An email list is a charity’s most direct line to its supporters. Unlike social media platforms that control your reach, email gives you a direct, unmediated connection to your donors. Here’s how to build a high-quality list for your Jewish nonprofit organization.
The Permission Principle
Never purchase email lists or add people without explicit consent. Beyond the legal issues (CAN-SPAM, GDPR), purchased lists have terrible deliverability and destroy your sender reputation. Build your list through genuine relationship-building — it takes longer but produces far better results.
Capture Points
Every touchpoint with your organization is an opportunity to grow your list:
- Website: Newsletter signup form with a clear value proposition
- Donation forms: Option to receive updates (pre-checked with donor’s permission)
- Events: Sign-in sheets with email collection and consent
- Social media: Regular invitations to join your email list
- Partner organizations: Co-registration opportunities with aligned Jewish organizations
The Welcome Sequence
When someone joins your list, send a 3-part welcome sequence: an immediate welcome email introducing your mission, a follow-up 3 days later highlighting your impact, and a 7-day story email featuring a specific life changed by your work. This sequence builds engagement and sets expectations before your regular communications begin.
Maintaining Engagement
List quality matters more than list size. An engaged list of 2,000 donors outperforms a disengaged list of 20,000 every time. Send consistently, provide genuine value, and periodically clean inactive subscribers. Your deliverability — and your donors’ attention — will thank you.
For reliable delivery of all your donor communications, KosherEmail provides infrastructure specifically designed for Jewish charitable organizations.