I've been lying to charities

Last week, I told a few charity teams that the fastest way to grow income is by getting new donors.

​More ads.
More campaigns.
More “reach.”

And while that sounds nice… I lied.

Not intentionally — but still, a lie.

Because the truth is, you don’t need new donors to grow. You just need to follow up better with the ones you already have.

Every year, UK charities miss out on millions in unclaimed Gift Aid. (If you're not in the UK, get registered, I have a whole blog just on that).

Not because donors don’t care - but because no one asks the right way.

Gift Aid adds 25p to every £1 donated by eligible UK taxpayers. It’s literally free money, and yet most charities never reclaim it properly.

Why? Because after the donation, usually the conversation ends.

Here’s the exact system I’ve used to help charities recover up to 30% more Gift Aid - sometimes within a week.

Start with your donor data. Filter your list to find:

✅ People who donated but didn’t tick the Gift Aid box
​
🚫 Exclude those who already said they’re not eligible (students, non-taxpayers, etc.)

If you’re using Donorfy, Beacon, or Raisely, export “non-Gift Aid donors” from the past 12 months.
​
These are your best leads — they’ve already given and are most likely to respond.

This is where most charities go wrong.
They make the email sound like it was written by HMRC.

Your goal is to sound like a real person, writing to another real person.

Here are a few subject lines that actually get opened:

“Quick question about your donation”
“Can I add 25% to your donation?”
“Your donation could go even further 🇬🇧”
“We might have missed something important…”
“A small update that could make a big difference”

Now here’s the email that works best:

Subject: You forgot something on your donation 💡

​
Hi [First Name],

I noticed you didn’t tick Gift Aid on your last donation.

That’s totally fine - most people don’t realise this:​
​
Gift Aid lets us claim an extra 25% from the government at no cost to you. So your £40 donation can become £50.

It just takes one tap - literally one tap.

Thank you again for giving so generously.

[Your Name]
[Your Charity Name]

Alternative version:

Subject: We can increase your donation by 25% (at no cost to you)?

Hi [First Name],

You’ve already made a big difference with your donation to [Charity Name].

But there’s a simple way to make that gift go even further - without giving another penny.

If you’re a UK taxpayer, ticking the Gift Aid box allows us to reclaim 25% of your donation from HMRC.

It’s quick, secure, and completely free.
​

Confirm your Gift Aid status here: 👉 [Gift Aid Link]

Every small action adds up.

Thank you again for helping us [insert mission line: “feed families,” “educate children,” “build wells,” etc.].

With gratitude,
[Your Name]
[Charity Name]

Don’t just send and forget.

Track how many people opened the email, how many clicked the link, and how much Gift Aid was reclaimed.

Even a 20% response rate can generate thousands of pounds.

Example:​
​
One charity sent this email to 2,000 donors.
340 people responded.
That’s £6,800 recovered in seven days.

Once done, tag those donors as “Gift Aid confirmed” in your CRM and exclude them from future reminders.

Before you hit send, check:

✅ You’ve segmented donors who didn’t tick Gift Aid
✅ The tone sounds human, not like HMRC
✅ The email is under 150 words
✅ There’s one clear link or button
✅ No jargon
✅ You’ll track responses within 7 days
✅ You’ll send one friendly follow-up if needed

Bonus tip: send your email Tuesday or Wednesday morning between 9 and 11am - that’s when email open rates peak.

In the last decade, I've learnt that the most successful charities aren’t the ones that raise the most money. Its the ones that fix their follow up. Because just like a business, over time you want to reduce your overheads and acquisition cost.

Sometimes, all it takes is one thoughtful email — and a little human touch — to unlock income you’ve already earned.

Until next time.
Zain

P.S. Want more of this kind of stuff each week? Press this one button. Takes just one tap too :)

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