3 Reasons Why Newsletters Don't Get Read

Newsletters are still a major part of most nonprofits’ marketing plans for planned giving, and for good reason—when done right, newsletters are well-read and are an excellent way to elicit response from some highly qualified prospective donors. But readers get turned off when newsletters make one of the three errors described below.

The Autobiographical Connection - Why Your Donors' Life Stories Matter

MRI studies show a visible brain response between donor recollections of their life stories and their willingness to engage in charitable bequest giving, according to Russell James III, JD, PhD, professor at Texas Tech University. What does that mean for planned giving professionals? It means that your focus should be donor-centric. In other words, when soliciting a bequest, or other planned gift, you will want to ask about and listen to your donor’s life story rather than simply communicating the needs of your organization.

Crafting Better Donor Thank You Letters

When it comes to writing donor appreciation letters, how can you make your written communications stand apart and get noticed? Think about the mail you receive on a daily basis. Which pieces do you toss away, which pieces do you take a moment to browse through, and which pieces do you set aside to read more carefully at a future date? Likely, your donors are not much different than you in their mail-sorting habits. If something catches their attention, either visually or by way of a topic that sounds engaging, then it has a greater chance of getting read.

Five More Legacy Dreams to Explore With Your Donors

PART II

Continuing our exploration of donor legacy dreams from last week, here are five additional motivators to explore with your potential donors. Take some time to discover what drives donors’ philanthropic planned giving and how your organization can help them satisfy those goals.

New Client's Praise Reflects Pentera Team's Dedication to Excellence

Pentera staff in every department has been working very hard on a new client’s materials.
They signed up for a Web site that is now live and includes an eBrochure library; newsletter and QuickCards; and eNewsletters and eQuickCards. We are so happy to hear this wonderful feedback as the suite of materials is created. And their comments reflect the Pentera team’s dedication to our clients and to excellence.

• "Just printed out a few eBrochures, and they are fantastic! Great job by everyone at Pentera...”
• “We are really pleased with the eNewsletter designs you sent.”
• “It’s so exciting to see the newsletter! Thanks for the good work.“

What's in a Masthead?

In terms of making a first impression, the masthead of your planned giving newsletter really sets the tone. Does it say to the recipient, “Read me now! I’m full of engaging, interesting content!” Or does it say, “I’m fairly boring and can be read later, or maybe even not at all”?

Here are a couple of quick pointers to help ensure your newsletter is saying the former, not the latter.