Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

I get this question all the time when I teach newsletter courses. It’s a very common question because (1) the nonprofit staff asked to “do the newsletter” rarely have any graphic design experience and (2) all they have on their computers is the Microsoft Office Suite, so they start with Word or Publisher and quickly suspect (wisely) that those programs don’t easily produce high-quality newsletters for offset printing.

While many printers will begrudgingly handle Word and Publisher files, they still strongly prefer that you use desktop publishing software considered to be industry standards. That means working in one of three programs:

• InDesign (Adobe)
• PageMaker (Adobe)
• Quark Xpress

These programs play nicely with the software that printers use to create the files they need on their end to run the print press. Microsoft products do not play well with others.

Unfortunately, these three programs are not cheap. They all cost several hundred dollars. So what is a nonprofit to do?

The best option, if you can’t afford the software outright, is to get it from a source that supplies discounted copies to nonprofits.

Adobe offers discounts of around 50% to nonprofits through selected members of its educational resellers network. Tech Soup can help you get even deeper discounts, but you have to meet specific criteria and they are currently out of stock on the titles I’m talking about. Quark also offers nonprofit pricing.

If you still can’t get your hands on a copy, ask your printer if he’d prefer a PDF and then convert your file to a PDF. It may save the printer a step in the pre-press process, which could save you a few bucks on your printing bill, but only if your PDF is set up correctly. This solution works best for black and white jobs. Talk to your printer about the settings you need before converting your documents and sending them to print as a PDF.

Earlier this week I taught “Strategies for Successful Nonprofit Newsletters” for the Duke University Certificate Program in Nonprofit Management. During the course, several students expressed their frustrations about working with their executive directors on various newsletter issues. Here are three questions they asked and how I answered.

Q: We always have to print the “letter from the director” on the cover and it’s always boring and awful. What do we do?

A: I recommend dropping the letter entirely. More often than not, they are stream of consciousness ramblings that add little value to the newsletter. Many executive directors dread writing them, and it shows. Every article in the newsletter should be written for the readers, not for the director’s ego.

If you must keep the letter or you believe it does provide value to the readers, then treat it like you would any other article in the newsletter. Pick a topic and stick to it. Write an interesting headline (not just “Letter from the Director,” which is fine as a kicker — a subhead that appears above the main headline). Write an engaging lead paragraph.

Q: My boss is a terrible writer, but she insists on writing articles.

A: It’s time to add “ghostwriter” to your job description. Nonprofit executive directors are all very busy people. They will usually welcome help from staff on time-consuming tasks like writing newsletter articles.

Tell your boss you would like to help her save some time by putting together a first draft of the article and then she can spend her time fine-tuning and polishing it. In most cases, the executive director will read it over quickly, make a few minor changes, and move on to the next emergency on her desk.

Q: Our director never meets his deadlines, because he always waits until the last minute to figure out what his column will be about.

A: Develop an editorial calendar for several issues at a time. You should have a good sense for how many articles you need for each issue and what categories those articles fall into (e.g. a letter from the director, a how-to article, a client success story, a volunteer profile, etc.). Create a grid with the publication dates across the top and the article categories along the left side. Fill in the grid with specifics. Once the director sees what else will be covered in each issue, it should be easier for him to come up with his topics and to plan for them in advance. Be sure to provide reminders about two weeks before the articles are due, and again a few days before the deadline.

These same three questions come up every time I teach a newsletter class. If you are an executive director, please don’t make your newsletter staff suffer in silence. Talk about the best ways for you to work together to create a newsletter your readers will enjoy.

If you are looking for some fresh ideas for newsletter articles or press releases, consider these five summer-inspired themes.

1) Summer Heat. How does hot weather impact your services or your clients? Can you offer advice to your newsletter readers or to the public about anything related to summer heat? Humane societies can offer tips for keeping pets cool. Agencies that address children’s issues can remind parents not to leave their kids in cars with the windows rolled up. Groups with members who work outside can provide tips on avoiding heat exhaustion while working outdoors.

2) Vacations. How can your readers integrate your issue into their summer vacation plans? Health organizations can write about ways to eat healthy or exercise while traveling. Education groups can provide tips on brain twister games to keep kids busy on road trips.

3) Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. How does the increase in the variety of fresh or locally grown produce available in the summer impact your readers? Organizations for seniors can talk about the importance of a varied diet and provide easy recipes using fresh produce. Environmental groups can discuss the impact of pesticides used in food production on the planet.

4) Summer Jobs. Whether it’s more chores at home or a part-time job, summer gives just about everyone something new to do. Social service or employment groups can offer tips on how to make the most of a summer job or internship. Art or community beautification groups can suggest projects for families to pursue in their own yards or in their neighborhoods.

5) Bugs! From mosquitoes to fireflies, summer is bug season. How does the increase in the insect population affect your clients or supporters? Wildlife groups can remind people of the role bugs play in the circle of life. Health or environmental groups can provide tips on non-toxic insect repellant.

Enjoy the sun with a cool drink in hand and cook up some summer article ideas of your own. Share them here by submitting a comment on this post.