18 NewsMatch email examples from 2022 to inspire your next fundraising campaign
If you’ve worked in a nonprofit newsroom, you’re no stranger to NewsMatch. If you aren’t familiar, NewsMatch is a collaborative fundraising program that has raised $223M for nonprofit journalism organizations since 2016. Even more amazing is that $192M of that total came from individual donors.
For this roundup, I’ve shared a selection of NewsMatch email examples from newsrooms across the country. Many of these publications don’t have a paywall, so asking their readers to donate to their mission is a crucial source of funding. It also gives these publishers a reason not to plaster ads all over their sites, especially intrusive ads that follow readers all over the internet.
Looking for ways to support great journalism with a mission? Find a nonprofit newsroom near you.
Tips for getting useful insights from these NewsMatch email examples
Each email in this roundup was received in the first week of November 2022. Most were received on November 1, the first day of NewsMatch. I tried to curate a variety of examples, and these emails are presented in no particular order.
Zoom in: Each NewsMatch email example can be clicked to see in higher resolution.
Some of the emails include comments about what I think is great, or what I think could be done better to drive more donations. If an email doesn’t have comments, that is not a statement of its quality. Most likely, I was trying not to repeat myself.
Furthermore, my comments are based on my general experience working with newsrooms over the past 20+ years. Every newsroom is different, and there are no silver bullets. These publications may have tested and found repeatable success with the approach I wouldn’t have taken. That’s okay!
This also means that for any recommendations I make, or new ideas you get from these emails, please test and iterate on them. “Best practices” should be a starting point, not a “set it and forget it” switch.
It’s important to note that I have no inside knowledge of why I received a particular email. I could be part of a test group or a targeted list segment. Great reader revenue programs should have newsletter testing plans to keep improving, and not all those ideas are winners.
Outlier Media
Subject:
Ready. Set. Go!
Preview Text:
NewsMatch kicks off TODAY!
Location: Detroit, MI
Website: outliermedia.org
Comments:
A great email. Three things stick out:
- Detroit is mentioned 5 times in the first 3 paragraphs.
- The focus is on local issues like utility shut-offs, flood damage.
- The top image is not only clickable, but it’s clear and easy to read. Not a distraction.
There is no mistaking who this email was written for, and it has a good flow. The only thing I might change is moving the call-to-action button up under the bold paragraph before the closing.
The Hechinger Report
Subject:
We need your help
Preview Text:
Our work is free to read, but it’s not free to produce. Help us reach our end-of-year campaign.
Location: New York, NY
Website: hechingerreport.org/
Comments:
Short, sweet, and the point. This email is easy to read, and the big yellow call-to-action button is easy to find and click.
Sahan Journal
Subject:
Here. We. Go!
Preview Text:
NewsMatch kicks off TODAY!
Location: St. Paul, MN
Website: sahanjournal.com
Comments:
Another email that’s easy to read, and uses bold type well to get readers to notice specific sections of copy.
I appreciate the link at the bottom that allows people to opt out of fundraising emails for this campaign.
Canopy Atlanta
Subject:
Here. We. Go!
Preview Text:
NewsMatch kicks off TODAY!
Location: Atlanta, GA
Website: canopyatlanta.org
Comments:
I like the look and feel because it’s pretty different from many fundraising emails. On the other hand, there are two things I’d change:
Nothing in the top three sections is clickable, leaving the only call-to-action button near the bottom.
Secondly, an orange button leads people to believe orange is a link color, but the orange headline and big orange box are not linked. People are probably clicking those and getting no response.
That orange box looks and feels like a link. If it’s not going to link, change the color or remove it.
Marshall Project
Subject:
An important moment for The Marshall Project
Preview Text:
It takes investigative journalists to dig out the facts that might otherwise remain hidden from public view.
Location: New York, NY
Website: www.themarshallproject.org
Comments:
Great opening line. It hits an emotional tone and shows vulnerability.
This is a good example of the Problem-Agitate-Solultion copywriting framework.
- Problem (1st graf): Crime plays an “outsized role in the midterm elections.”
- Agitate (2nd graf): the issue of crime is driven by perception, “influenced by political attack ads and fear-mongering”
- Solution (3rd graf): The Marshall Project is filling a need in criminal justice journalism.
Click image to enlarge
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Eye on Ohio
Subject:
🚨Big changes this year to NewsMatch!
Preview Text:
New this year! A NewsMatch-Match-Match!
Location: Grove City, OH
Website: eyeonohio.com
Comments:
I dig the intro here: “Dear Readers, Viewers, and Listeners.”
Personalization with names is hard, because of gaps in your list. “Dear Reader” is so blah. This is a good upgrade.
The closing is great, too. “You’re the best, Buckeyes!” Emphasize how you are part of the same shared interests or communities.
Unfortunately, this email is pretty hard to read. There’s too much going on in the Double Your Impact header graphic, and the copy switches from black on white to white on dark grey.
Also, the links do not have enough contrast with the background. All easy fixes, though.
