Over the past few weeks we have blogged about how to Report back to your donors using donor-centered newsletters.
As you set out to do the important job of Reporting, here’s a short list of the most powerful tips to make your next newsletter a blockbuster:
- It’s not about you! Try to connect your donor directly with the beneficiary and limit (or preferably eliminate entirely) any organizational or institutional news.
- Make it easy to scan and still get the message. Most donors have limited time to engage with your material. If they open your mailings, most are just scanning your newsletter for the highlights. Really make sure your main message is in your headlines and picture captions – the things most likely to get red. Don’t hide the good news at the end of an article!
- While the newsletter is primarily a reporting vehicle, you should still ask for money. Good newsletters raise lots of money! Balance the reporting and fundraising to give the donor great information about the impact of their giving and the chance to continue participating with your mission. On a 4-page newsletter I do 3 pages of Reporting and use 1 page to present a need that donor can meet with a gift today.
Keep this list in front of you as you build your next newsletter. It will help you “keep the main thing the main thing” – and build a newsletter that Reports and raises money!