13 Nonprofit Newsletter Ideas to Keep Readers Absorbed in Your Organization
Our sister site, Nonprofit-Apps, has already talked about how incredible nonprofit email marketing is.
But, in case you need a refresher, we don’t mind giving you one!
Nonprofit email marketing is one of the best tools in terms of converting supporters into donors. Plus, with email marketing, you can likely see the highest return on investment!
One key part of this type of marketing you need to know about, though? Is the nonprofit email newsletter.
We do need to let you know – it is another form of content. And that can sometimes feel frustrating because coming up with ideas takes work.
Don’t worry! Because we’re coming to you with 13 awesome nonprofit newsletter ideas to keep your readers engaged with your organization!
The Difference Between a Nonprofit Email Newsletter and a Nonprofit Fundraising Email
But first, we should discuss the major difference between a nonprofit email newsletter and a fundraising email.
We know that the terms are often used interchangeably. But if you’re creating a full nonprofit email marketing strategy, you’ll want to know the difference.
Why? Because you probably want to incorporate both into one strategy.
- Nonprofit Fundraising Email – this is a “donations” driven email. That means the goal of the email is to do nothing other than getting your readers to click “donate now.” You’ll usually use this periodically throughout a full nonprofit email marketing strategy. And you’ll definitely want to use it to push specific fundraising campaigns for certain projects.
- Nonprofit Email Newsletter – this is a nurture-focused email. The goal here is usually to inform your readers about your nonprofit and work to build a relationship with them. These types of emails are so important because, without that relationship, the likelihood of seeing more donations from your fundraising emails is lower.
That’s also not to say that you can’t raise funds with a nonprofit email newsletter. It just means that you don’t offer only one donation button in the email. Instead, you offer multiple ways for them to engage with your nonprofit within the email.
How to Create a Newsletter for a Nonprofit?
Before we get to our nonprofit newsletter ideas, we need to know how to create a newsletter in the first place.
The great news is that you don’t have to spend hours and hours designing email newsletters. And you don’t need a graphic design degree or a web development degree to get it done, either.
The latest nonprofit email marketing software all include those features for you! With drag-and-drop email builders and templates, so you never have to design from scratch, nonprofit email newsletters have never been easier!
You can also use Canva to help you create designs for your nonprofit newsletter ideas!
If you want to get started with that, you can check out our free training on Canva Pro for nonprofits.
Watch the FREE Training on Canva Pro for Nonprofits!
As far as sending them out, your email marketing software is perfect for that, too. You can schedule emails to be sent out days, weeks, or months in advance. That means you can batch all of your nonprofit newsletter ideas and schedule them out, rather than sending them manually!
What Should be In a Nonprofit Newsletter?
There are all kinds of things you can add to your emails. And we’ll give you some fantastic nonprofit newsletter ideas in just a minute!
The most important thing to know is that these newsletters are meant to nurture.
That means the primary focus is on building relationships with your readers first, and asking for donations second.
So, you can include buttons to donate within your nonprofit newsletters. But that shouldn’t be the only way for readers to engage.
How Often Should Your Nonprofit Send a Newsletter?
Determining how often to send out a nonprofit newsletter is up to your organization and your ideal audience.
This may take some trial and error (as does most things with determining what works for your ideal donors!). So paying attention to analytics like “open rates,” “click-through rates,” “spam count,” and “unsubscribes” is important.
All of those numbers will tell you where the sweet spot is for your donors.
It’s also important to consider your nonprofit team’s bandwidth. A team of 5 people is going to have a much easier time than a team of 1 person who is also doing three other important jobs at all times.
So, determine how often your team can consistently prioritize a nonprofit newsletter. Is that once a week? Once a month? Or even once a quarter?
The key term is “consistently.” Over time, your readers will come to expect a nonprofit email newsletter in their inbox if you stay consistent. But if you don’t stay consistent, you may run the risk of them forgetting they subscribed to your email list. That’s when you see reports of unsubscribes going up.
13 Nonprofit Newsletter Ideas to Engage Readers (And Convert Them Into Donors!)
So how about those nonprofit newsletter ideas, then! These ideas are going to keep your readers engaged and convert them into donors when you send out your fundraising emails!
That’s because all of these nonprofit newsletter ideas work to nurture your readers and build relationships with them.
The best part is once you get through the list of all of these ideas? You can start over with each idea and just provide new content! So, say your nonprofit decides to send out one email newsletter once per week – that’s a little over one quarter’s worth of email ideas!
Of course, we recommend only choosing the ideas that make sense for your nonprofit. Don’t force anything that doesn’t belong with your organization!
1. Highlight New Projects Your Nonprofit is Working On
One of the best nonprofit newsletter ideas is highlighting the latest projects your organization is working on.
It’s a major reason why people subscribe to nonprofit email lists. They want to know what’s going on, they want the updates!
These types of newsletters shine for email lists!
