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Remember a few months ago, when Apple unveiled the new iPad Pro with an ad featuring a hydraulic press crushing paint cans, guitars, and the very spirit of human creativity? Now, Apple’s iOS 18 will bring that same approach to your email preheader text. With the new update, Apple will remove standard preheaders from its Mail app, replacing them with AI-generated summaries tailored to each recipient.
With approximately 50% of email users utilizing Apple’s native mail client, this change has the potential to change how emails — including important year-end fundraising emails — show up in supporter’s inboxes.
Preheaders have traditionally been an important piece of the email “envelope,” helping messages to stand out in inboxes, provide additional context, and entice readers to open them. The new AI-generated summaries will provide a unique preview for each recipient, adding a layer of personalization but also removing an organization’s control over that initial messaging.
So what’s a digital fundraiser to do? Here are 3 strategies to consider:
- Write compelling, unique subject lines. Your subject line should grab the reader’s attention AND convey the email’s value. Don’t be afraid to make it fun, serious, curiosity-inducing, or uniquely you. Try a subject line that couldn’t be sent by any other organization, because of how specific it is to you and your work.
- Start your message with a strong hook. Since the first few lines of the email will now carry more weight, it’s now more important than ever to grab the reader right away. Why should the reader care? Why should they donate or take action right now? Those answers should be clear from the very start. (Not sure how? Might I recommend our 22 Ledes That Always Work!)
- Test, test, test! Use A/B testing to experiment with different subject lines and content structures. Analyze which combinations lead to higher open and engagement rates, helping you refine your approach over time.
Will this change ultimately affect open rates and fundraising results? We don’t know yet! But it does give us an opportunity to focus on writing meaningful content that drives action and deepens connections with donors and advocates.
Are you changing anything about your email strategy in response to this change? Let us know.
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Rachael Wolber, Vice President and Digital Fundraising and Advocacy Area Lead, has been designing effective online advocacy, fundraising and recruitment strategies for non-profits for a decade. She’s helped groups including Feeding America, World Wildlife Fund, Oxfam America, and March of Dimes run and grow sophisticated online fundraising and advocacy programs. Offline, you can find her hiking in New Hampshire’s White Mountains and baking her top-secret chocolate chip cookie recipe.