Your Organization’s Newsletter: Creating an Effective Fundraising and Marketing Tool
By Laura Esposito, Creative Director
St. Vincent Meals on Wheels had been doing a newsletter for 15 years with modest success. In 1998, Schultz & Williams took over the editorial content, design and production management and now the Bread Basket generates planned giving leads, promotes events and encourages donors to call and write notes after each issue. Best of all, it moves donors to give over $100,000 a year in additional support.
How did we do it? By redefining its purpose, creating a consistent identity, focusing on the program’s mission and putting it on a consistent schedule.
With a little effort, you can do it too!
I. Focus on Your Newsletter’s Purpose
- Inform and connect with your donors, volunteers, clients
- Upgrade overall giving and cultivate future gifts through bequests and planned giving
- Raise funds by including a gift envelope
- Recognize the efforts of your current volunteers – and recruit new ones
- Keep community leaders and the media informed about your activities
- Say what can’t be said in your direct mail appeals, and reach people who don’t receive your direct mail appeals
II. Maximize Your Efforts Through Effective Distribution
- Mail to all donors (individuals, foundations and corporations)
- Deliver to all clients
- Mail to all volunteers
- Mail to community leaders (including all politicians who represent
your area) and the media (including print, radio and TV)
III. Some Features to Include in Your Newsletter
- Client story: To connect to readers’ hearts and let donors know
they make a difference
- Volunteer story: To encourage more volunteers and show donors
how cost-efficient you are
- Staff member story: To give donors an inside view of your program.
- Donor highlight: To give one specific donor recognition while encouraging others to increase their commitment.
- Focus on giving: To generate planned giving leads by informing donors, volunteers and clients about every aspect of bequests and planned giving
- Executive director’s column: To connect readers with your leader
- Major gifts and grants: To give recognition to donors
- Articles on upcoming events: Keep everyone informed and invited to everything from black-tie dinners to rummage sales
- Donor club updates: Invite all readers to join donor clubs and publish names of renewing donor club members
- Support group column: Publicize the activities of your support group and invite new members.
- The gift envelope! This is a great mini-appeal and can be used to generate planned giving leads, memorial gifts and special contributions.
IV. Style and Content
- Keep it simple yet engaging with large photos and short stories; people will only spend a few minutes reading your publication. Let them know, at a glance, why they should read your newsletter.
- Remember your purpose: write from your heart and in a personal style.
- Design dos and don’ts: don’t look too prosperous, do use large clear type, use good photos, and remember that picture is worth a thousand words
V. Maximizing Your Budget
- Use staff, volunteers, even clients as writers
- Photography from pros, amateurs and stock houses
VI. Optimum Timing Matters
- Coordinate your newsletter with your direct mail program and other marketing efforts
