Checklist for a powerful donor newsletter

Physical specs

Mail it in an envelope. This is far more effective than mailing your newsletter as a self-mailer. It is worth the small extra cost.

There’s a reply device and return envelope. Omitting one or both of them will seriously depress response.

4 pages is about right. Adding more pages adds cost — but not effectiveness. In many cases, cutting down to two pages (that is, a single 8½ x 11″ sheet) can give just as good results — at a lower cost.

Content

The envelope says some variation of Newsletter enclosed.

Most of the stories are about the great things the donor made possible through her giving.

Most of the stories directly address donor to make that completely clear.

Most of the stories are human stories, not descriptions of programs.

None of the stories is about how awesome we are.

Presentation

Headlines are dramatic and specific and built on strong (non-ing) verbs. Write them the way the tabloids do.

Make sure every image tells a story. Photos should be expressive faces making eye contact, understandable action, or interesting context. Think like a filmmaker, not a yearbook editor.

Design for scanability. Lots of entry points into every story: Subheads, pull-quotes, short paragraphs, photo captions, plenty of white space.

Reading grade level is at 6th grade — or lower.

Want to know a lot more about newsletters that really work? Read Making Money with Donor Newsletters by Tom Ahern.