Email Newsletters can have a great impact on your non-for-profit organization’s ability to reach and engage its audience and supporters. Here is how: 

1 – Maintain relationships: Sending out a monthly newsletter can help to maintain the relationship with your organizations members, sponsors and volunteers. Especially if your organization does not put on events on a regular basis (where news and upcoming projects are usually being promoted). Sending out an e-newsletter is a great opportunity to share the most recent industry news with your audience.

2 – Promote upcoming events: Make sure to always include a calendar section in your newsletter. Likely, supporters won’t regularly visit your website to find out about upcoming events. But the information reaches them easily, when it is delivered directly into their inbox.

3 – Promote volunteer positions: Chances are, people won’t be cruising your website looking for volunteer positions. However, if volunteer opportunities and example stories are regularly featured in the newsletter, some followers might get inspired to get involved.

4 – Direct traffic to your blog or website: If your organization has a blog or website that is being updated regularly, use your newsletter to touch on a topic, and then link it to your blog or website to ‘read more’.

5 – Make sharing your newsletter easy on Social Media: Include the ‘share via email’, Facebook and Twitter share option, so if someone thinks the information might be relevant to a friend or colleague, it is easy to pass on.

6 – Share your success: Email newsletters are a great way for your non-for-profit to showcase the impact it is having in the community. Shine by providing numbers and examples of the organization’s success.

7 – Recognize donors, volunteers and supporters: Take the opportunity to thank those that have contributed in various capacities and provide details on what their support meant to your organization and the impact in the community. Recognizing your supporters will lead to ongoing relationships.

8 – Save money AND the environment: Sending out an e-newsletter rather than paper mail is not only cost effective, but also environmentally friendly.

By Patricia Tait