Giving Tuesday Secrets, Giving an “F,” and More Nonprofit Email Program Tips with Kim Abuelhaj

Pushing a product? Easy. Pushing a cause? A whole other ballgame.

In this episode of Email After Hours, hosts Guy Hanson and Danielle Gallant sit down with Kim Abuelhaj, Senior Director of Annual Giving and Membership at GLAAD, to explore the unique challenges of nonprofit email programs—where emotional resonance and mission advocacy replace transactional sales, and where deliverability directly impacts fundraising outcomes.

What you’ll learn:

• How to balance long-form storytelling with transactional email design
• Why list hygiene and quarterly validation are non-negotiable for nonprofit sender reputation
• How to leverage multi-channel donor engagement for increased lifetime value
• How putting the “f” in  frankness and mission-first messaging outperformed traditional matching-gift campaigns

…and so much more!

…and more!

Are you an email marketing expert with bold opinions on the industry? Come chat with Guy and Danielle on a future episode! Drop a comment, ping us on LinkedIn, or simply fill out this guest form.

SOME EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• [00:45] Meet Kim Abuelhaj from GLAAD
• [03:20] What makes nonprofit email marketing different
• [04:27] Balancing storytelling with conversion strategy
• [06:17] The art of authentic nonprofit storytelling
• [07:32] Building donor resilience during economic downturns
• [10:14] Cutting through holiday email noise
• [12:38] The metrics that actually matter for nonprofits
• [14:20] Donor psychology and seasonal giving patterns
• [18:19] Welcoming new donors and maximizing their lifetime value
• [21:17] List hygiene and quarterly validation for deliverability
• [23:19] Why direct mail and email work together for nonprofits
• [26:11] Multi-channel donors give more and stay longer
• [28:11] Learning tactics from retail email best practices
• [29:49] The “Give an F” campaign: Authenticity over incentives
• [31:33] Key takeaways: Nonprofit email mastery