Updated 2026-02-01

Best Email Marketing Tools for Fundraising

Increase donations, build donor relationships, and run successful campaigns with the right email marketing platform.

Fundraising lives on relationships. Donors give when they feel connected to your cause. Email is the most direct way to nurture those relationships, share impact stories, and ask for support. The organizations that communicate consistently raise more money. Here are 13 email marketing platforms that work for fundraising.

Why Fundraising Needs Email Marketing

Nurture Donor Relationships

Donors who feel connected give more often. Email keeps them informed and engaged between asks.

Share Impact Stories

People give to causes that work. Email shares the stories that show donors their gifts make a difference.

Run Effective Campaigns

Giving days, year-end appeals, emergency campaigns. Email drives donations when you need them most.

Retain and Upgrade Donors

Keeping donors is cheaper than finding new ones. Email builds the relationship that keeps them giving.

13 Best Email Marketing Tools for Fundraising Organizations

Our Top Pick for Fundraising Organizations
#1
Sequenzy

AI-powered email marketing for mission-driven organizations.

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Best for
Fundraisers wanting automated donor communication
Pricing
$29/month for 50,000 emails

Pros

  • AI writes fundraising sequences
  • Simple interface
  • Pay per emails sent
  • Direct founder support

Cons

  • Launched in 2025, less track record
  • No built-in SMS
  • Fewer templates
#2
Mailchimp

Popular platform with nonprofit discounts.

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Best for
Fundraisers wanting a well-known platform
Pricing
Free up to 500 contacts, 15% nonprofit discount

Pros

  • Nonprofit discount
  • Many templates
  • Strong deliverability
  • Good analytics

Cons

  • Gets expensive
  • Not fundraising-focused
  • Support declined
  • Interface overwhelming
#3
MailerLite

Affordable with nonprofit pricing.

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Best for
Budget-conscious fundraising teams
Pricing
Free up to 1,000 subscribers, 30% nonprofit discount

Pros

  • Generous nonprofit discount
  • Clean interface
  • Good landing pages
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Strict approval
  • Limited features
  • Basic reporting
  • Approval time
#4
Brevo

Good value with SMS included.

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Best for
Fundraisers wanting email and SMS
Pricing
Free up to 300 emails/day, then from $25/month

Pros

  • SMS included
  • Generous free tier
  • Good automation
  • Transactional email

Cons

  • Daily limits
  • Support slow
  • Limited integrations
  • Branding on free
#5
Constant Contact

Reliable with nonprofit rates.

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Best for
Fundraisers wanting phone support
Pricing
From $12/month, 20-30% nonprofit discount

Pros

  • Nonprofit discount
  • Phone support
  • Event features
  • Reliable

Cons

  • Limited automation
  • Templates dated
  • Higher prices
  • Not fundraising-specific
#6
ActiveCampaign

Powerful automation for sophisticated fundraising.

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Best for
Large fundraising operations
Pricing
From $29/month, nonprofit discounts available

Pros

  • Excellent automation
  • CRM included
  • Nonprofit discount
  • Detailed tracking

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Complex interface
  • Overkill for small orgs
  • Price jumps
#7
ConvertKit

Built for creators who share stories.

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Best for
Storytelling-focused fundraisers
Pricing
Free up to 1,000 subscribers, then from $29/month

Pros

  • Great newsletters
  • Creator-focused
  • Tag automation
  • Creator community

Cons

  • Minimal design
  • Less visual focus
  • No fundraising features
  • Expensive at scale
#8
AWeber

Simple and reliable for newsletters.

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Best for
Fundraisers wanting reliability
Pricing
Free up to 500 subscribers, then from $15/month

Pros

  • Reliable
  • Simple
  • Good support
  • Track record

Cons

  • Dated
  • Limited automation
  • Basic templates
  • Little innovation
#9
GetResponse

All-in-one with webinar capability.

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Best for
Fundraisers doing virtual events
Pricing
From $19/month, nonprofit pricing available

Pros

  • Webinar hosting
  • Landing pages
  • Automation
  • Competitive pricing

Cons

  • Busy interface
  • Editor basic
  • Support varies
  • Features scattered
#10
Campaign Monitor

Beautiful templates for impactful emails.

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Best for
Fundraisers prioritizing visual impact
Pricing
From $9/month for 500 contacts

Pros

  • Beautiful templates
  • Great for visuals
  • Reliable delivery
  • Professional look

Cons

  • Contact pricing
  • Limited automation
  • Gets expensive
  • No nonprofit discount
#11
Drip

E-commerce focused for merchandise.

