Communications

Your Donors Are Number One

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, writing , ,

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Do you feel as if nonprofit organizations care about you as a donor?  Sometimes it seems like they don’t.

Some organizations brag too much about themselves.  I recently received an appeal letter from an organization that specializes in cancer research and treatment. In the first two paragraphs, they emphasize how they’re “a leading force in caring for adults and children battling cancer.”  That they’re a world leader in cancer research and ranked number one….

This organization does do amazing work, and if I were choosing a place to receive treatment, then this would matter much more.  But as a donor and someone who was drawn to this cause because I lost three family members to cancer in the past few years, I want I want to hear how I’m helping them make a difference.

Your organization is not number one.  Your donors are number one.

Always be donor-centered

I don’t mean to single out this particular organization because they’re not the only guilty party. Many organizations focus too much on themselves and not on their donors.

You see this often in a donor newsletter.  This is supposed to be a great way to engage with donors.  Yet many newsletters feature articles on the executive director receiving an award or a profile of a board member that focuses on her credentials and not on any personal connections she has to that cause.  Rarely is there anything thanking donors and letting them know they’re number one.

How you can do it

It’s not hard to be donor-centered, but you need to make a conscious effort to do it.

Instead of sending the same old appeal letters and thank you letters, take a good, hard look at the content.

  • Are you focused on your donors?
  • Are you showering them with gratitude?
  • Are you letting them know how THEY are helping you make a difference?
  • Are you letting them know they’re number one?

Your newsletters and updates also need to show your donors how they are helping you make a difference.  Share success stories such as – Thanks to donors like you, Steven doesn’t have to live in a shelter anymore and has a place to call home.

Always write to the donor and refer to them as you.  Make sure all your donor communications use the word you much more than we.  How to Perform the “You” Test for Donor-Centered Communications – Do You Pass?

What do your donors want?

Send your donors a short survey to find out what types of things they want to hear from you. Chances are it’s success stories and other ways they can continue to help you make a difference.

Donors also want to feel good about supporting your organization. Let them know they’re number one.

Ready – Set – Year-End Appeal

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, planning

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Ready or not, it’s September. Where did this summer go?  Fall is a busy time, especially if you’re doing a year-end appeal.

Many nonprofits rely on their year-end appeal for a good portion of their revenue. There’s a lot to do to, so here are some tips to help you get started.

How much money do you need to raise?

You may have already set a goal in your 2014 fundraising plan (at least I hope you did) and perhaps you need to revise that goal.  If you haven’t set a goal, determine how much money you need to raise before you start your campaign.

Make a plan

Put together a plan for your appeal that includes a timeline, task list, and the different channels you will use.  Make it as detailed as possible.

When do you want to send out your appeal? In the beginning of November?  Figure out what you need to get done and how long it will take. You may need to recruit extra volunteers or get your materials to a mail house.

Update and segment your mailing lists

Make sure your postal and email mailing lists are up-to-date.  Check for duplicate addresses and typos.  Your donors do not want to receive three letters at the same time or have their names misspelled.  Also, segment your lists by donor group. Do You Need to Clean Up and Organize Your Mailing Lists?”

Show and tell

Find a good story for your year-end appeal. You’ll want some engaging photos for your letter and donation page, too.  Quotes can also enhance your appeal.  Show and Tell Time

Accomplishments and plans for the future

Your appeal letter should highlight some of the year’s accomplishments and state what you plan to do next year. For example, let’s say you run a tutoring program for high school students. Share your success of reaching your goal of serving X number of students. Next year you would like to expand and serve middle school students, as well.

Focus on the people you serve and show how your donors are helping you make a difference.

Letterhead, envelopes, and stamps – oh my

Don’t wait until the end of October to check your supply of letterhead and envelopes.  Make sure you have enough.  Perhaps you want to create a special outer envelope.

Even though many people donate online, you want to make it easy for donors who prefer to mail a check.  Include a return envelope and a preprinted form with the donor’s contact information and the amount of last year’s gift.

Stamps are more personal, so you might want get a bunch of nice ones to use.

Make donating online a breeze

Be sure your donation page is user-friendly and consistent with your other fundraising materials.  Highlight your year-end appeal on your home page and include a prominent Donate Now button.

