Newsletters and Bulletins
From WikiAdvocacy
Newsletters and bulletins are likely to be the first materials an advocacy organization creates. Outside of physical meetings, newsletters are one of the simplest ways to share information with members and to provide a place for members to share their stories with each other.
When creating a newsletter, consider the needs of your members first and foremost. Devise a mix of pieces some long, some short to make it easy to read and useful as a reference. A good mix might be a longer article that features an event or reports on news relevant to the group, and a number of shorter columns that appear regularly. A PKU newsletter, for example, might have a feature article about new legislation along with several columns that appear in every issue: a new personal story, a "research corner" with regular updates, and a PKU diet-specific recipe.
When creating email newsletters, the same general structure applies, but there are some different formatting issues. An email newsletter should be very short and simple, and the best ones give a brief teaser with a link back to your website, where the full article can be read. You remind your newsletter recipients that the site is there and updated using brief information. Then you bring them to a setting (the website) where you can present information in any depth with a friendlier interface than may be readable in every user's email reader.
It is very important to print pictures of your members enthusiastically participating in the organization's activities. Through the pictures, you can demonstrate the diversity in your organization and its partnership with professionals.
Your newsletters should be regular enough to keep your audience aware of you, but not so frequent that readers get tired of receiving it. You may send your newsletter monthly, especially if your audience includes families with young children who must learn about compliance with treatment plans. The newsletter may include activities for those children to help support parents. On the other hand, you may only send your newsletter annually or quarterly for major announcements, or in advance of large annual events such as holiday fundraisers.
You may find it useful to occasionally send time-value information separately from the newsletter, especially if your newsletter is sent less frequently. For example, there may be an opportunity to contact congressional representatives about appropriations or legal protections. Or, there may be an important research announcement about which you want to inform your readers, while your organization prepares more in-depth materials. This is a great way to rush time-value information to your audience, but if you find yourself doing this regularly, you may need to revisit your newsletter schedule.
If your mailing is large (generally over 200 pieces or 50lbs), then you can apply for a nonprofit bulk mailing permit from the US Postal Service (USPS). They will give you an indication, a permit number to put on your mailings. The mailing must be sorted according to complex USPS guidelines. As these guidelines become more complex and your mailing includes more of the country, you may want to have a mailing house or sheltered workshop prepare your mailing.
