A good donor newsletter makes donors feel their impact so strongly they may want to give again — as soon as right now! 

***

Every few months, Brett takes the lead in reviewing our streaming subscriptions.

He asks: Which services are we actually using? Which ones have we forgotten about? Are we missing something great on a service we previously canceled?

Ah... That moment of clarity.

It's become his ritual to ensure we're not wasting money on unused channels while maximizing our viewing enjoyment. (We recently reactivated Hulu to try Farmer Wants A Wife. Don't judge! 😂)

I share this because I think it's similar to how we should approach our donor communications.

Just like those streaming subscriptions, our donor newsletters need regular evaluation.

Are they truly serving our donors? Are they generating joy and connection? Or are you just churning them out like widgets in a factory?

The difference is that unused streaming services show up clearly on credit card statements, but ineffective donor communications have no visible reminders.

Their cost is hidden but substantial — in donor attrition ... in reduced giving ... and in missed opportunities to inspire greater generosity.

Which is why I ask...

Is your donor newsletter leaving love — and money — on the table?

What follows is a visual "cheat sheet" of newsletter tips for you to peruse and use.

Flip through this 4-page donor newsletter we wrote for one of our clients. Take a look and see if you're doing all the things that I've marked with circles, arrows, and captions. 

If your current donor newsletters "are checking all these boxes," wonderful!

If not, or if you could use a refresher...

March 27th: mark your calendar?

If your donor newsletters are not yet where you know they deserve to be, mark your calendar for March 27, 2025, and join fundraising legend Tom Ahern (and Lisa Sargent during the bottomless Q&A session!) for the once-in-2025 webinar:

​Retention’s Best Friend​: Donor Newsletters & Other Irresistible Thank-Yous​

• You'll learn how a printed donor newsletter published by a Catholic diocese increased giving 317% by simplifying its cover and switching from program-focused to donor-focused...
  
  
• You'll meet an amazingly lucrative donor newsletter that has raised more than $2 million a year to benefit a city homeless shelter, bringing in a return on investment of almost $7 in giving for every $1 spent...
  
  
• You'll see why a simple shift in voice increased giving to a hospital foundation's newsletter 1,000%, bringing in $50,000 in added gifts per issue...
  
  
• You'll learn how to spot (and correct) common fatal flaws that undermine many donor newsletters: not enough warmth, telling the wrong story, unskimmable, etc...
  
  
• You'll explore (and have for future reference) a rich library of successful newsletters (in print and emailed) you can “model” on (i.e., steal from).

Plus: Real case studies, CFRE credits (1.5 points), and our "All-You-Can-Eat Q&A" — which often lasts another 2-3 hours beyond the main training.

Can’t attend live?

No worries!

You’ll get the full video recording + slides within 24 hours of the webinar's ending.

Why act now?​
→ There'll be just one Ahern webby like this in 2025.
→ Your $129 investment could make a million-dollar difference.
→ Your donors deserve better than "good enough."
​

👉 Reserve YOUR SPOT Now