The following article was used as the outline for Kivi Leroux Miller’s presentation, “Ensuring Your E-Newsletters are Read – Not Dead – On Arrival This Year,” for Network for Good on February 9, 2010.  For more free tips from Nonprofit Marketing Guide, sign up for our free Learning Center membership for e-book and webinar downloads. You can also sign up for our  free e-newsletter.

Nonprofits usually produce newsletters for one of two reasons:

(1) They use the newsletter to provide a service, including education. This is especially true for membership organizations or groups that serve professionals in a field.

(2) They use the newsletter to build support, financial and otherwise. The newsletter is seen primarily as a marketing or fundraising tool.

While your newsletter can certainly do both, it’s best to know which reason is primary and which is secondary. In either case, the success of the newsletter depends on your ability to create value in the eyes of your readers. Your goal is to produce a newsletter so good that your readers anticipate its arrival and notice when it doesn’t arrive. When it arrives in their email mail or snail mail box, you want them to go right to it, thinking to themselves, “This is going to be good!” While having a good subject line certainly helps, creating value is what really gets your newsletters read.

Creating that kind of loyalty isn’t easy, but it’s definitely possible. You cripple your chances, however, if you create each edition of your newsletter on the fly. Instead, you need to think strategically and over several issues at a time, about what you want to put before your readers. Using an editorial calendar helps immensely. Here’s a sample.

Selecting the Right Kinds of Articles to Use

When trying to figure out what to include in your newsletter, I find it helpful to start with the ultimate goal — the action that you want the reader to take. What is it that we want people to do after reading our newsletter, whether one particular issue or over the course of the year?

For an educational or service-oriented newsletter, what do you want people to do with the information you are sharing? Learn more about it? Share it with a colleague? Discuss it with others? Make a change in their own behavior? Help some else do something?

Once you know the action you want someone to take, you can start to work backward from there by creating more specific calls to action. For example, learn more by downloading a report, share it with a colleague using the “Share This” buttons at the bottom of the email, discuss it on our Facebook page, share your story about how you are making this change in your life.

Now that you have your call to action, what’s going to motivate the reader to actually do these things? This is where you get to the actual content for your newsletter article. What kinds of articles and what types of content will answer questions such as “How is this going to make my life better or make my job easier?”  or “Why is this important to my company, my family, my career, my community?” or “What problem or challenge does this solve for me?”

For marketing or fundraising newsletters, your calls to action will likely be more like “Donate Now” or “Volunteer Now” or “Call Your Congressman Now.” The questions your articles are trying to answer are more like “Why should I do this NOW?” and “What difference will I make?”

For fundraising newsletters, it’s also essential that you mix in different types of articles along with the direct asks for support. Include in your editorial calendar articles that (1) show progress or success so donors know their previous gifts are working and (2) demonstrate your gratitude for your supporters.

Creating Standing Heads

“Standing Heads” are categories of articles that you can include in your editorial calendar.  You can mix and match these. For example, if you have three articles in your newsletter, maybe one of those articles is always a member profile and the other two slots are filled by two of five other article categories that you know work for you and your readers.

After thinking through your typical calls to action, come up with a few categories of articles that will answer the right questions and motivate the reader to do what you are asking.

Will these types of articles work for you?

• How-to Articles
• Advice Columns
• First-Person Anecdotes
• Trends
• News Roundups
• Reviews or Recommendations
• Success Stories
• Personal Profiles
• Lists (e.g. Top Ten)
• Legislative Updates
• Action Alerts
• Hot Finds
• Wish Lists
• Sponsors/Partners
• Surveys/Research Results
• Fact v. Fiction

Selecting standing heads provides numerous advantages:

• Hand-wringing and office debates about content will be minimized.
• You know what kind of content you need to produce, so you can watch for ideas that fit these molds.
• As you write more and  more of a particular category of article, you’ll get better at it and will produce better articles, faster.
• Most importantly, your readers will start to look forward to your newsletter, because they will know what to expect.

More Ways to Build Out Your Editorial Calendar

While standing heads will go a long way to helping you create a valuable newsletter, you’ll sometimes still struggle with the particular angle for an article in a particular edition of your newsletter. Here are a few ways to tackle writer’s block and find inspiration.

Use the calendar.  Every month of the year provides great hooks for nonprofit newsletter stories.

Use the headlines. Tie your article into the national or local news. It gives your article a timely, current feel, which is critical for e-newsletters and makes it seem like you are really on top of things.

Think about story arcs. Can you use your newsletter to tell the nonprofit equivalent of a soap opera over several issues? A story arc is how a story develops over time, in pieces. For example, you could track the experiences of three volunteers or three clients over the course of the year working with your organization. Based on your knowledge and experience, you could project what kind of arc you might expect, e.g. what’s typical for new volunteers, what’s likely to happen after they’ve been with you for 6 months, etc. and then adjust based on what really happens.

