Tag: Newsletters

Maybe you’ve seen this happen: You decide to create a donor newsletter. Smart move. If you create a piece that tells stories about the difference donors make by giving, you will tighten your connection with donors. And that will mean improved donor retention. It’s a dependable step. But sometimes, something goes wrong that derails the…

A well-built donor newsletter does two important things: It raises net revenue, and in improves donor retention. That’s money in the door now, and future money for your cause. Is your newsletter doing those things? Check out this post from the Hand On Fundraising blog, at 10 reasons your newsletter could raise more money to…

Effective donor newsletters raise net revenue. That’s not their primary purpose (which is improving donor retention by showing them their giving matters). But when done right, they raise money. For some organizations (not all), they are just as effective as appeals at unlocking donor generosity. How do you make it work? Here’s a great list,…

Donor newsletters are a powerful tool in fundraising. Done well, they can dramatically boost donor retention — the rate at which donors continue to donate. And that, as you know, is among the most important jobs we have as fundraisers. The longer a donor stays with you, the more valuable they become. Many newsletters utterly…

Newsletter Tuesdays: A series about doing more with your donor newsletter. What should be in your donor newsletter? Here are some common things that work well: Stories of transformation, victory, and change, with the donor’s part in making it happen emphasized. This is the main ingredient of any donor newsletter. Everything else is optional, but…

Newsletter Tuesdays: A series about doing more with your donor newsletter. I’ve done a lot of donor newsletters, and I’ve tested a lot of approaches. Here’s what I know… Newsletter format musts Mail your newsletter in envelope. Don’t make it a self-mailer. That may cost less, but a self mailer gets lower response. This is…

Newsletter Tuesdays: A series about doing more with your donor newsletter. How many times should you send a donor newsletter per year? That’s kind of a “how long is a piece of string” question, but here’s some information that might be helpful: What others do First, the sad news: Most organizations don’t have a donor…

Newsletter Tuesdays: A series about doing more with your donor newsletter. Great newsletters usually have great photos. Because photos tell stories, and the big story every newsletter should tell is “Good things are happening, thanks to you!” But not all photos do the job. You’ve seen the “firing squad” photos: Some people are lined up…

Newsletter Tuesdays: A series about doing more with your donor newsletter. The standard structure for a written news stories is the Inverted Pyramid: Start with the most important elements of the story, then work your way to less-important things. It’s thought to be a service to readers, who can learn the basics about what’s going…

Newsletter Tuesdays: A series about doing more with your donor newsletter. Here’s a painful truth: your newsletter might not work even if you’ve got the storytelling and headline-writing down perfect. Even if you’re doing everything well. It’s the donors. Not you. Some donors aren’t quite donors. They’ve given money, and that’s great. But their connection…