How to transform your newsletters to be donor-centric

Missed our recent Fundraising Refreshments webinar on crafting stories around your content? Check it out: 

Newsletters are where we connect with our audience and continue to build trust with them. We are able to show our donors the impact their gift has had on the community and shower them with gratitude for their generosity. 

Newsletters show donors they're on the front lines with us (because they are!) and inspire confidence in the organization’s ability to accomplish the mission. Feeling like part of the team, donors then raise more money for the cause they support.  

But sometimes we focus too much on ourselves when we speak to our donors.  

Oftentimes, nonprofits struggle to find the right mix between thanking their donors and highlighting the organization's accomplishments.  

Here’s what newsletters tend to look like when that balance falls too heavily on talking about the organization: 

• The donor is not the main audience. Nonprofits will often try to make newsletters cover everything and everyone, from donors, to volunteers, to staff. Newsletters are for showing gratitude to the donor, not a massive thank-you card to everyone involved.  
• The content leaves the donor out. Some newsletters will completely focus on the organization’s accomplishments or upcoming fundraising events. Remember, it’s all about the donor.  
• Press releases are reused. Press releases are for the mass audience, not for your already-supportive donors. Your donors deserve something just for them. 
• The organization is put in the spotlight. Wanting to highlight your accomplishments is great! But it should be done at an appropriate time, not when you are thanking someone for their generosity to your organization. 

From here, Vice President of Client Partnership Lisa Rossi shares four ways nonprofits can improve their newsletters to become more donor-centric and create more engagement.