More Helpful Articles from Nonprofit Marketing Guide on E-Newsletters

• Going from a Print Newsletter to an Email Newsletter: What to Leave Behind
• Best Email Subject Lines for Nonprofit Email Newsletters
• Interview Questions to Help You Write Great Donor, Volunteer and Client Profiles for Your Newsletters
• Steps for Creating a Nonprofit Email Campaign or E-Newsletter
• Three Top Questions about Email Newsletters
• Online Writing: Your Top Five Questions
• Applying Hot Nonprofit Marketing Trends to Your Donor Newsletters
• 12 Easy Ways to Build Your Nonprofit’s Email List
• Quick Tips for Better Nonprofit Email Newsletters

Every month of the year includes holidays and annual occasions that are easy to tie into, and best of all, you can write many of these stories in advance, rather than rushing around at deadline time trying to figure out what to do.

January. New Year’s Day — What New Year’s resolutions would you like someone to make that are related to your cause? Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday — Can you tie your work into the need for leadership or social justice?

February. Valentine’s Day — Who or what related to your good cause do you love and why? Are there creative ways that people can express their love for each other while supporting your cause? February also includes Groundhog Day and President’s Day.

March. The first day of Spring — what signs of renewal do you see in your field? You can also tie in your annual report with a looking back/fresh start theme. March also includes St. Patrick’s Day, and the start of Daylight Savings Time (spring forward!)

April. April Fool’s Day — you can do a funny spoof or just talk about the “foolish” things people do.  Easter and Earth Day also supply opportunities for story connections.

May. Mother’s Day, Armed Forces Day, and Memorial Day let you tie into motherhood, the military, and honoring those who have passed away. Graduation day can also work for stories about college students or people moving on in some way.

June. School’s out and the first day of Summer! What can kids do over the summer to help your cause? Don’t forget Father’s Day and Flag Day too. Here are few additional ideas for summer articles.

July. Independence Day — Who or what deserves a fireworks celebration of their own? Can you celebrate something related to the concepts of freedom or independence?

August. Back to school . . . how about something related to back to basics or studying up, such as new research you are reviewing?  A “Dogs Days of Summer” theme can also work.

September. Labor Day — who can you thank for all of their hard work on your cause? The first day of Fall is also in September.

October. Halloween — what’s the scariest thing you see or what frightens you about your work?

November. There’s Thanksgiving of course, which is a nice time to say Thank You to your supporters. But you also have Veteran’s Day and the end of Daylight Savings time to consider (fall back!).

December. It’s the season of giving, and all nonprofits should be working on year-end-appeal campaigns. December also includes the first day of Winter.

Also consider these special occasions:

Changes in weather. Have stories prepared for what turns out to be the first heat wave or the first hard freeze of the year.

Religious holidays. When appropriate for your audience, consider the major holidays of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other faith communities.

Thousands of specially designated days, weeks, and months. Chase’s Calendar of Events is the go-to guide, but you can find the list of Special Months here for free. You can find many other lists, often created for teachers, by searching on “special days calendar”

For example, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) highlights these special days on the calendar it sends to supporters, and they will build some of their messaging around them:

• February 3: NWF’s Anniversary
• May 21: Endangered Species Day
• June 26: Great American Backyard Campout

The exception to the rule is when you issue a “Progress Report” that summarizes recent achievements without assigning them to a standard timeframe. In that case, it is acceptable to use the year the report was issued in, e.g., 2008 Progress Report.

We are often asked for annual report templates or sample annual reports. If you are looking for a new annual report design or format, we recommend that you look at what others are doing to get some ideas.

Below are links to recent annual reports from some of the largest nonprofit organizations in the United States. Most are PDF files. Please note that many of these files are large and may take some time to download. These links are for informational purposes only. Inclusion on this page does not imply any type of comment, positive or negative, by Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com.

Academy for Educational Development
2008-2009 Annual Report

ALSAC – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association
2008-2009 Annual Report

American Cancer Society
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

American Diabetes Association
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

American Heart Association
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

American Lung Association
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report

American Red Cross
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

AmeriCares Foundation
2009 Annual Report

Art Institute of Chicago
2003-2009 Annual Reports

Arthritis Foundation
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Boy Scouts of America
2008 Annual Report | 1997-2007  Annual Reports

Boys Town
2008 Annual Report

Brother’s Brother Foundation
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

CARE USA
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Catholic Charities USA
2008 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

Catholic Medical Mission Board
2008 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Catholic Relief Services
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Child Fund International
2005-2009 Annual Reports

City of Hope and Affiliates
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

Compassion International
2007-2008 Annual Report | 2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report

