Why aren’t you creating a donor newsletter?

If you can create a good donor newsletter, it’s donor magic.

This is your opportunity to love your donors with abandon. To show them what amazing things they’ve accomplished with their gift.

It’s also a chance to keep them up to date on your mission. And to offer them a chance to support you again.

So if you don’t have one, why don’t you?

It’s too hard

I can tell you it is absolutely NOT too hard. And that if you wait for perfect, you’ll bypass all kinds of opportunities to build your donor relationships.

So, here’s what you do.

Find 3-4 stories that illustrate your mission at work. These don’t need to be novels. Anecdotes can work.

Don’t have stories? You need them! And it’s everyone’s job in the organization to share them.

Start today. Create a story bank. Set up a shared folder. Then encourage all your colleagues to make notes and add them. Reassure them that they don’t have to be a writer. Just record what they saw or heard.

You need to get out of the office, too. Go see the mission as it happens. You’ll need that fresh, personal take when you write the newsletter. You want to be able to share feelings, not reports.

I don’t know how to create a donor newsletter!

So, you have stories or the information you can use to create stories. Write them! It’s easier than you might think. Imagine your favorite donor. Maybe she’s been giving for years. Maybe he just found your cause and is full of passion.

Imagine that you’re just having a conversation with them. Don’t sweat the perfect storytelling rules. Just share.

Remember, you can edit all of this later. Just tell your stories to someone who really cares and let your fingers go without restrictions.

If you really have no idea what stories to tell, look for good images first. I’ll bet your organization has a collection of images somewhere already. Look through them. Which tell a story? Could you find out more about what’s happening there?

You’re going to want good photos, anyway. So starting with them is a smart move!

But I’m not a designer

A great newsletter usually has great design. And by that, I mean design that’s all about the reader.

But don’t let this trip you up! I’ve shared the newsletter I did years ago when I first heard about the idea. It’s right out of Publisher design. {Insert pause here, while I cringe.}

But you know what? Our donors loved it. They didn’t care that it wasn’t perfect. Because it was perfectly about them. It celebrated them… so what’s not to love?

You can start now with something basic and make improvements as you go.

Donor newsletters are too expensive

Ah, printing and mailing costs. These are often the first objections you’ll hear. And yes, the purse-holders will need to trust you on this. Or they can trust the experience of so many other organizations who have found that newsletters are not a net expense at all, but a new income source.

The donor newsletter I mentioned above? From the start, it brought in at least as much as an appeal. Often more.

Or if you want something to aspire to, look at the Nashville Rescue Mission’s newsletter. They made a big investment in their newsletter. Now, it raises millions for them each year. (Don’t promise millions yet, though!)

If you only have a small number of donors, you can print the newsletter on the office copier. Use a tabloid sheet of paper (11 x 17). Print on both sides. Then fold it in half, then in thirds. It will now fit in a regular #10 envelope.

If you have enough donors to make it worthwhile to have it printed and mailed do so. I hope you already have a great mail house. (They can be lifesavers!) Work with them to get the best results at the lowest cost. You might be able to use nonprofit stamps, for instance. They’ll look like first-class to your donors but cost you less.

If you can afford it, or you have someone with design skills, pay to have a template done. A catchy masthead and some general direction for story layout will be something you can use over and over again. Worth it!

Who has time?

Will a newsletter take time? Yes, of course, it will. And more time if you want it to be all it can be.

But let me ask you… what would you be doing with that time that would delight your donors more?

How long would it take you to write up a few 300-word stories?

Or to interview a volunteer or donor? (Those count as cultivation, so it’s a double win!)

How much time should you spend on donor appreciation, cultivation, and recognition? As much as you possibly can!

One last word on creating a donor newsletter

You may find that putting together this newsletter becomes one of the most fun parts of your work. You get to spend time thinking about your organization’s work, and how it’s helped. And you get to think about how to make your donors feel happy and needed.

Why not start now?

Photo by Brittney Burnett on Unsplash