Boost Donor Newsletter Readership with Great Photos by Alan Sharpe

Your fundraising newsletter will attract more readers, raise more funds and retain more donors when you publish outstanding photographs.

Photographs are the most important images you can feature in your donor newsletter. Good photos make your newsletter pages more interesting. They help your non-profit organization communicate immediately who you are and what you do and who you help. Photos, more than other element, help you distinguish one issue of your newsletter from another.

Readers tend to look at photos first, then headlines, then photo captions, then the article. Which means your photographs must grab the attention of your readers. Here’s how to recognize a great photo when you see one (or take one).

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Email newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with your audience, and ensure you stay top of mind on a regular basis. Newsletters by email are easy, inexpensive, they promote your organization on a regular basis and they add to your overall marketing mix by providing you extra face time with your audience. So what’s the best strategy for conducting an email newsletter campaign? Here are a few suggestions that keep your emails out of the deleted folder:

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One of the most important decisions you'll ever have to make about your email newsletter is which company to choose for delivery. Choose wrong and maybe your newsletter will never see the light of day in your members email inbox. Choose right and your provider will seamlessly supply whitelisting, subscription management, tracking and reporting, and much more.

Here's a comprehensive checklist of basic features you'll find important. Use it to find a good match with the right email newsletter provider.

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It isn't often I get the pleasure of writing a book review on a subject so near and dear to my heart: Creating newsletters, magazines, and websites. As the owner and creator of several websites that double as an online magazine, newsletter and yellow pages phone book for the nonprofit world, it was wonderful to be able to "pick the brains", so to speak, of nonprofit publishing experts Cheryl Woodard and Lucia Hwang.

Their recently released book, Every Nonprofit's Guide to Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Magazines & Websites People Will Read, by Nolo.com, contains exactly the kind of essential information I wish had been available to me back in 1996 when I first ventured into the world of publishing.

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A conversation with Cheryl Woodard & Lucia Hwang, authors of Every Nonprofit's Guide to Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Magazines & Websites People Will Read.

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INTERVIEWER: Do you recommend that all print publications also have websites?

CHERYL: Absolutely! Today, people expect organizations, companies and associations--even their neighborhood restaurants-to have a website. If readers can't find you online, you miss an opportunity to get your message out to the public, and your organization loses credibility.

LUCIA: That's right. And producing a professional website is easier and less expensive than you may imagine.

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9 Ways to Get a Newsrack Look on a Nonprofit Budget

1. Don't skimp on cover art. If you have a limited art budget, spend the majority of it on the cover image. Be sure to give your artist exact specifications about what you'll need-and don't forget to save room for the logo, cover lines, and perhaps also the address label and bar code if those ultimately appear on your cover.

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Question: Can we loose our nonprofit status if we have too much advertising sales success?

Generally speaking, your organization’s tax exemption covers any activity that is substantially related to the charitable, educational or other purpose that forms the basis upon which the IRS granted the exemption, even if the activity is a business activity. However, if the organization regularly carries on a business that’s not substantially related to its exempt purpose, the organization is subject to income tax on any profits from that activity.

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Newsletters: Writing Columns by Debrah Jefferson

What is a column? A column is not a news article, but it is news. It generally answers why and how. It often is personal, using the first and second person (I and you). A column often states an opinion. It is said to be like writing an open letter. A column also has a standard head, called a title, and a by-line (name) at the top. These identify you and your column for the reader.

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Millions of companies and corporations annually distribute billions of newsletters to their customers/clients. Most deal, in whole or in part, with industry-specific issues. Many of these vendor-to-customer newsletters have been around for a decade or longer. Smart marketers have discovered that distributing a high quality newsletter can be an effective tool for reaching their target markets. Compared to other marketing mediums (TV, radio, or print media such as magazine ads), newsletters are very cost effective.

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It is easy to get carried away and spend a bundle of money on newsletters. To help contain the high costs often associated with this type of printed product, there are several expense reduction concepts you can employ.

Most newsletters are designed to deliver the same basic look each month. The contents may change (each quarter, month, etc.) but the design usually remains about the same - and for good reason: It establishes a certain look that your client/customers hopefully will recognize and anticipate receiving on a regular basis.

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Several factors can bring about writer’s block: lack of a clear writing plan, too little research, anxiety and even boredom. Follow these steps to wipe out writer’s block:

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A newsletter can be a wonderful means of communication. Research consistently shows people like newsletters. People like to get timely information tailored to their interests — information that is quick and easy to read.

But to communicate, a newsletter must get read. It can't get thrown away before being opened, or banished to the to-be-read pile.

You want your newsletter to be a vital piece of communication that people look forward to receiving. This only happens through planning and commitment.

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How does your newsletter rate? Take a few minutes to score your evaluation of your newsletter. A perfect score is 170. Anything below 100 means you need to make some drastic changes.

Look to see where you're strong and weak. Build on your strengths and improve your weaknesses.

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Does your nonprofit group need a newsletter?

You bet it does. Meetings and gatherings are great ways for your membership to become informed, to socialize and learn. But how many of your members come to every meeting? I thought so, not very many. Don't feel bad, it's that way with every nonprofit group. The nucleus of the group will tirelessly dedicate themselves to the point of burnout while the fringe members will participate when it is convenient.

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