Covenant House
2005 – 2007 Annual Reports

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
2006 – 2008 Annual Reports

Direct Relief International
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Disabled American Veterans
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Easter Seals
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report

Educational Broadcasting Corporation
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report | 2003-2004 Annual Report

Feeding America
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Food for the Poor
2005 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Foundation
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Gifts in Kind
2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report
2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

Girl Scouts of the USA
2007 Annual Report

Girls Incorporated
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report
2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report | 2002 Annual Report

Goodwill International Industries
2007 Annual Report

Institution of International Education
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report” | 2005 Annual Report
2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

International Rescue Committee
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

Junior Achievement, Inc.
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report | 2003-2004 Annual Report

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
2007 Annual Report
2006 Annual Report Part 1 | 2006 Annual Report Part 2
2005 Annual Report Part 1 | 2005 Annual Report Part 2

Local Initiatives Support Corporation
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Make-A-Wish Foundation
2005 & 2006 Annual Reports

March of Dimes
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

Mercy Corps
2007 Annual Reprot | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Muscular Dystrophy Association, Inc.
2007 Annual Report

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
2007 Annual Report

National Mental Health Association
2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

National Public Radio, Inc.
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report
2003 Annual Report | 2002 Annual Report

Northwest Medical Teams International, Inc.
2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.
2006-2007 Annual Report

Project HOPE
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report | 2003-2004 Annual Report

Samaritan’s Purse
2007 Annual Report

Save the Children
2007 Annual Report

Smithsonian Institute
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report

Special Olympics, Inc.
2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
2003-2004, 2004-2005, & 2005-2006 Annual Reports

The Carter Center
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report | 2003-2004 Annual Report

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report | 2003-2004 Annual Report

The Nature Conservancy
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

The Salvation Army
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

United States Fund for UNICEF
2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

United Negro College Fund, Inc.
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

United States Olympic Committee
2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Volunteers of America
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

WGBH Education Foundation
2007-2008 Annual Report | 2006-2007 Annual Report
2005-2006 Annual Report | 2004-2005 Annual Report

Wildlife Conservation Society
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

World Vision International
2007 Annual Review | 2006 Annual Review
2005 Annual Review | 2004 Annual Review

Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc.
2007 Annual Progress Report | 2006 Annual Progress Report
2005 Annual Progress Report | 2004 Annual Progress Report

Young Life
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

YWCA of the USA
2005-2006, 2004-2005, 2003-2004, & 2002-2003 Annual Reports

Lists of donors, board members, and sometimes staff are usually included on the annual report’s final pages. Below are answers to five frequently asked questions about these lists.

Do we need to list absolutely everyone who donated any amount of money?

No. Many organizations set a minimum dollar amount for inclusion in the annual report to keep the donor list to a reasonable length (one or two pages in an 8-12 page report, three-four pages in longer reports). Smaller donors can be recognized publications like a newsletter. Rather than using expensive printed pages in the annual report some nonprofits photocopy the full list and insert it into the report that way.

How should the donor list be organized?

You can either organize the list alphabetically or group donors according to the level of contribution and alphabetically within those categories.

Seven of our donors want to remain anonymous. How do we recognize them?

If you have several donors who wish to remain anonymous, you can list “Anonymous” once as the first entry in the list or you can include a brief statement at the beginning or end of the list thanking all the donors who wish to remain anonymous.

Should we list non-voting, honorary, or advisory board members?

The main list under your “Board of Directors” heading should include only the voting members. If there is space, you can list other categories of board members under an appropriate heading, but don’t mix the two. It should be clear to readers who the legal directors of the organization are.

Which staff members should we list?

Always list the executive level staff (e.g., executive directors and depending on the size of the organization, the next layer of management below the executive director). Many organizations list all staff. It’s up to you and dependent on how much space there is.

According to a Writing911.com web poll, the executive message, which is the letter at the front, is the most difficult to write. The message took 39% of the vote, followed by “the whole thing” at 26%.

Bluntly speaking, most annual report executive messages are dreadfully boring or irrelevant. On the other hand, the best executive messages are more like summaries of the annual report. Further, the message should make an emotional connection with the readers by reminding them of the good work you are doing to ultimately make the world a better place. Use the letter to set the tone or theme for what you are sharing in the rest of the report.

If you treat the message like an executive summary, your letter can look something like this, with each line representing one paragraph.

* Overall focus of last year
* Accomplishment #1
* Accomplishment #2
* Accomplishment #3
* New emphasis for the current or coming year

Following the above model, your letter will have five paragraphs. Keep your paragraphs to three to four sentences each, with the total length of the letter no more than 500-600 words

Many nonprofits organize their annual reports to reflect the set up of the organization. If three different programs were implemented last year, your annual report would need to include three sections describing those programs. Though that is one of the easiest ways to structure an annual report, it’s not one of the most compelling methods of telling your story.