Food & Environment Reporting Network
El Paso Matters
Subject:
NewsMatch kicks off today!
Preview Text:
Our end of the year campaign begins now, with your help
Location: El Paso, TX
Website: elpasomatters.org
CivicLex
Subject:
Will you support the CivicLex Weekly?
Preview Text:
Through NewsMatch, you have an opportunity to double your impact
Location: Lexington, KY
Website: www.civiclex.org
Comments:
I really like “The Short Version” up top. Gets straight to the point, and makes it easy for eager donors.
However, the links in that tl;dr section in the dark grey box don’t have enough contrast. Contrast checkers are easy to use and can help you get colors that meet accessibility guidelines.
The body copy grey also feels a little light, although it passes contrast tests. Never hurts to go darker on body text on a white background.
PublicSource
Subject:
MATCHED GIFTS start today!
Preview Text:
Help us unlock $50,000 in matching funds.
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Website: www.publicsource.org
Comments:
This email looks nice, but sadly this email could have come from any newsroom.
There’s nothing in the copy that makes it specific to PublicSource or Pittsburgh.
Wausau Pilot & Review
Subject:
Here. We. Go!
Preview Text:
NewsMatch kicks off TODAY!
Location: Wausau, WI
Website: wausaupilotandreview.com
Comments:
This is another easy-to-read email that doesn’t say much. Like the PublicSource email, there’s nothing in here that says “Wausau” or even “Wisconsin.”
At the very least, it would be improved by using “Dear Pilot & Review reader” instead of “Dear Reader.”
The Land
Subject:
Power local stories you can’t find elsewhere
Preview Text:
Together we can unlock $150,000 for community news
Location: Cleveland, OH
Website: thelandcle.org
Comments:
I love testimonials, and I really like how this email leads with a testimonial. Are you asking for testimonials?
Compare the better contrast of the buttons in this email with the lower contrast and harder-to-read buttons from the Wausau Pilot & Review above.
Mississippi Today
Subject:
News is deeper than a headline
Preview Text:
NewsMatch starts TODAY!
Location: Ridgeland, MS
Website: mississippitoday.org
Comments:
The lede here is great. It links to the biggest, most outrageous story of the year right from the jump. The first graf ends in bold: “this story was more than breaking news. It was personal.”
This is a great example of using the 4 U’s copywriting framework.
- Useful: Mississippi Today broke the story of the water in Jackson, Mississippi.
- Unique: MS Today owned the story, so no one else could have written this email. No one.
- Ultra-specific: This isn’t a recap of “local news” or “issues in our community. It talks about the crisis, the terrible goverment response, and how donations helped reporting.
- Urgent: NewsMatch is a limited-time campaign. Giving now is a bigger impact on the bottom line.
Kansas City Beacon
Subject:
Here. We. Go!
Preview Text:
Matched donations kick off TODAY!
Location: Kansas City, MO
Website: thebeacon.media
New Mexico In Depth
Subject:
Give to New Mexico In Depth starting today and triple your gift
Preview Text:
(none)
Location: Rio Rancho, NM
Website: nmindepth.com
Comments:
There’s a hidden hiccup in this email, with big ramifications. The button that says “Yes, count me in!” is an image. And that image has no alt text.
The top banner also has no alt text.
This means that anyone who has images turned off or people who use screenreaders has no call-to-action to donate.
Berkeleyside
Subject:
Life without Berkeleyside?
Preview Text:
Support us so we can do more for you in 2023
Location: Berkeley, CA
Website: www.berkeleyside.org
Comments:
I don’t like fear and panic-based fundraising appeals. Stoking panic to raise money risks trust with your readers. And once you lose that, you’re in trouble.
What’s disappointing is that the email is pretty solid after the first paragraph. Good premise and a strong layout.
Tone Madison
Subject:
Let’s preserve what makes Madison special
Preview Text:
Help us raise $15,000 for our music, film, politics and culture coverage
Location: Madison, WI
Website: tonemadison.com
Comments:
This is a good email! A few things stick out:
For starters, this isn’t just an email about Madison, but about what Tone Madison covers in Madison: artists, musicians, and oddities in addition to serious issues like abortion rights and housing. More specificity is awesome.
Also, make note of the buttons. Each one has bold type right above it, to draw attention. After the first button, there’s a paragraph of appreciation for their audience and their donations in a previous campaign.
Last but not least, anyone who needs “a little more convincing” — they are invited to a party with no registration required. I love the warmth and the confidence in that.
Nevada Independent
Subject:
Here. We. Go!
Preview Text:
NewsMatch kicks off TODAY!
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Website: thenevadaindependent.com
Comments:
This is a long email, but long emails can perform well, too! There isn’t a lot of fluff in here, and it is specific to Nevada Independent.
When opting for long copy, adding some subheads can help guide readers. I also like to look for more opportunities to add calls to action. If someone pulls their card out after the 2nd paragraph, we don’t need to make them read all the way to the bottom. Get that donation now.
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