Donor Newsletters

The donor newsletter is one of the most effective fundraising tools in the nonprofit arsenal. It is also often one of the most neglected. A low-cost newsletter audit can identify the strengths, weaknesses, and needed content enhancements to better connect with donors and see enhanced fundraising outcomes. Also, given burdensome printing costs, many nonprofit managers wonder if it’s suitable to just post PDF newsletters and annuals on the website, without incurring all those printing and fulfillment costs. In our view, we are not at that point yet. Donors like to have something in their hands to read and review, away from the screen. Also ‘read rates’ are better with a 3D document. It may be many years before we fully move to the digital platform for all publications. In the meantime, consider seeking donor or vendor support for assistance with printing costs. A print newsletter – when effectively written and designed well – is still a great fundraising tool.