Rick Middleton Copywriting

Does the non-profit donor newsletter still have a role in today’s brave new world of virtual communication and devastating budget cutbacks? I believe it does, and in fact, I think it can be a more powerful tool than ever. But some things have to change, too.

Simply put, there are too many lousy newsletters still out there. Most of them were launched with the best of intentions – the organization realized it had a compelling story and created a vehicle to tell that story on a regular basis. The problem is, it takes a bit of work, talent and insight to tell that story in meaningful and compelling ways. I think most newsletters can be improved with a few techniques or simple changes in perspective that an organization can incorporate to bring out their best side.

The Ideal Donor Newsletter:

Crafting Publications Your Supporters Will Love

Thankfully, some organizations are doing brilliant and award-winning work in this area. They are giving their donors highly-readable communications that approach the ideal of total reader engagement. Let’s look at several characteristics of these pieces that make the “ideal donor newsletter” worth emulating.

1. Donors feel like the newsletter is written just for them, or even “to” them. There is enough informality and friendliness to make it as engaging as a letter from an old classmate. Articles are written to “you” as a donor/supporter/volunteer/alumni, and you feel part of that larger family as you read it. It certainly doesn’t feel cold or corporate or stilted.

2. When a donor reads each article, he thinks, “wow, that’s news to me.” It may be information that he learns for the first time – plans for a new gymnasium to replace the old facility that most alumni remember – or it may be a prominent story presented in a new and relevant way. For example, you might discuss a well-known story like a global health crisis from the perspective of two of your institution’s physicians who participated in a public health initiative to address the issue.

3. The headlines pull the reader into the story. This is an art form that daily newspapers and national magazines have perfected; every headline in these high-profile publications is crafted to quickly grab your attention and give you a reason to read further. Many newsletters fail in this key area, however. Headlines that are clichéd, vague or boring can sometimes turn people off before they even begin, and an interesting article goes unread. For example, a headline which simply says, “Hospital Supporter Helps Others” is weak, and the reader may abandon an article that actually contains some interesting information about donor benevolence and community involvement.

Even worse are the regular columns with a standing/ repeating headline. I recently stumbled across a nonprofit newsletter article about an employee who has a fascinating connection to a prominent celebrity, but the generic column title (“Focus on Our People”) gave me no clue that this information was coming. Readers who skipped over the bland headline actually missed some wonderful behind-the-scenes glimpses of one of television’s most famous personalities. If you have a regular leader’s column, do you slap the predictable “From the President” above the text, or do you provide a provocative headline that will draw readers in? A column that asks the question “Do We Still Need Universities?” would provide a nice tease to a college president’s short essay on the future of higher education.

4. The subheads keep people reading. I consider subheads almost as important as the initial headline. Subheads help break longish articles into manageable chunks, and also provide another billboard that says, “I’m worth reading.” People skim, and subheads help them skim more effectively – and if you help them “skim easier,” they’ll actually end up reading.

5. The newsletter is warm. The charitable impulse is all about the desire to help (whether its people or animals or causes), and that impulse should be reflected in your newsletter stories. Donors have an emotional investment in the causes they support, and your newsletter needs to reflect that. If they care enough about the environment to contribute toward the protection of the earth, shouldn’t your stories and graphics reflect the emotions of the donor – from the anxiety of struggling to prevent environmental degradation to the joy of making a difference? Cold statistics and dry statements of fact are okay in small doses, but if they overwhelm the story you’ll have a charitable newsletter that’s as dull as a corporate financial report.

6. The newsletter makes the donor feel like she matters. Although your donor certainly wants to know about the students who are walking the same halls she walked decades earlier, you don’t want to be so focused on “school news” and student life and institutional building projects that you make her feel like she doesn’t matter anymore. Instead, build a connection to the things that matter to her. Let her know how she’s helping to inspire young minds with her gift. Show her that the school is enriched each day by her legacy and her gifts.

7. The newsletter is interesting – and not just mildly interesting, but really interesting.  Hopefully your writer is a curious soul who works to “get more interested” in the inner workings of the cause or the institution so that he/she can convey fascinating information in the newsletter’s stories.

Let me give an example: After writing for a well-known international non-profit for several years, I took a job with a local health system in Akron, Ohio. At first, the hospital seemed a bit less interesting than the international charity (the charity worked to alleviate poverty, assist refugees and feed the hungry on several continents). However, once I understood that the health system had its own rich history, I became a much more effective writer. I learned that the main campus was an historic hospital, and that the primary donor was one of Akron’s leading rubber magnates. The system also had a campus in another part of the city – the historic St. Thomas Hospital, which is where Alcoholic’s Anonymous was born. And as I became more fluent in medical news and information, the work of physicians and researchers seemed every bit as compelling as a disaster relief program or an advocacy initiative.

Ideally, your newsletter writer will convey that kind of enthusiasm in his newsletter copy and generate a long string of compelling stories. I once talked to a neurologist who was convinced that the cure for Alzheimer’s was only five years away; I’ve produced newsletters that gave donors first-hand glimpses of war, hurricanes, and miraculous recoveries from disease and hunger; I’ve been privileged to relay the words of donors who are genuinely humbled that they are able to fund a research facility or a new hospital wing. These are fascinating snapshots of our world and our neighborhoods that only we, as non-profit communicators, can provide.

8. The newsletter is linked, leveraged and locked-in to the organization’s larger goals. A good newsletter does not compete with the organization’s other key communications pieces like direct mail, website, email, blogs, and press releases. In fact, it steers people towards these vehicles, providing complementary information and directing people to look deeper into the organization if they want to explore issues in more depth. Where possible, newsletters should borrow from the PBS model; during most PBS programs, quick pop-ups will direct the viewer to “go to PBS.org for more information.” Effective organizations can also leverage their most compelling newsletter stories by offering extra material on websites and blogs.

Today, all print communication is under intense pressure due to economic threats and societal shifts which have changed the way we interact. But print, despite the threats, remains a viable and flexible medium that plays a unique role in organizations. Many organizations see their donor newsletter as a vital centerpiece of their marketing plan – a forum for telling good stories and reaching the hearts and minds of donors. And if it’s important enough to write, design, print and mail, it’s important enough to do well.

Want to discuss your organization's newsletter -- or thinking about launching one? I'd love to talk with you!