Do you ever hear a song lyric wrong ...

... and then it stays stuck in your head that way?

Take, for example, Prince's song "Little Red Corvette."

Brett's (11-year-old) ears in 1982 somehow misheard the "little red Corvette" chorus as "steal away, come on, hey."

In his wee brain there was, well, this whole other song.

I enjoy this. It's goofy good fun. It makes me laugh.

But it also means Brett hears the song differently than others do — never in the way Prince intended. (No Corvette vibes.)

Which brings me to donor newsletters.

The word "newsletter" makes me think of "news" — obviously.

That's appropriate — partially.

A newsletter should feature news... but not only news.

And so — like a misheard title — the word "newsletter" may invite a sort of (subliminal) misunderstanding that gets stuck in your head.

Therefore, perhaps it's worth pondering:

What to put in your donor newsletter...

It's not complicated.

It's just important to remember.

So we give you a checklist of sorts, for what you might include in your donor newsletter:

1. News — Yes, of course, highlight your news! This will usually take the form of...
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2. Stories of Impact — For each story of impact, first remind us of the story of need, then follow with the impact the donor's support made possible.
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3. Images — Make sure your images tell the story. Nothing in them should distract from the story. Focus on people... animals ... faces... eyes.
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4. Captions — People are trained to read captions. Valuable real estate! Don't disappoint!
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5. A Story of Need — Consider including a story of need that has not yet been resolved. And consider following it with...
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6. A Call to Action — After including a current story of need, ask the donor to take action such as donating, becoming a monthly donor, or volunteering.
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   ​(This should be brief and not a "hard sell.")​
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7. A "Save the Date" – If you have an upcoming event or program to promote, consider writing a short paragraph asking your donors to "save the date."
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8. Stories of Social Proof — These are special impact stories featuring donors and volunteers. They often motivate others to try to be like them.
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9. A Letter — Often from the Executive Director or the Board President... keep this (optional) letter short, sweet, and focused on how the donor has helped.
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10. Headlines — Your headlines should be visually bold, specific, and donor-centered.
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11. Subheadings — Your subheadings should help your headlines by "commenting" on them, so that your donors can immediately connect to the gist of the story.
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12. Reply Form and Envelope — Make sure you provide an opportunity for your donors to give again!
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13. Outer Envelope — Use one! Newsletters that arrive in outer envelopes almost always raise more money than do self mailers with no envelope. 🙌

While you're here...

Why not read a little more?

Here are a few more blog posts you might like:

1. Thank You for the "Mental Real Estate"

2. You Can't Feel "Empty Urgency"

3. X-ray of a Donor Newsletter -- "Know Your Bones"

4. You Can't Get Donors to FEEL It If You Don't Feel It First

 5. How to Make Your Fundraising "Last Words" ECHO-echo-echo