Find the Best Time to Send Fundraising Email

Sometimes, the message is right, the subject line is compelling, but the timing is just off. Maybe it’s too early in the morning or too late at night. So, when is the best time to send fundraising email? And what to do if you can’t schedule or adjust your working time and be available to send emails at the best time? Well, we’ve got the solutions to all your problems. It doesn’t matter if you have a nonprofit organization, charity, or just raising funds for a cause. These tips will help you reach your audience at the right time, even if you’re busy somewhere else. So, let’s dive in and fine the best time to send fundraising email.

Why Find the Best Time to Send Fundraising Email

Stats show that for every 1,000 fundraising emails a nonprofit organization sends out, they can expect to raise about $17. If you calculate the percentage, that’s 0.017% of your targeted audience. Although it may seem like a small number, those donations add up over time and can make a significant impact on your organization’s funds.

However, for the percentage to increase, it all comes down to timing. The better the timing, the higher the chances of potential donors opening and reading your email. But don’t think for a minute that this is the only reason to find the best time to send fundraising emails. A few other reasons include:

• Avoiding competition: If you send an email during peak hours, chances are it will get lost in the sea of other emails. Finding a less crowded time slot can help your email stand out and grab attention.
• Better engagement: Timing plays a crucial role in engagement with your audience. Sending an email when they are most likely to engage and take action can lead to higher click-through rates and donations.
• Respect for your audience: You can’t argue with someone’s schedule, but you can respect it. Sending an email at a time when your audience is most likely to be available and attentive shows that you value their time.

What is the Best Time to Send Fundraising Email?

Generally, the best time to send fundraising emails is between 6 AM and 1 PM. During this period, people are beginning their day, checking emails, and organizers can capture their initial attention. Notably, the timeframe from 8 AM to 10 AM is when potential donors start to visit your website. However, this doesn’t mean that this is the best time to send the mail and get a high open rate.

Then, what’s the best time to expect donations?

Well, there has been a significant surge in donations, which typically occurs later in the day, around 1 PM to 3 PM. This is because most people have finished their work for the day, and they are more likely to take some time to read emails and donate. Data also suggests that donors are more generous during lunch breaks, so keep this in mind when sending out your fundraising emails.

Now, this data is given based on a general time zone. You know, different countries have different time zones, which means 8 AM in one place could be 1 AM in another. So, what’s the solution? Well, let’s give you some professional tips to find the best time to send fundraising email and ensure that they are sent at the right time!

5 Tips to Find the Best Time to Send Fundraising Email & Send it

Here are the 5 helpful tips that no one will tell you to find out the best time for your organization to send fundraising emails:

Number 1. Understand Your Audience

Everyone will keep on saying that you have to understand your audience, but no one will tell you how. So, here’s how you can do it:

• Analyze data: Analyzing the data from your previous email campaigns can give you valuable insights into the behavior and actions of your audience (skip this if you’re sending the fundraising email for the first time). Look at when they opened your emails, clicked on links, and made donations.
• Send surveys: You can also directly ask your audience about their preferred time to receive emails. Surveys can give you accurate insights and help you tailor your emails accordingly. Make sure the surveys are engaging and persuade the audience to respond instead of skipping.
• Segment your audience: Segmenting your audience based on demographics, interests, and engagement can also give you a better understanding of their behavior and preferences. This way, you can send targeted emails at the right time to each segment.

Number 2. Consider Time Zones

As mentioned earlier, your audience may be spread across different time zones. So, when scheduling your fundraising emails, you have to consider the most suitable time for each region. It can become challenging and time-consuming if you do it manually, especially when you know that the world has 24 different time zones. Thankfully, there are now email marketing tools that allow you to schedule emails based on your recipient’s time zone.

One such tool is Recurrr!

Recurrr is an innovative tool that helps ensure your fundraising emails reach the recipients at the most effective times. It accomplishes this by sending your messages from your email on a schedule you select, automating the task of timing your communications perfectly. Here are a few reasons why you need to have Recurrr:

• It is easy to set up, and can do it in just five minutes.
• You don’t need a credit card to use it during the early access time.
• You can cancel anytime if you want.
• Using Recurrr helps you avoid the hassle of scheduling emails on your own.
• The tool does the scheduling work for you smoothly and efficiently.

When you have Recurrr, you don’t have to worry about your recipients’ time zones anymore! Just schedule your email and let the tool take care of the rest.

Number 3. A/B Test Different Time Slots

Having an idea of when things will bring the most results is good, but sticking to it, especially when it’s not generating significant returns, can be detrimental to your fundraising efforts. This is where the concept of A/B testing different time slots comes into play.

So, what is A/B testing?

A/B testing, also known as split testing, is a process of comparing two versions of a webpage or email to determine which one performs better. Regarding fundraising emails, you can test different time slots and see which generates the most opens, clicks, and donations.

While conducting A/B tests for your fundraising emails, make sure to:

• Keep the subject lines and email content consistent across both versions
• Test only one variable at a time (e.g., only change the sending time between versions)
• Run the test for an extended period to gather sufficient data (at least a week, preferably more)

With this information, you can determine the best time slot for your emails based on data and not just assumptions.

Number 4. Keep an Eye on Holidays and Events

Holidays and events can affect the behavior of your audience. For example, if you send a fundraising email during Christmas, chances are people will be more occupied with their personal lives and less likely to donate. Similarly, sending an email during a major event can lead to lower engagement.

Now, this doesn’t mean you should completely avoid sending emails during these times. Instead, try to schedule them before or after the holiday/event period when people are more likely to be available and receptive. This way, you can ensure that your email gets the attention it deserves.

Number 5. Test and Refine

Like any other strategy, finding the best time to send fundraising emails requires testing and refining. You can’t expect to get it right on the first try, so use all the tips mentioned above and keep analyzing your results. Make changes, test again, and keep refining until you find the sweet spot that works best for your organization. It all comes down to how well you understand your audience and their preferences.

Best Time to Send Fundraising Email: Verdict

So, in general, the best time to send fundraising email is:

• Not on Mondays or Fridays: People are usually busy with work at the beginning and end of the week.
• Between 9 AM and 11 AM on weekdays: Research has shown that this time slot has the highest email open and click-through rates.
• Test different time slots: Remember, every audience is unique, so test different times and see what works best for you.

Don’t forget to use Recurrr because you never know when you will forget about sending the right fundraising email at the right time. Go through the features in detail and see how this innovative tool can be a game-changer for your business. Register on Recurrr!

We hope this guide helps you optimize your fundraising email strategy and reach more people effectively. Let us know if you have any questions regarding fundraising emails or Recurrr. Goodbye!