Developing a theme for the year is a better way to organize an annual report. The theme must flow throughout the document and it can also appear as the title on the report’s cover.

Ideas for Nonprofit Themes

Here are three themes that any nonprofit could adapt for its annual report:

Results that Speak for Themselves. Having people who greatly benefit from your work talk about your accomplishments is much more effective than speaking about your accomplishments directly. The inclusion of personal profiles or anecdotes is a great way of showcasing how your accomplishments are improving lives.

Step by Step. Showing annual progress is important even if the goals of your organization will take years to actualize. You want to showcase how all of your achievements, even small ones, are stepping stones along the path to something greater. Using text and graphics are an excellent way to highlight achievements, no matter how small.

Reaping What We Sow. A creative approach is to use a garden analogy to describe your accomplishments, from planting seeds (the origin of projects), to pulling weeds (overcoming obstacles), to harvesting the fruits of your labor (enjoying your achievements).

This will be our first annual report. Where should we start?

Writing an annual report can feel overwhelming and daunting, especially for first-timers. Perhaps that’s why you haven’t written one in the past.

Always begin with your key message and your achievements. What three things are you most proud of from last year? What aspects would you emphasize if you only have five minutes to tell a stranger about your nonprofit’s good work? Your annual report should flow from the answers to these questions.

If your organization has been around for several years, but this is your first attempt at an annual report, you may be tempted to talk about all of your accomplishments over the years. In this case, we recommend that you call the document a “progress report” that spans a certain timeframe, e.g., 2004-2007. At the end of 2008, you would write an annual report for that year alone.

Should we talk about current activities and the future, or just the past year?

Annual reports summarize what has already happened. Don’t treat your annual report as a summary of your current workplan. You can talk about the present or the future in the executive message or in a small section near the end of the report. Readers will expect to read about recent accomplishments, not current activities or future plans.

If we only highlight our biggest accomplishments, won’t those staff members whose work is left out be upset?

The purpose of an annual report is to highlight the organization’s accomplishments as a whole, not the work of particular staff members or project teams. So it doesn’t seem like the annual report is the only place where good work is publicly recognized, look for other ways recognize the contributions of all of your staff members.

Writing an annual report for your nonprofit organization is a great idea. Annual reports can help in many ways. They can

• communicate not just your activities, but your accomplishments during the past year;
• convince existing supporters that their funds are being well spent and help you raise money by attracting new donors;
• educate community leaders and influential decisionmakers about your work on important issues;
• recognize special people including donors and volunteers; and
• serve as a historical record of your progress.

Here is a rough outline of that talk, full of questions you should ask yourself as you create your fall email campaign.

The Goal: Increasing Giving in December

If your goal is take advantage of December giving trends, use the fall months to start working up to your big December ask. How? By inspiring your donors and by reinforcing how important your donors are to your success.

Step 1: Think about Your List

What percentage of records in your database include email addresses?

What can you do now to increase the number of email addresses you have?

How can you segment your list so that you can personalize your messages?

Step 2: Think about the Schedule

How many emails can you reasonably send out in October and November, leading up to an appeal in December? One or two or three per month?

How will this special fall campaign mesh with what you are sending via email now? In addition to or in place of a newsletter, for example?

How will the email campaign mesh with any direct mail you are sending or telephone calls you plan to make?

Are there any bonuses you can offer this fall (e.g. special events, time with the executive director, special downloads, etc.)? Get in the gift giving mode yourself!

Step 3: Think about the Content

If you are saving the appeals for December, what will you be asking for then? Be clear and specific. Make sure that your fall emails build up to and support the ask.

What types of messages will you send this fall? Give some thought to messages that

• share success
• thank donors for past support
• create emotional connections between donors and the people you help
• position your organization as helpful, friendly, and effective — in other words, worthy of the trust that comes with a donation
• If stuck, play off the holiday/seasonal themes (e.g. Halloween, Fall Leaves, Thanksgiving, Cooler Weather, etc.)

What kind of tone will you use (fear, desperation, hope, love, etc.)?

Who’s the best messenger? Can a client tell a story in their own words?

Step 4: Think Beyond Hitting Send

What changes can you make to your website to ensure that it reinforces what’s in the email?

Do your landing pages match up with your email messages?

Is your donation process as easy as possible?

Does your website answer the question “Why Give to This Group?”

What stats will you review and what will you do with that information?

How will the results of the email campaign affect your print or telephone follow-up?

What does your thank-you follow-up look like?

Do you have a plan to convert first-time donors into monthly givers?

Conclusion

Remember to ask youself, “Why are these people important to us (other than receiving financial support from them) and why are we important to them (other than as place to give money)? Use your email and other communications programs to create a long-term conversation with your supporters.

We’ll post a link to the recording/transcript when Network for Good makes it available.