Make Your Newsletter Visually Appealing
Reprinted from Nonprofit Communications Report
 Does your nonprofit newsletter lack visual appeal?
Senior Editor Joyce Remy, Caresource Healthcare Communications (Seattle, WA), says there are five ways nonprofits can improve the appearance of their newsletter: - Start with a great overall newsletter design or redesign. “If you’ve been doing the same thing for years and years, it might be time to consider using a professional at this stage,” says Remy. If money is tight, redesign the newsletter in-house or ask donors who might have designers on staff to contribute their talents. She also recommends investing in digital full-color printing or buying a pre-printed shell to provide a professional look at a modest cost.
- Target a look and feel that best represents your organization. “Glitzy is not necessarily best if, for example, you are a grassroots organization,” she says. “A high end art magazine look might not inspire confidence that donations go to the services you provide.”
- Shoot for a unified look and feel. “Just because you can use a bunch of fonts and colors doesn’t mean you should,” Remy says. Remember a few basic rules when designing a newsletter: 1) Keep your basic design consistent from issue to issue, with some elements (e.g., board directory, chairperson’s message, etc.) always appearing in the same place; 2) Stick with two or three strong typefaces that go well together; 3) Break up long articles with sidebars, pull quotes and graphics; and 4) If using stock images, avoid the temptation to use too many unrelated styles.
- Photos draw the eye. “A bad photo is worse than no photo,” says Remy. “In this age of digital photography, you can find out on the spot whether you’ve got a good shot.” Provide tip sheets for your amateur photographers and set cameras to the highest resolution possible, giving the designer print-quality photos.
- If you post a PDF of your newsletter online, preview the document to ensure fonts and images have been converted correctly.
This article is being reprinted from Nonprofit Communications Report with the permission of Stevenson, Inc., PO Box 4528, Sioux City, IA 51104. Phone (712) 239-3010. Fax (712) 239-2166. www.stevensoninc.com.
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