est Email Marketing Software for Nonprofits

Best Email Marketing Software for Nonprofits in 2021

Nonprofits can significantly benefit from email marketing by growing a more extensive donor list, creating awareness campaigns, and attracting a wider audience, leading to more donations. Studies have found that every $1 spent has a $44 return on investment. Here is the 10 best email marketing software for nonprofits that can bring in more donations.

Written By Jason Rowse - Digital Marketing Expert

Updated: 09/02/2021

#1 Pick Overall - Best Email Marketing Software for Nonprofits:

GetResponse- Offers non-profits up to 50% discount on their advanced features. 

When choosing the best email marketing software for nonprofits, you want to select the right software for your organization. What might work for a small business won’t particularly work for your nonprofit.

The most important features you want to look for in software that will benefit your nonprofit are affordability, relevant templates, automation, segmentation, and reporting. 

We have put together a conversion table that highlights the benefit of what each software has to offer.

Short on time? Here is the Best Email Marketing Software for Nonprofits

Software
Features
Price
  • Free plan with multiple features for bloggers
$10/m
  • Complete webinar marketing solution
$10.50/m
  • Flexible Plans
$9.99 /m
  • Email marketing tool for a great strategy
$13.99/m
  • Sms marketing tools
$25/m

Best Email Marketing Services for Nonprofits in 2021- Full Analysis

We focused on features that could help grow the nonprofit's donor list, create campaigns focused on asking for donations, or send location-based fundraiser information to a targeted audience.

We also had a look at how easy it is to use the software and how much the discount is that they offer.

1. MailerLite- Easy to use with great deliverability rates

MailerLite is one of the newer software on the market that offers a wide range of features yet still manages to offer affordable prices. 

Best For

  • 24/7 customer service
  • Marketing automation included in the free plan

Price 

  • Nonprofits receive a 30% discount
  • 2500 Contacts: $15 p/m

Comments 

  • Release annual reports
  • Mobile-friendly newsletters
  • Share case studies & success stories
  • A/B split testing
  • Subscriber Management
  • Email automation is not as advanced as other software 

Editor’s Note: MailerLite is a practical, affordable tool that anyone can learn to navigate.

Bottom Line: 

MailerLite is one of the best email marketing software for nonprofits. They are affordable, plus you get a 30% discount on top of that. Their system is easy to use and offers landing pages and pop-up forms to help you grow your donor list.

Read MailerLite Full Review

2. GetResponse All-in-one Email Marketing Tool

GetResponse

This tool is the best option if your nonprofit is looking for more than the average email marketing software.

Best For

  • All-in-one Marketing platform
  • A Startup that wants not only advanced automation but also marketing

Price 

  • Nonprofits receive a 30%-50% discount
  • 1000 Contacts: $15 p/m

Comments 

  • Landing Pages
  • Advanced Automation
  • Targeted Marketing
  • Lead Generation tools to turn cold leads into happy customers
  • Paid Ads
  • CRM 

Editor’s Note: Not only does this email marketing software have advanced automation, other features include tools that can help promote your nonprofit organization on other platforms.

Bottom Line:

GetResponse has advanced automation and list segmentation, making it possible to segment them into different categories.

This software is for any nonprofit looking to get the best value for their money. 

Read GetResponse Full Review

3. MailChimp- Best for when you are first starting out

MailChimp helps nonprofits track campaigns and manage donor lists.

Best For

  • Beginner-friendly budget
  • 24/7 Email & Chat Support 

Average Price 

  • Free plan up to 2000 contacts
  • Nonprofits receive a 15% discount
  • 100 000 Contacts: $14.99 

Comments 

  • Behavioral Targeting
  • Send Time optimization  
  • A/B Testing
  • Custom Templates
  • Custom Branding
  • Email Automation could do with some work 

Editor’s Note: MailChimp offers a free plan that includes signup forms, landing page builders, and email broadcasts.

Bottom Line: 

MailChimp’s free plan can take you a long way as long as your subscriber list stays under 2000 contacts. Nonprofits can successfully launch an email campaign using this software. 

Read Mailchimp Full Review

4. BenchMark- Best User-Friendly Software

It has a wide variety of templates that can easily be edited with its drag-and-drop editor. You can preview the mobile version from the editor.

Best For

  • Easy to navigate the software
  • Online support, loads of videos to watch

Price 

  • Nonprofits receive a 25% discount
  • 1000 Contacts: $23 p/m 

Comments 

  • Wide variety of templates available
  • Fast drag-and-drop editor
  • Built-in-image editor
  • Free spam testing
  • Deliverability rates need improving

Editor’s Note: They have great opt-in forms which can help grow your donor list. 

Bottom Line: 

BenchMark offers great support and a vast resource library where you can find videos, webinars, and eBooks. You won’t be stuck having to figure things out on your own. 

Read Benchmark Full Review

5. SendinBlue- Affordable All-In-One Platform

Send automated emails or SMSs to keep your donor list in the loop.

Best For

  • Advanced features at an affordable price
  • Advanced segmentation 

Price 

  • Nonprofits receive a 20% discount
  • 10 000 Emails per day: $25 p/m 

Comments 

  • Google analytic integration
  • SMS Marketing
  • Facebook Ads
  • Open & Click through reports
  • Send time optimization 

Editor’s Note: With this software, you get more value than what you are paying for.

Bottom Line: 

SendinBlue is a great choice for nonprofits as you will be able to use their free plan for quite a while before having to upgrade to a premium plan.

Read SendinBlue Full Review

6. ActiveCampaign - Best Advanced Automation

ActiveCampaign

With built-in CRM, you can build donor relationships, increase overall reach, and bring awareness to your nonprofit. 

