Email Deliverability for Charities: SPF, DKIM, DMARC Done Right

A charity sends a fundraising email to 1,000 supporters. They expect 200 opens (20% open rate). They get 80. Why? Half went to spam.

The fix is not content; it is email authentication. Set up three DNS records and watch open rates jump.

The problem: why emails go to spam

Email servers are paranoid. When they receive an email from nonprofit@yourcharity.org, they ask: "Is this real, or forged?"

If you do not prove it is real, the email goes to spam. You need to prove it with three records: SPF, DKIM, DMARC.

What is SPF (Sender Policy Framework)?

SPF tells email servers: "These are the servers approved to send email from our domain."

Example: Your email provider (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, etc.) sends emails on your behalf. You tell email servers "Yes, Mailchimp is approved."

How to set up SPF

1. Ask your email provider for the SPF record (it looks like: v=spf1 include:mailchimp.com ~all).
2. Go to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.).
3. Edit DNS records.
4. Add a TXT record with the SPF.
5. Save. Wait 24-48 hours for propagation.

What is DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)?

DKIM cryptographically signs emails to prove they came from you and have not been tampered with.

Think of it like your digital signature. Email servers verify the signature and trust the email.

How to set up DKIM

1. Ask your email provider for the DKIM public key (they give you a DNS record).
2. Go to your domain registrar.
3. Add a TXT record with the DKIM public key.
4. Save. Wait 24-48 hours.

Most email providers (Mailchimp, Donorbox, etc.) make this automatic. Check their documentation for your specific provider.

What is DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)?

DMARC tells email servers what to do with emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks.

You have two options: p=none (just monitor), p=quarantine (put in spam), or p=reject (bounce).

Start with p=none; once you have confidence, move to p=quarantine.

How to set up DMARC

1. Create a DMARC policy: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:postmaster@yourcharity.org
2. (This says "Monitor, do not quarantine yet. Send reports to postmaster email.")
3. Go to your domain registrar.
4. Add a TXT record with the DMARC policy.
5. Save. Wait 24-48 hours.

Testing: make sure it is working

Use a free tool like MXToolbox (mxtoolbox.com) to check:

• SPF lookup: verify your SPF record is correct.
• DKIM lookup: verify your DKIM record is published.
• DMARC lookup: verify your DMARC record is published.

If all three show "Pass," you are good. If any show "Fail," something is wrong. Double-check DNS entries.

Real-world scenario

Before authentication setup

Email sent to 1,000 supporters. 30% bounce or go to spam. Open rate: 10%.

After authentication setup

Same email sent to 1,000 supporters. 5% bounce (normal). Open rate: 25%.

That is a 150% improvement. All from three DNS records.

This guide is part of our Charity Digital and Data hub, where you can explore every practical guide in this area.