Crowdfunding Email Templates: Write Stellar Campaign Appeals

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Have you ever wished that fundraising was just a little bit easier? We have too! That’s why we’ve created these three crowdfunding email templates that you can use when you send out emails to your friends, family members, coworkers, and peers.

Click on the template that interests you to learn more!

  1. General Crowdfunding Email
  2. Time-Sensitive Crowdfunding Email
  3. Crowdfunding Acknowledgement Email

Over half of all crowdfunding emails that are sent out result in a donation. That means that if you send out 50 emails, roughly 25 people are going to respond by donating to your crowdfunding campaign!

When used in conjunction with social media sharing, crowdfunding emails can help you reach your fundraising goal in no time.

Let’s get started!

Here is a general crowdfunding email. 1. General Crowdfunding Email

You can send a general crowdfunding email to anyone at any time in your campaign. However, there are optimal times to send out this type of crowdfunding message:

  1. At the very beginning and end of your campaign. Nearly half of all crowdfunding campaign funds are raised during the first and last three days of the campaign’s duration. Sending out emails during these times will encourage more people to donate to your campaign to help you get your fundraiser off the ground and the cross the finish line.
  2. Whenever you hit a fundraising milestone. If you’ve raised half of your goal or received a particularly large donation, you should use that opportunity to send an email out to your supporters and update them! When recipients see that other people are contributing to your campaign, they’re more likely to make a donation themselves.

Let’s take a look at a general crowdfunding email template that you can send out at any point during your crowdfunding campaign.

Dear [recipient’s preferred name],

I hope that you’re doing well! [Insert a relevant or personal anecdote].
As you may have heard, I’m raising money for [cause, project, event, etc.], and I could really use your help. I’ve already raised [amount], but I’m trying to make it to [amount] by [deadline/date].
Even a small donation would help me reach my goal. I plan to use the money to [list out goals in as much detail as possible].
You can make a donation on my crowdfunding campaign page by clicking here [insert URL to campaign page]. Feel free to share my campaign on Facebook and Twitter, too!
Thank you in advance for your support. Please let me know if you have any questions about my campaign, my goal, or [your cause, project, event, etc.].

Sincerely/Much love/Best/etc.,

[Your name]

Of course, your email should also include photos and/or a video to break up the text. The image or video you choose should reflect your fundraising goal and should depict the person, animals, or community that will benefit from the money you raise.

Read more about asking for donations.

Here is an example of a time-sensitive crowdfunding email.
2. Time-Sensitive Crowdfunding Email

When you have a financial goal to meet by a certain deadline, asking for donations can seem like a nerve-wracking experience.

If you’re short of your goal with just a week or a few days to go, use this time-sensitive crowdfunding email to spur your supporters to action!

Dear [recipient’s preferred name],

[Your campaign’s end date] is almost here! Do you know what that means?
It means that I only have [number] of days left to raise [amount] for [cause, project, event, etc.].
Would you consider giving a donation of $20 [or other small amount] to help me reach my goal? A $20 donation could [list out goals in as much detail as possible].
You can easily make a donation here, on my crowdfunding campaign page [insert URL].
I would also appreciate it if you would share my crowdfunding campaign page on Facebook and Twitter to help me reach more people.
I couldn’t have raised as much as I already have without the help of people like you. Please join me and make a donation by [deadline] to help me [fix problem, accomplish goal, etc.].
Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely/Much love/Best/etc.,

[Your name]

This email template can be sent out anywhere from 1 week to a couple hours before your campaign is due to end. Framing the email in an urgent way can encourage friends, family members, and coworkers to jump on the bandwagon before it’s too late. Even people who have already made a donation might feel compelled to give again!

Read more about writing donation requests here.

Here is an example of a crowdfunding email for acknowledgements. 3. Crowdfunding Acknowledgement Email

Once you’ve reached your goal (and even if you didn’t), you must send out acknowledgement emails to everyone who contributed to your campaign.

Your acknowledgements should be thoughtful and genuine. You may even need to give some of your donors a phone call if they went above and beyond to help you raise money.

Use this template when you go to write your crowdfunding acknowledgement emails!

Dear [recipient’s preferred name],

Thank you so much for being a part of my crowdfunding campaign! Thanks to you and many others, I was able to raise [amount] to [accomplish goal, fix problem, etc.].
Your generosity will [list out goals in as much detail as possible].
Thank you again! You have no idea how much your support means to me!

Sincerely/Much love/Best/etc.,

[Your name]

The key to a great crowdfunding acknowledgement email is to be as specific as possible about what the donor’s money is going toward. That way, they feel like their gift has made a real difference!

You can take these templates and use them as is or you can use them as the foundation for your own emails.

To help you regardless of the path you choose, we’ve pulled together a short list of tips all fundraising letter writers should adhere to:

  • Use large serif fonts because they’re easiest to read.
  • Keep your paragraphs under 5 lines to make them more inviting.
  • Run your writing through a readability calculator (the average reading level should be around 6th grade).
  • Write like you speak. Your speaking voice is more likely to connect with a potential donor than overly formal and stuffy language.
  • Read it over out loud before hitting send; you’d be surprised what your ear will catch that your eyes missed.

Hopefully these crowdfunding email templates (and the shortlist of tips above) will be useful as you head off on your fundraising adventure.

Want more amazing tips for your crowdfunding campaign? Check out these additional resources:

  1. Social Media Templates. In addition to your email fundraising appeals, you can also ask for donations on social media. Use the templates in this article to ask for donations on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
  2. Crowdfunding Updates. Sharing updates is a great opportunity for crowdfunders to ask for donations. Learn how to create a unique, captivating crowdfunding update.
  3. Storytelling Tips. Your email fundraising appeals need to hook donors’ attention so they reach the end of your message. Implement these storytelling techniques into your emails.
  4. Crowdfunding 101. If you’re looking for more information on crowdfunding, check out our ultimate guide! It gives you a basic rundown on online fundraising for nonprofits and individuals.

Happy fundraising!

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