Your donor newsletter (the print version, anyway) should be bringing in net revenue.
If it isn't, it might be that you aren't sending it to donors, or you don't have enough active donors to make it work.
But if you aren't raising net revenue and you have enough donors (let's say at least 1,000 current donors, though I've seen organizations with fewer make it work:) -- it might be you are sending the wrong content.
Here's a good look at what you should be in your donor newsletter, from the Bloomerang Blog, at How Do Nonprofits Raise More Money Through Their Newsletters?
It's quite simple, really:
- How their support of your recent campaign made a difference.
- Beneficiary stories.
- Donor stories (i.e., “Why I care, why I give”).
- Photos with captions that tell a story.
- Inspiring stories made possible through legacy giving.
- A "soft" ask.
You'll notice I specified print newsletter above. My experience with e-newsletters is that it is much more difficult to raise money with them. They get low open rates and low everything else rates. The magic just doesn't seem to translate into email. If you're doing an email newsletter that's generating decent revenue, let me know. Because if you're doing that, you've either discovered the secret or you have a truly amazing donor list.
