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Every fundraiser knows the pressure of year-end: the deadlines, the volume of appeals, the inbox competition.
But there’s a quiet force behind every successful fundraising campaign that’s easy to overlook — cultivation emails.
These are the stories, updates, surveys, and thank-you notes that show supporters they matter, even when you’re not asking for money.
Far from “filler,” cultivation emails can prime donors for generosity, boost retention, and meaningfully increase revenue year-round.
Crafting cultivation emails that count
A good cultivation email isn’t just a placeholder between asks — it’s a chance to build trust, keep your email file engaged, and deepen connection. Here are a few tips:
Lead with storytelling. Share an impact story, staff voice, or beneficiary perspective. The best cultivation emails make donors feel the difference they’re part of.
Demonstrate current and future impact. When possible, make it clear how current (and future!) donors are sustaining current initiatives and explore how they can play a role in shaping upcoming work.
Make it personal. Use a sender name from a staff member, personalize subject lines, and keep the tone one-to-one.
Offer value, not just updates. Think beyond “what we’re doing” — make sure to also offer useful resources, celebrate a milestone, or invite a quick action like answering a survey. These touches help supporters feel included.
Keep it simple. Don’t overload the email with five links. One focused story or call-to-action often sparks deeper engagement and sets up stronger response when your appeals arrive.
Cultivation inspires giving: by the numbers
We’ve heard it all before: cultivation emails sound nice, but do they really make an impact on revenue?
In the context of year-end giving, CauseMic’s Donor Lifecycle Report studied 204 nonprofits and found that organizations that skipped cultivation before year-end were far less likely to meet their fundraising goals.
Of the 44 groups that sent no pre-campaign cultivation emails and missed their targets, 38 fell short by more than 10%.
The flip side was just as clear: the categories that sent the most cultivation emails — Human Services, Environment, and Civil & Human Rights — also raised the most revenue.
In terms of hard tactics, NextAfter collaborated with a client to test the impact of sending one additional cultivation email to current donors each week.
The result? Those donors generated 21% more revenue, and this increase also led to a 14% increase in lapsed donor revenue.
Another NextAfter test simplified a weekly cultivation newsletter from multiple asks to just one focused ask.
Over three months, the group receiving the focused version made 27% more gifts than those receiving multiple asks.
Don’t skip cultivation, period
As year-end approaches, the temptation is to crowd your calendar with appeals.
But the organizations raising the most aren’t just asking — they’re also thanking donors, sharing stories, and soliciting feedback.
Those cultivation emails set the stage for generosity by making donors feel connected to your cause before the December flurry of appeals hit.
Industry events
Free: How to Have Your Best Year-End Yet: Strategies to Drive Generosity Before December 31
Fri, Sep 19, 2:00 PM ETThur, Sep 25, 1:00 PM ET
Check our events list for more or reply to this email to submit one for consideration.
Quick hits
Google is rolling out a “relevance” filter for the Gmail Promotions tab, prioritizing the senders your recipients engage with the most.
Community Boost outlines three steps for nonprofits to share their impact authentically while protecting dignity.
GoFundMe Pro shares tips on building an emergency fundraising campaign when disaster strikes — from setting goals to compelling email updates.
The Wildlife Conservation Society is hiring a Manager of Direct Response Marketing to lead fundraising campaigns and donor engagement through email, direct mail, and other channels.
'Til next time!
Sara