N
14. N
15. N
16. N
17. N
18. N
19. N
20. N
21. N
22. N
23. N
24. N
25. N
26. N
27. N
28. N
29. N
30. N
31. N
32. N
33. N
34. N
35. N
36. N
37. N
38. N
39. N
40. N
41. N
42. N
43. N
44. N
45. N
46. N
47. N
48. Y
49. N
50. N
51. N
52. N
53. N
54. N
55. N
56. N
57. N
58. Y
59. N
60. N
61. N
62. N
63. N
64. N
65. Y
66. N
67. N
68. N
69. N
70. Y
71. N
72. N
73. N
74. N
75. N
76. N
77. N
78. N
79. N
80. N
81. N
82. N
83. N

7/83 emails referenced donor type.

Did Email Body Text Contain My Name?

1. Y
2. N
3. Y
4. Y
5. N
6. Y
7. Y
8. N
9. N
10. N
11. Y
12. Y
13. N
14. N
15. Y
16. N
17. N
18. N
19. Y
20. N
21. Y
22. N
23. Y
24. N
25. Y
26. N
27. Y
28. Y
29. N
30. N
31. N
32. N
33. N
34. N
35. N
36. N
37. Y
38. Y
39. N
40. N
41. N
42. Y
43. Y
44. Y
45. N
46. N
47. N
48. Y
49. Y
50. N
51. N
52. N
53. N
54. N
55. N
56. N
57. N
58. Y
59. N
60. Y
61. N
62. N
63. N
64. N
65. Y
66. N
67. Y
68. N
69. Y
70. Y
71. N
72. N
73. N
74. Y
75. N
76. N
77. Y
78. Y
79. N
80. N
81. N
82. N
83. N

30/83 emails greeted me by name.

Did Email Body Text Mention Giving Tuesday?

1. Y
2. Y
3. Y
4. Y
5. Y
6. Y
7. Y
8. Y
9. Y
10. Y
11. Y
12. Y
13. Y
14. Y
15. Y
16. Y
17. Y
18. Y
19. Y
20. Y
21. Y
22. Y
23. Y
24. Y
25. Y
26. Y
27. Y
28. Y
29. Y
30. Y
31. Y
32. N
33. Y
34. Y
35. N
36. Y
37. N
38. Y
39. Y
40. Y
41. Y
42. Y
43. Y
44. Y
45. Y
46. Y
47. Y
48. Y
49. Y
50. Y
51. Y
52. Y
53. Y
54. Y
55. Y
56. Y
57. Y
58. Y
59. Y
60. Y
61. Y
62. Y
63. Y
64. Y
65. Y
66. Y
67. Y
68. Y
69. Y
70. Y
71. Y
72. Y
73. Y
74. Y
75. Y
76. Y
77. Y
78. Y
79. Y
80. Y
81. Y
82. Y
83. Y

80/83 emails mentioned Giving Tuesday in the email body text.

Did Email Ask for a Specific Gift Amount?

1. Y
2. N
3. N
4. Y
5. N
6. Y
7. N
8. N
9. N
10. N
11. Y
12. N
13. N
14. N
15. N
16. N
17. N
18. N
19. N
20. N
21. N
22. N
23. N
24. N
25. N
26. N
27. N
28. N
29. N
30. N
31. N
32. N
33. N
34. N
35. N
36. N
37. N
38. N
39. N
40. N
41. N
42. N
43. N
44. N
45. N
46. N
47. N
48. Y
49. N
50. N
51. N
52. N
53. N
54. N
55. N
56. N
57. N
58. Y
59. N
60. N
61. N
62. N
63. N
64. N
65. Y
66. N
67. N
68. N
69. N
70. N
71. N
72. N
73. N
74. N
75. N
76. N
77. N
78. N
79. N
80. N
81. N
82. N
83. N

7/83 emails asked for a specific gift amount.

Did Email Ask for a Gift Towards One Specific Purpose (unique defined campaign, fund, project, match challenge, etc.)?

