While grantmaking foundations are not typically focused on consumer-level communication with the general public, email marketing tools like MailChimp offer them significant advantages. These tools help enhance communication, drive public education, advocate for policy change, and build collaborative networks. Here’s a closer look at how foundations can harness email marketing to amplify their missions beyond grantmaking. (Note: the foundations named in the examples below are fictitious.)
1. Community Outreach and Relationship Building
Email marketing is a powerful way for foundations to keep stakeholders informed and engaged. For instance, The Green Futures Foundation uses monthly newsletters to share updates on environmental initiatives, impact stories, and event invitations. By automating invitation reminders and follow-ups for their webinars and community events, they saw attendance increase by 40%, bringing more people into their mission.
Customized welcome series for new subscribers, like community organizations, local leaders, and engaged citizens, introduce these audiences to the foundation’s mission and impact. This ongoing engagement keeps the foundation top of mind and makes its work visible and accessible to all partners.
2. Public Education and Awareness Campaigns
Foundations can use email marketing to educate the public on key issues, enhancing their role as trusted knowledge resources. The Better Health Foundation, for example, uses email automation to inform communities on topics such as mental health, preventative care, and chronic disease management. By segmenting their audience and crafting targeted educational campaigns, they achieved open rates 20% above the industry average. Health providers even shared these emails with patients, widening the educational impact and establishing the foundation as a trusted public health resource.
For advocacy-focused foundations, email marketing is equally valuable. Automated campaigns featuring issue spotlights and timely policy updates help mobilize supporters when action is needed. Advocacy alerts keep stakeholders updated on legislative changes, new data, and upcoming events, enabling foundations to stay responsive and impactful.
3. Policy Influencing and Advocacy Support
Foundations involved in advocacy and policy change can use email marketing to ensure that critical updates reach the right people at the right time. Justice for All Foundation, which advocates for criminal justice reform, sends policy alerts to its network of policymakers, activists, and community leaders through segmented email lists. These emails, often featuring legislative updates, action items, and resources for mobilization, have amplified the foundation’s advocacy influence. During key legislative sessions, Justice for All saw a 60% increase in engagement, and their content was even referenced by policymakers, underscoring the impact of well-targeted email communication in policy influence.
4. Grantee and Partner Engagement
Email marketing streamlines collaboration with grantees and partners, essential for effective grantmaking. Foundations like The Community Education Foundation use automated onboarding emails to ease the process for new grantees, reducing administrative questions by 30%. Quarterly emails with curated resources, best practices, and impact measurement tools help grantees stay aligned with the foundation’s mission and enhance their programs.
Additionally, email automation supports joint initiatives, fostering a network of engaged partners working together towards shared goals. These campaigns create a mutually supportive ecosystem, where both the foundation and its partners benefit from shared knowledge and aligned objectives.
5. Brand Awareness and Reputation Building
Email campaigns that celebrate success stories, share program outcomes, and highlight the foundation’s mission can build awareness and strengthen brand identity. For example, The Opportunity Network Foundation, which focuses on economic opportunities, sends bi-monthly emails featuring program outcomes, economic trends, and impact stories. Invitations to virtual networking events within these emails have led to new collaborations with local nonprofits and businesses, extending the foundation’s reach and impact.
Annual reports and success stories shared via email further reinforce a foundation’s transparency and accountability. The Opportunity Network Foundation experienced a 25% increase in partner engagement within six months, resulting in cross-sector partnerships that bolstered the foundation’s visibility and reputation as a trusted leader.
6. Engaging Board Members and Key Influencers
Email marketing can keep board members and key influencers actively engaged, helping them stay informed and aligned with the foundation’s goals. Justice for All Foundation sends targeted emails with meeting updates, strategic developments, and ready-to-share content for sector influencers. Influential partners can easily share this content, expanding the foundation’s reach organically.
Targeted emails to key influencers ensure that the foundation’s messaging reaches a wider audience and builds support. When board members and community leaders share and engage with the foundation’s content, it amplifies the organization’s influence across networks and raises visibility.
While grantmaking foundations may not use email marketing for fundraising, tools like MailChimp can be invaluable for building relationships, mobilizing advocacy, educating the public, enhancing grantee collaboration, and boosting brand awareness. Each of the examples—whether it’s The Green Futures Foundation engaging communities, Justice for All influencing policy, or The Opportunity Network Foundation building brand awareness—illustrates the potential for email marketing to expand a foundation’s reach and deepen its impact.
Through email marketing, foundations can enhance communication, drive engagement, and strengthen their reputation as catalysts for positive change. By embracing these tools, foundations can streamline outreach efforts and build a well-informed, engaged, and active community.
In addition to our process and technology consulting services for grantmaking organizations, Value Stream Consulting is proud to be a member of the Mailchimp Partner Program. If you’re interested in how email marketing can elevate your foundation’s mission or would like to explore GMS BridgePoint, our seamless connector between your GMS and Mailchimp, we’d love to connect. Reach out to discover how we can help you engage more effectively, amplify your impact, and streamline communications with stakeholders.
Comments