Tip of the Week: Avoid 7 deadly sins of donor newsletters
How many times have I said this to a client: “Your donor newsletter is so long, boring, and poorly written that I can’t stand to read it! Even though I love your work! And you’re paying me!”
You probably put great effort into donor communications and your newsletter might be a cornerstone of that program. Creating something that truly adds value to your fundraising and builds a meaningful connection with your donors requires more than just dryly reporting on your work. No one wants to feel that pang of guilt as they toss your unread newsletter into the bin.
Communications expert Tom Ahern has a new book coming out at the end of this month called The Mercifully Brief, Real World Guide To Raising More Money With Newsletters Than You Ever Thought Possible. I’m sure it will be excellent. Here’s one of the chapters (they really are brief!):
These Seven Flaws Are Killing You
- Flaw #1: Your newsletter fails the “you test.” I’ll explain that simple (but critical) test later. For now just keep in mind that a good donor newsletter is friendly, even intimate, in tone. If you insist instead on an institutional voice, you distance yourself from your readers.
- Flaw #2: Your newsletter skimps on emotional triggers. You already know that charity starts when you move a heart. In a donor newsletter, tugging the heartstrings is a full-time job.
- Flaw #3: You claim it’s a newsletter (i.e., a bearer of news), but it’s really just an excuse to say hi. Here’s a clue: You devote your front page to a ponderous letter “from the desk ofâ€? an ED or board chair. Beware: a newsletter with no news value is a waste of time and money. And donors are quite demanding: they want very specific kinds of news. Their interest in your organization can quickly wane if you fail to deliver.
- Flaw #4: Your newsletter is not “donor-centered.” It does not make the donor feel needed or wanted. Remember: donors don’t give to your organization. They give through your organization, in an effort to change the world. You have to give the donor credit as well as thanks.
- Flaw #5: The newsletter is not set up for rapid skimming and browsing. On the contrary, you assume people will read long articles. Here’s the harsh truth: most of your audience won’t have time to give your newsletter more than a glance. If you bury important information in long articles, most people will miss it.
- Flaw #6: Your newsletter has weak or dysfunctional headlines. If any of the fatal flaws deserves the title of “Most Deadly,” this is it. Headlines have a function: to summarize the key points of the story. Most donor newsletters I’ve seen fail at that simple task.
- Flaw #7: It depends far too much on statistics (and far too little on anecdotes) to make your case.
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- Software discount coming next week
- Nonprofit balancing act
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- Tip of the Week: Making connections at special events
