Many years ago, I began reading about something new to me. Tom Ahern tipped me off to donor newsletters.
Though I’d been in fundraising for nearly ten years by then – focused on individual donors and annual giving – I tended to think of newsletters as something very large organizations sent. (And those were often pretty dull.)
But I’d been given some creative latitude, so I decided to try it. You can read a bit about how that went, and even see my early attempt, here.
But here’s the thing: even those early newsletters did well. Donors loved them. They sent reactions. They sent gifts. Though it wasn’t particularly beautiful, it did connect. They felt more like important insiders.
So don’t stress. You can create a simple 4-page newsletter by using an 11 x 17 sheet of paper, folded in half. Voila! Four pages to fill with stories! (For those of you in Europe, think an A3.) It could be longer, of course… but that’s usually not necessary.
I think a newsletter is an important part of your donor communications plan. I know you may run into organizational roadblocks and I’ll give you some arguments to use later. And you may hesitate to put it all together yourself – I’ll also give you some tips for that.
But discovering what your donors will respond to – that is, good donor comms – takes trying and refining. It’s a process. Better to begin, right?
Before you write your donor newsletter, understand attention
Start by thinking about how your readers will interact with this newsletter. Though I don’t suggest ignoring the copy, I do want you to know something: readers will look at your photos first. They’ll read your headlines. They’ll read the photo captions.
Then, if that’s caught their attention, they’ll read the body of your articles. So do the same: start with gathering good stories that you can illustrate with great photos. Pay attention to the headlines. (Sometimes, you can even tell a great story with photos and captions alone!)
Stories matter to people
I’ve been thinking lately that maybe we shouldn’t call them “newsletters” because the urge is to write a newspaper article… factual, no emotional involvement.
That’s not what you want to do!
Instead, find stories that illustrate your work. Show, don’t report. Step into the feelings and share them. Don’t hold your donors at arm’s length!
You don’t have to be a novelist to do this. I’d suggest setting aside everything you might have learned in school about writing (usually papers). Instead, think about how you might relate a great story to a friend over dinner. Where would you start? What bits would you want to include? How would you describe the scene?
Just like in your appeal letters, write simply. Person to person.
This is a terrific storytelling resource for you.
Keep the donor in your donor newsletter
This is not a newspaper. It’s also not a public relations piece. Or an organizational communications piece. It’s not the place to spotlight your hard work, your staff achievements, or your CEO.
This is about your donors. How they’ve accomplished something. How it affects their community. Why they matter. They’ve supported your mission: this is a dose of good feelings to reward them.
That’s also why you want the tone to be casual and warm, not “professional.” (Professional usually means formal, perfect grammar… stiff.) This is a letter to a friend… with pictures.
Talk to your donors directly
There’s no reason to be standoffish! Address them directly, and credit them directly. You should see the word “you” all over the place! Though you know this newsletter is going to many people, donors should feel it was written just for them.
And again… they get the credit. You don’t need credit; you need donations, right?
Go ahead and ask for help
Donors like to give. And if you only report, you’re cheating them of that opportunity. Don’t cheat them.
Show them what they’ve done. Thank them for what they’ve done. And ask them to give again.
Build those asks in throughout the newsletter. Think of them as opportunities to help. And you can ask for more than money. Invite them to an event. Ask them to be advocates or volunteers. The point is to involve your donors ever more deeply in your mission.
Save the CEO for a cover letter
A warm cover letter, highlighting the stories in your newsletter, is a great place for your CEO to have a voice. (That is, just between us, not in the newsletter!)
That’s also where you can add last-minute information that comes in just as the newsletter itself is finished. No worries! Cover letter to the rescue!
Your newsletter also needs partners. You should send a return envelope and a reply form. But sometimes you can add a little something extra… a note from a beneficiary, an invitation to an event, a story update. Test it and see how your donors respond.
What you may face when you introduce the donor newsletter idea
- We’re too small
- This is too expensive
- How can we get this done?
You’re not too small. And if you want to grow the number of donors, you’ll want to communicate with them as well as you possibly can.
But if a 4-page newsletter isn’t possible yet, try a newsyletter. (All credit to Simone Joyaux for this idea.) A newsyletter is just a letter with photos. It’s not as long or as involved as a 4-page newsletter would be. But you can use it to keep donors in the loop. Short paragraphs, good photos, warm language.
Too expensive? I created my first newsletters using the office printer. But these days, it’s not that expensive to get something printed… or even copied at a store. You’ve probably already got business reply envelopes on hand. So it’s a newsletter and a response form (use both sides – side 2 can be a monthly ask!)
Also, keep in mind that a well-done newsletter is a revenue generator. Both immediately, as donors send gifts in response to it. And in the longer term, as donors feel closer to your mission.
Getting it done can also be hard if you have a small staff. I get it. But adding this to your to-do list will help bring in more donations. And more donations means you have the means to add to your staff. It’s part of growing… a good investment.
Some tips: Better Fundraising has written a terrific e-book about newsletters. Check it out. And Tom Ahern’s book (Making Money with Donor Newsletters) is a must-have.
So there you are, all about newsletters. Have you already created one? Are you thinking about it now? Let me know!
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