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It’s every emailer’s worst nightmare…
A broken link,missing image, or a personalization error can slip through even the most careful QA process—especially in high-volume seasons like year-end.
While a rigorous checklist and multi-step review are your best defenses, no system is perfect. And when the occasional error does get through, it doesn’t have to spell disaster.
In fact, when handled with transparency and creativity, mistakes can boost engagement and even increase fundraising revenue.
A case study in making it work
An animal welfare nonprofit sent a powerful fundraising appeal featuring the story of Dougie, one of dozens of rescued puppies from a shuttered breeding facility.
The story was moving, the urgency was clear—but every link to the donation page was broken.
Instead of panicking or quietly moving on, the team sent a follow-up email that acknowledged the mistake:
They made light of the error with humor, acknowledging the mistake, fixing the links, and reframing the message as a second chance to help.
The result? The “oops” email quadrupled the average click-through rate, tripled the number of gifts compared to similar appeals, and generated goodwill through positive email replies.
Tone matters
Of course, not every mistake lends itself to a lighthearted fix.
A broken link in a fundraising appeal might be fair game for humor, but an error in an advocacy action, a sensitive message, or a crisis update may call for a more straightforward, serious approach.
In those cases, clarity and professionalism should come first: acknowledge the error plainly, correct it quickly, and reassure supporters that you value their time and trust.
Nonprofit email consultant Katelyn Baughan recently highlighted an example of a great, simple correction email from UNICEF:
Best practices for handling mistakes
Act quickly. The sooner you send a correction, the less time supporters spend confused or frustrated.
Lead with honesty. Acknowledge the error clearly, without over-apologizing.
Match the tone. Choose humor or humility when appropriate—but take a serious, respectful approach when the subject matter demands it.
Layer the ask. Treat the correction as an opportunity to reinforce the original message and include all corrected links.
Learn and refine. Use the mistake as a reminder to review your QA process and adjust for next time.
The bottom line
Even the most thorough QA process won’t catch every mistake. What sets strong programs apart is how they respond.
By embracing transparency, correcting quickly, and choosing the right tone for the situation, nonprofits can turn slip-ups into moments that strengthen donor trust—and sometimes, even drive more engagement and gifts.
Industry events
Free: Smarter year-end fundraising: spot what’s working & fix what’s not
Wednesday, September 17 at 1pm ESTFree: Build Power 2025
Thursday, September 25 at 12pm ESTPaid: 2025 Nonprofit Innovation and Optimization Summit
September 30-October 2 - Kansas City, MO
Check our events list for more or reply to this email to submit one for consideration.
Quick hits
Send It Right argues that instead of fighting the Promotions tab, email marketers should embrace it.
For Hunger Action Month, M+R shares five ways food banks can strengthen email acquisition, engagement, and fundraising.
The International Rescue Committee is hiring a Senior Officer of Standard Retention to lead omnichannel audience-led strategy and execution for supporters who give under $500 annually.
'Til next time!
Sara