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Best for
Fundraisers with merchandise sales
Pricing
From $39/month for 2,500 contacts

Pros

  • Revenue tracking
  • Strong automation
  • E-commerce features
  • Analytics

Cons

  • Built for e-commerce
  • Expensive
  • Learning curve
  • Not for donations
#12
HubSpot

Enterprise solution for large organizations.

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Best for
Large national nonprofits only
Pricing
Free basic, 40% nonprofit discount on paid

Pros

  • Full CRM
  • Great for teams
  • Nonprofit discount
  • Reporting

Cons

  • Overkill
  • Complex
  • Still expensive
  • Lock-in
#13
Moosend

Budget-friendly with good features.

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Best for
Very budget-conscious fundraisers
Pricing
From $9/month for 500 subscribers

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Good automation
  • Responsive support
  • Landing pages

Cons

  • Less known
  • Limited integrations
  • Smaller templates
  • No nonprofit discount

Feature Comparison

FeatureSequenzyMailchimpMailerLiteConstant Contact
Donation appeals
Thank you sequences
AI content
Drag-and-drop editor
Automation
Basic
Landing pages
Free tier

Email Sequences Every Fundraising Organization Needs

These are the essential automated email sequences that will help you grow your business and keep clients coming back.

New Donor Welcome

Trigger: After first donation

Welcome new donors and begin the relationship.

Immediately
Thank you, {{first_name}}! Your gift matters

Heartfelt thanks. What their gift enables. Welcome to community.

Day 3
Here's what your support makes possible

Impact story. How donations are used. Connection to cause.

Day 7
You're part of something bigger

Community introduction. Ways to get involved. Mission overview.

Year-End Campaign

Trigger: November through December

Drive year-end giving.

Early November
Your year-end impact opportunity

Year in review. What was accomplished. Goals for giving season.

Giving Tuesday
Double your impact today

Giving Tuesday appeal. Matching gift if available. Urgency.

Mid-December
Make your year-end gift count

Tax deadline approaching. Impact stories. Easy giving link.

December 31
Last chance for 2026 tax-deductible gift

Final appeal. Deadline urgency. Thank you preview.

Impact Update

Trigger: Quarterly schedule

Share results with donors.

Quarterly
Because of you: {{quarter}} impact report

What was accomplished. Stories of impact. Donor recognition.

Lapsed Donor Re-engagement

Trigger: 12 months since last gift

Reconnect with donors who have not given recently.

12 months
We miss you, {{first_name}}

Miss them. What has happened. Invitation to give again.

14 months
Your impact is still needed

Current needs. How they can help. Easy giving link.

How to Choose the Right Email Tool

Nonprofit pricing matters. Many platforms offer discounts. Calculate costs with and without discounts.

Donor management. Choose platforms that handle segmentation well for personalized appeals.

Simplicity for limited staff. Most nonprofits have small teams. Choose tools anyone can use.

What Works for Fundraising

Relationship beats transaction. Donors are partners, not ATMs. Communicate accordingly.

Impact drives giving. Show what donations accomplish. Stories matter more than statistics.

Thank early and often. Gratitude builds relationships that lead to more giving.

Getting Started

  1. Import your donor database with giving history
  2. Set up new donor welcome sequence
  3. Create quarterly impact update template
  4. Plan your year-end campaign calendar

Start simple and expand later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly minimum for updates. More during campaigns. Year-end may be weekly. Balance asking with thanking and updating.

Impact stories showing results, thank you messages, campaign appeals with specific goals, and behind-the-scenes looks at your work.

Every event attendee. Website signup. Social media promotion. Petition and advocacy signers. Every touchpoint is an opportunity.

Absolutely. Segment by giving level, recency, interests, and engagement. Personalized appeals perform better.

Lead with impact. Be specific about what gifts enable. Tell stories. Make the donor the hero. Clear call to action.

Open rates, click rates, conversion to donations, average gift size, and donor retention rate.

Thank immediately. Thank sincerely. Thank specifically for what they gave. Thank again when you show impact.

Personal and specific. 'You helped feed 50 families' or 'Your gift is needed by Friday' work well.

Balance asks with updates and thanks. Respect frequency preferences. Provide value in every email.

Start planning in October. Multiple touchpoints November through December. Urgency increases as deadline approaches.

Ready to grow your fundraising organization practice?

Start your free trial today. Set up your first email sequence in minutes with AI-powered content generation.

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Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com