Best For

  • Nonprofits with a bigger marketing budget 
  • Powerful email automation
  • Users who are experienced in email marketing 

Price 

  • Nonprofits receive a 20% discount
  • 1000 Contacts: $25 p/m (Limited Features) 

Comments 

  • Send text messages
  • Build landing pages
  • Split test different campaigns
  • Tons of integration options
  • Good CRM 

Editor’s Note: Nonprofits looking to target a specific audience and nurture relationships with certain donors can benefit from the software's advanced email automation

Bottom Line: 

ActiveCampaign is best for advanced users who have time to learn the program. The software is more on the expensive side but offers the best features in the industry. It can highly benefit your nonprofit if you are set on using all the features. 

Read ActiveCampaign Full Review

7. ConstantContact- Best deliverability rates

With ConstantContact, you can engage members with polls & surveys, fundraising pages, signup forms, and tracking and reporting. 

Best For

  • Survey & Social Campaigns
  • Fundraiser Management
  • Basic users who aren’t looking for over the top features

Price 

  • Nonprofits receive a 20% discount
  • 500 Contacts: $20 p/m 

Comments 

  • Customizable templates
  • Tracking & Reporting
  • Industry-Specific Templates
  • Email automation could be better 
      

Editor’s Note: ConstantContact's 91.5% deliverability rate will ensure that your nonprofit won’t lose donations as your emails will show up more often. 

Bottom Line: 

ConstantContact is a basic platform that anyone can use. Event management is one of its unique features. With the world becoming more digital, you can easily set up virtual fundraisers

Read ConstantContact Full Review

8. Moosend- Great option for beginners

Moosend offers automated marketing workflows that can increase the effectiveness of outreach campaigns and the receiving of donations. 

Best For

  • Affordable Prices
  • Advanced application programming interface 

Price 

  • Nonprofits receive a 25% discount with each purchase
  • 1000 Contacts: $8 p/m

Comments 

  • Segmentation
  • Landing pages
  • Reporting & Analytics
  • Welcome emails 

Editor’s Note: They do not have the most advanced features, but the basics are all you need to run a successful marketing campaign at the end of the day.

Bottom Line: 

Moosend has easy-to-use software and has everything you need to boost the effectiveness of your nonprofit's charity campaigns. Their segmentation can categorize your donors by interests, location, and history. 

Read Moosend Full Review

9. ConvertKit- No website, No problem

ConvertKit

ConvertKit's main target is professional bloggers, but nonprofits can also benefit from their wide variety of features. 

Best For

  • Good support
  • Easily add and remove subscribers
  • Create a landing page without a website 

Price 

  • Nonprofits need to email ConvertKit about discounts
  • 1000 Contacts: $29 p/m, with two more added features 

Comments 

  • Unlimited landing pages and forms
  • Free migration from another software
  • Automated funnels and Sequences 

Editor’s Note: Their segmentation allows you to run super targeted campaigns.

Bottom Line: 

Nonprofits that don’t have an up and running website but would still like to grow their downer list can do that by creating landing pages and capturing leads. 

Read ConvertKit Full Review

10. AWeber- Delivers Effective Reports

aweber

Nonprofits can quickly learn how to use their platform with in-depth articles, videos, and even podcasts. 

Best For

  • Email Web Analytics
  • 24/7 Email & Chat support

Price 

  • Nonprofits receive three months free followed by a 25% discount
  • 500 Contacts: $19.99

Comments 

  • List management tools
  • Overall Reports
  • A/B Testing
  • Ready-to-send email templates 

Editor’s Note: A/B split testing is a great way to gauge what campaigns perform best.

Bottom Line: 

AWeber has effective reporting. Nonprofits can see what campaigns triggered donations.

Read AWeber Full Review

How to Choose the Best Email Marketing Software for Nonprofits?

There are several functional software out there that nonprofits can choose from, but these are the features you should look for when deciding.

Pricing: Most email marketing software offers discounts if you are a registered nonprofit organization. This discount can range anywhere from 15% to 50%

Relevant Templates: Create campaigns focused on donations or bringing more awareness of what the nonprofit does for the community. 

User-friendliness: Nonprofits need to be able to navigate the software easily. 

Segmentation: Split your donors into categories like people who donated online, people who attended a fundraiser, or people who have offered their volunteering services.

What Makes Email Marketing Software for Nonprofits a Great one? 

Your nonprofit can benefit from relevant features like segmentation, automation, A/B testing, and lead capture

Segmentation can categorize your subscribers into the donor list, people who have attended fundraisers, volunteers, and bringing more awareness to the organization. 

Automation is a feature that the nonprofit can set up one time to send triggered emails to a specific group of people automatically.

Summary 

Email marketing for nonprofits is a must-have. They offer a great ROI and can help get the donations rolling in. 

It is also a great way to bring awareness to the organization. Your nonprofit can keep the people up to date and let them know where their donations have been going. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is Email Marketing Effective for Nonprofits?

Yes, it is an effective way to get donations from people worldwide without physically being at a fundraiser

2. How do I get better Email Open Rates?

You can increase your open rates by creating campaigns that are relevant to your subscribers.

3. What are the Types of Email Marketing?

  • Welcome emails
  • Newsletter
  • Promotional emails
  • Transactional emails
  • Lead nurturing emails 

4. Why get Started with Email Marketing? 

Nonprofits can grow an organic following at a low cost. The software allows you to create a triggered email sequence, notifying your audience about upcoming fundraisers, success stories, and donation acceptance.