About that Newsletter

This includes what medium to use (print versus digital), what to write, how to format it and how often to send it. These are all the pragmatic and tactical aspect of producing a non-profit newsletter.

 

But the non-obvious discussion missing from all of this requires us to zoom out from the pragmatic details.

 

What is the purpose of a non-profit newsletter?

 

Better yet, what is the purpose of your organization’s newsletter?

 

The way I see it, your newsletter is a distribution channel. The purpose of a distribution channel is to share content, messages, and so on.

 

Potentially, your distribution channels have multiple audience segments. Content helps you build relationships with subscribers and readers, as well as donors. This content can engage, inspire and activate people.

 

But here’s the thing, in order for content to have a return on investment for your organization, you have to strategically use it. Because if you think about, subscribers and readers of a newsletter have no inherent value to your organization. It’s donors that are of value to your organization.

 

So, who should your newsletter content really be for? You must be clear about this. In my opinion, it’s most valuable to produce a newsletter for donors.

 

And that brings us back to thinking about the purpose of your newsletter. It’s a fundraising and relationship building tool.

 

Your organization should not be sending out a newsletter just because it’s what you think you should be doing. If you’re going to put time and resources into a communications channel, there needs to be a clear purpose and objective.

 

As I said earlier, subscribers and readers have little inherent value. They become valuable when they take action. That could be making a donation, signing a petition, volunteering, and so on. So, your newsletter should be able moving those relationships forward and into something of value for your non-profit.

 

But I want to be clear, that’s not to say that your newsletter shouldn’t provide value to your readers. It absolutely should. Your job is to strike a balance between value for your readers and value for your organization.

 

Here’s my question for you – is your newsletter currently serving your organization in this way? Do you need to take a step back and reevaluate the purpose for your newsletter?

 

It’s easy to get off track and lose sight of our strategic goals. Make it a habit of reconnecting with them regularly to ensure that you are getting the right return on investment on your work.

 

Written By Vanessa Chase Lockshin, in The Storytelling Nonprofit