Nonprofits have a lot on their plate, so we’re big fans of anything that will help you navigate your day and tick things off your to-do list, like Zapier. From fundraising, communications, and program management, this tool connects various apps and automates tasks, boosting your productivity and allowing you to focus on your mission.

In this post, we'll introduce you to five kinds of Zapier automations (aka ‘Zaps’) tailored for nonprofit email marketing programs. These automations are about more than just streamlining your workflow. They can handle data backup, list management, and lead generation tasks, freeing up your time for more impactful work.

While most examples below use Mailchimp or Google products, you can update the templates with your own products and services (e.g., ConvertKit and Excel, etc.)—Zapier supports thousands of different apps. If you have a premium account, you can also add more steps to your Zaps or introduce more elaborate combinations. In case you're new to the platform, though, we've opted to prefer examples that could be used (or at least explored) using a free version.

So, let's dive in.

1. Backup Your New MailChimp Subscribers

You've worked hard to build your email lists (one of your organization’s most valuable assets), so it's wise to safeguard it against unexpected disasters—before it’s too late. Zapier can seamlessly add new contacts to your preferred spreadsheet app, ensuring you always have a secure copy.

2. Automatically Tag & Segment Your Email Audience

One of the major challenges with nonprofit email marketing is managing and organizing email lists. Have you ever signed up for a webinar and then spent the following weeks and months unsubscribing from email lists shared with presenters and partners? It’s frustrating because the organization uses your information in a way you didn’t intend.

Zapier can help you overcome this by segmenting your subscribers into different groups or tags. This allows you to personalize and test messages based on their interests. Now, you can confidently follow up after an event without cold-sending them your weekly newsletter or spring appeal if that’s not what they signed up for. Build a relationship with your audience the right way. 

3. Add New Subscribers to Mailchimp

Subscribers can join your email list from various sources, including surveys, event sign-ups, and website forms. Zapier eliminates some of the manual data entry by automatically adding new leads to Mailchimp, regardless of their origin. Using a simple Zap, save time by eliminating the need to export CSV files or copy and paste contact information. Instead, new email addresses can be automatically added directly to Mailchimp.

💡 Pro Tip: To keep this spreadsheet secure, only share it with the necessary people. One way to do this is to create a custom Google Group in your Google Workspace account. This will generate a group email address (e.g., emarketing@mynpo.org) that you can use to assign rights in the 'Share' section of Google Sheets. Now, whenever anyone joins or leaves your organization, you just have to add or remove them from the Google Group to automatically adjust the access to that spreadsheet. Follow the same process for any Google Docs/Sheets/Slides materials you want to share with a consistent group, but need to keep restricted from everyone else.

4. Add New Subscribers to Custom Lists in Ads

The Google Ad Grant is a powerful tool for driving traffic to your website. When someone signs up for your newsletter after landing on your site from an ad, you'll want to stay on their radar by automatically adding them to your Google Display advertising lists (the one-two-punch of using both your Google Ad Grant and Google Display Ads). This allows you to reconnect with them after they leave—and teach Google more about your ideal audience—especially if you're promoting products or running a fundraising campaign.

Using Customer Match with Zapier, you can automate tasks like adding or removing people from your lists, leading to fewer errors, increased speed and accuracy, and a boost to your advertising ROI. And you can similarly create custom lists inside Facebook/Meta and LinkedIn Ads, as well.

5. Add Leads from Facebook & LinkedIn Ads to MailChimp

Timing is critical when leads are generated from your social media ads. Zapier can instantly trigger a welcome email series or deliver lead magnets (reports, ebooks, webinars) to these prospects, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience.

Email is a powerful tool for nonprofits, but managing a growing list can be challenging. By implementing these simple (or even more advanced) Zapier automations, you can optimize your email program, deliver the right messages to the right people, and ultimately strengthen your connection with supporters and donors.

🤿 Go deeper: Check out Zapier’s Automation Inspiration articles for other ways you can use Zapier to make more of your time.