The 5-Email Schedule That Keeps Your Fundraiser Moving
Most gifts arrive right after a reminder. Here’s a simple, schedule-it-once email plan for any peer-to-peer campaign.
The DIY Your Fundraiser team · · 1 min read
The biggest mistake first-time organizers make isn’t the goal or the event - it’s going quiet. Donations cluster right after reminders, so a steady, well-timed email plan is one of the highest-leverage things you can do.
Here’s a five-email schedule you can write in one sitting and schedule in advance.
1. Kickoff (day 1)
To: everyone. Goal: get every participant sharing their link.
Share the “why,” the campaign goal, and each participant’s personal page link. Personalize with their first name and personal goal.
2. First nudge (day 4–5)
To: participants who haven’t received a gift yet. Goal: break the ice.
Keep it short: “The easiest first ask is someone close to you - a grandparent, an aunt, a neighbor.” Include the link again.
3. Midpoint update (halfway)
To: everyone. Goal: momentum.
Share progress toward the campaign goal and celebrate milestones. Momentum is contagious.
4. Team leaders’ rally (a few days before the end)
To: team leaders only. Goal: activate your leaders.
Give team leaders their team’s progress and ask them to rally their teammates for a final push.
5. Final 48 hours
To: everyone. Goal: urgency.
“Two days left!” emails consistently produce some of the biggest giving spikes of any campaign. Remind people of the deadline and the goal.
Bonus: the thank-you
After the campaign closes, send a thank-you with the final total and what it will fund. It’s the first step toward next year’s campaign.
In DIY Your Fundraiser, a ready-made schedule like this one can be applied to your campaign in one step. Adjust the send times, add a short note of your own, preview each email, and activate - then track opens and clicks once they send. See all features.