2. Showcase Volunteers and Staff That Are Doing a Remarkable Job
People love to connect more with nonprofit organizations. They want to feel as though they’re a part of an entire community.
Plus, your volunteers and staff are working hard to make your nonprofit’s mission a reality.
So showcasing them to your email list is a win-win for both sides!
3. Round-Up Your Top Performing Content from Your Other Marketing Channels
If you have multiple places where your nonprofit shows up online, then chances are your email list has missed at least a few.
So one of the easiest nonprofit newsletter ideas is to create a round-up of your top-performing content. Link to one of the latest blog posts that’s full of educational ideas! Send them some of your social media content from Instagram that’s gaining traction. You can even link to any YouTube videos you’ve published!
4. Add a Personalized Video for Just for Your Nonprofit Email List
More and more supporters are gravitating toward nonprofit videos. And short-form videos are all the rage.
So, one of our favorite nonprofit newsletter ideas is to add a video just for your nonprofit email list!
It’s a great way to personalize their experience with your organization. Don’t worry – you don’t have to create a completely custom video for everyone on your email list.
But, even having a video that’s just for email subscribers goes a long way! Plus, adding the word “VIDEO” to your email subject line is a great way to increase open rates.
Just don’t add that to every email subject line.
5. Get Them Excited About an Upcoming Nonprofit Event
Nonprofit email newsletters are a great time to advertise your upcoming nonprofit events! You can tell them more about what the event is, where it will take place, and what the funds raised go toward.
Then, give them that button to purchase a ticket!
6. Educate Them On Ways They Can Make a Difference From Home (Without Donating!)
It doesn’t always make financial sense for someone to donate every time an email comes through.
It might not even make sense for some people to donate financially…ever! But that doesn’t mean they don’t want to do their part.
And in the end, our nonprofit organizations want to leave the world better than we found it.
So, educating readers on ways they can make a difference from home, even without donating, can be just as awesome!
Nonprofit newsletter examples for this might include offering up tips on how to “go green” if your organization supports the environment. Or maybe, it’s educating them on how to do at-home checkups for their physical health if your nonprofit pertains to health awareness.
7. Update Them on Volunteer Opportunities
Since landing in someone’s email inbox is relatively personal, it’s natural to see more conversions from sending out those emails.
If you’re needing to fill volunteer opportunities, be sure to let your nonprofit email list know!
8. Give Them Facts About Your Nonprofit’s Cause
When it comes to your nonprofit website’s copywriting, you’re usually working with limited space and time to talk about your nonprofit’s cause.
That’s because, when people are checking out your organization’s website, their attention span is super short. So in nonprofit copywriting, we have to get to the point quickly.
But one of the nonprofit newsletter ideas that can serve your readers is to go into more information and detail about your cause!
Why did your nonprofit get started? What was the experience the founders had that made them realize, “wow, we have to do something.” And even more than that, what are statistics around the cause that can have an “oh wow,” moment among your readers?
9. Shout Out Other Nonprofits Who Are Working on a Similar Cause
Since nonprofits are working to make more impact, then organizations should be all about collaborating!
That’s why, next up on the list of nonprofit newsletter ideas? We’ve got shouting out other nonprofits who are working on a similar mission of a related cause.
You can also use this to your advantage! If you collaborate with other nonprofits, and you each give each other a shout out, your organization can get in front of their email list! That’s a whole new flock of people who might not know your organization exists yet.
10. Answer Frequently Asked Questions About Your Nonprofit
People have questions! That’s natural. They want to know more about your organization. So, give them the answers they’re looking for!
Collect the frequently asked questions you get on your social media channels, emails, and through your nonprofit website chatbots.
11. Give a Platform for Your Amazing Supporters
You’ve shown how incredible your community of staff and volunteers are. But what about your supporters?
They’d love to be recognized for their hard work and contributions, too! So if you keep track of your top donors, your greatest followers who always engage with your content on social media, or anything else – give them a platform!
12. Spotlight Your Sponsors
And on a related note, next on our list of nonprofit newsletter ideas is to spotlight your sponsors!
Your sponsors do a lot to make sure your projects are funded. Reach out to the CEO of your corporate or business sponsors for an interview.
Ask them questions about why they chose to sponsor your nonprofit. Did they have any experiences in life that drew them to your organization?
It’s another great way to give them more exposure. And that does wonders for your sponsor relationships!
13. Walk Readers Through a Timeline of Your Nonprofit
We love this one for the nostalgia factor. And most everyone loves the nostalgia factor, too. So your readers are sure to love this type of nonprofit newsletter idea, too!
In this newsletter, take them on a timeline of when your nonprofit started. Talk about your first projects up to your latest projects.
And be sure to give them photos to go along with your content!
Coming up with nonprofit newsletter ideas can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re doing so many other things.
But just come back to this list so you always have fresh ideas!
And if you’re looking for ways to grow your nonprofit email list, then our sister site, CharityHowTo has you covered.