1. Y (Match)
2. Y
3. Y (Match)
4. N
5. Y (Gift Quantity Goal)
6. Y (Match)
7. N
8. Y (Match)
9. Y (Match)
10. Y (Gift Amount Goal)
11. Y (Match)
12. Y (Match)
13. N
14. N
15. Y (Match)
16. N
17. Y (Match)
18. N
19. N
20. Y (Match)
21. Y (Match)
22. N
23. Y (Match)
24. Y (Match)
25. Y (Gift Amount Goal)
26. Y (Raffle)
27. Y (Match)
28. N
29. N
30. N
31. Y (Match)
32. Y (Match)
33. N
34. N
35. N
36. N
37. N
38. Y (Match)
39. N
40. N
41. Y (Fund)
42. N
43. N
44. N
45. N
46. N
47. N
48. Y (Match)
49. N
50. N
51. Y (Match)
52. N
53. Y (Match)
54. Y (Match)
55. Y (Match)
56. Y (Match)
57. Y (Match)
58. N
59. N
60. Y (Match)
61. N
62. Y (Match)
63. Y (Match)
64. N
65. Y (Match)
66. N
67. Y (Match)
68. Y (Match)
69. N
70. N
71. N
72. Y (Gift Quantity Goal)
73. Y (Match)
74. Y (Match)
75. Y (Match)
76. Y (Match)
77. Y (Gift Amount Goal)
78. N
79. Y (Match)
80. Y (Match)
81. N
82. Y (Match)
83. Y (Match)

45/83 (a orgs) asked for a gift towards one specific purpose, mostly a match.

Email Links to This Type of Donation Page:

Native = an embedded donation form on a dedicated webpage on nonprofit’s domain (“nonprofit.org/donate”)

3rd Party = a donation page not hosted through the nonprofit’s domain

1. 3rd
2. 3rd
3. Native
4. Native
5. 3rd
6. 3rd
7. 3rd
8. 3rd
9. 3rd
10. 3rd
11. Native
12. Native
13. Native
14. 3rd
15. Native
16. Native
17. Native
18. Native
19. Native
20. 3rd
21. 3rd
22. Native
23. Native
24. Native
25. 3rd
26. 3rd
27. Native
28. Native
29. 3rd
30. 3rd
31. Native
32. Native
33. 3rd
34. Native
35. Native
36. Native
37. 3rd
38. Native
39. 3rd
40. Native
41. Native
42. 3rd
43. Native
44. Native
45. 3rd
46. Native
47. Native
48. 3rd
49. 3rd
50. Native
51. 3rd
52. Native
53. Native
54. 3rd
55. Native
56. 3rd
57. 3rd
58. Native
59. 3rd
60. Native
61. 3rd
62. Native
63. Native
64. Native
65. 3rd
66. Native
67. Native
68. Native
69. Native
70. 3rd
71. Native
72. 3rd
73. 3rd
74. 3rd
75. 3rd
76. Native
77. Native
78. Native
79. Native
80. Native
81. 3rd
82. Native
83. Native

48/83 (a orgs) directed recipients to a donation page on their organization’s website/domain.

Multi-Emailers

18 of the 65 orgs sent more than one email. In fact, they sent 45 of the total 83.

Though they are reflected in the above lists, here they are in one place, in the order in which each org sent:

3 organizations sent the exact same email twice, while a 4th re-used a previous subject line but edited the body text. A 5th sent the exact same email body text, but with a different subject line.

Takeaways

Due to the fact that emails lacked personalization (referencing donor type or asking for a specific amount), it is safe to assume that these Giving Tuesday campaigns were not segmented. In fact, one organization’s second appeal include the following: “If you have already made a gift today, THANK YOU! If not, it’s not too late!”

Compared to 2016, a much higher percentage of orgs directed email recipients to a native donation page, rather than an off-site/hosted, third-party page. This would suggest that more nonprofits adopting conversion rate optimization techniques for online giving.

Organizations who sent multiple emails were aggressive in pushing a matching deadline or donation shortfall. You can see in the table above that the subject lines become increasingly desperate with each subsequent email.

Most organizations found little reason to ask for money other than the fact that it was Giving Tuesday, as evident in the subject line and body text mentions of Giving Tuesday.

How do these results compare to your efforts? Assuming this is indicative of the whole sector, could we have seen a higher gift volume if certain things about these emails were different? Let me know in the comments below!