While you are at it, check your website for out- of- date information and broken links. Does Your Website Need a Tune Up?

You could set up a special page for your year-end appeal. The Top 10 Most Effective Donation Form Optimizations You Can Make

How does my gift help?

Create a set of giving levels and let your donors know how their gift will help people. Here’s an example.  Project Bread – Gift Information

Spread the wealth

Monthly or recurring giving is great way to get larger contributions.  Some people might balk at donating $100 or more, but if you present it as $10 a month ($120 a year!), it sounds more feasible.

Create an attitude of gratitude

Unfortunately, thanking donors seems to be an afterthought for some organizations.  Don’t be one of them.

Spend as much time on your thank you letter/note as you do on your appeal. You need to thank your donors as soon as you receive their gifts.

Handwritten notes and phone calls are much better than a pre-printed letter. Now is a good time to create or buy some thank you cards, as well as finding board members and volunteers to make thank you calls or write notes.  Create a Thank You Plan

Keep showing the love

I know this is a busy time, but don’t skimp on your donor communication.  Keep engaging your donors and other supporters (who may become donors) by sharing success stories and gratitude.   Go the extra mile and create a thank you video or hold an informal open house.

I’ll be sharing more information throughout the fall.  In the meantime, what are you doing to prepare for your year-end appeal?

Does Your Website Need a Tune Up?

Link Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, marketing, website
Photo by Robert Couse-Baker
Photo by Robert Couse-Baker

When was the last time you took a good, hard look at your website?  As summer winds down, and we start getting ready for year-end fundraising, you want to make sure your website is up-to-date, easy to read and navigate,welcoming, and audience-centered.

How does your website fare?  Use the checklist below to find out.

Home page

Your home page is often the first place a newcomer will visit. Make it an entryway to the rest of your website.

  • Is it free of clutter and easy to navigate and read?
  • Does it include an engaging photo and a small amount of text, such as a tagline or position statement?
  • If you are highlighting something such as an event, is the information up-to-date, and is it the most newsworthy item you can feature?
  • Does it include a Donate Now button that’s prominent without being tacky?
  • Does it include a newsletter sign up box and social media icons?
  • Is the navigation bar easy to use?
  • Does it include a search feature?

Donation page
More people donate online now.  Get your donation page in shape for your year-end appeal.

  • Is it easy to use?
  • Does it include a strong call to action with the same messages as all your other fundraising appeals?
  • Does it show how the donation will be used and what different amounts will fund?
  • Does it include an option for recurring gifts?
  • Does it have an engaging photo?
  • After someone donates, does it take the person to a thank you landing page and generate a thank you email?

The rest of your pages
Now take some time to look at the rest of your web pages.

  • Are they easy to read/scan and navigate?
  • Do all your pages have a consistent look?
  • Is the content well written in a conversational style (no jargon) and free of grammatical errors and typos?
  • Are your pages audience-centered? Remember, some visitors know you well and others don’t. A person visiting your volunteer page may not know much about your organization, so you will need to include a compelling description of what you do.
  • Do your pages contain a clear call to action? For example, your volunteer page should make someone want to volunteer.
  • Does each page have one or two photos related to its subject matter? Going back to your volunteer page, you could include a photo of volunteers interacting with clients.
  • Is all the content up-to-date?
  • Do all your links work?
  • Do all your pages include a Donate Now button, navigation bar, social media icons, a newsletter sign up box, and a search feature, so your visitors don’t have to go back to the home page?
  • Are you using analytics to see how often people visit your pages? If you have pages that aren’t generating a lot of interest, assess why that’s happening. You may need to make the page more enticing or take it down.
  • Do you periodically survey your supporters to get feedback about your website?
  • Is your website mobile and tablet friendly? Use responsive design to make it easy to read on any device.  Is Your Website Optimized for Mobile Devices?
  • Is there other content you should include (or take out)?

After you’ve made any necessary changes, have someone who isn’t as familiar with your organization (maybe a friend or family member) look at your website to see if the content is clear and that it’s easy to navigate.

Remember, your goal is to have a website that’s welcoming and audience-centered for everyone from first-time visitors to long-time supporters.

Read on for more information on creating a great website.

Nonprofit Website 101

If Google were a nonprofit, what would its website look like?

The Top 10 Elements Of An Effective Nonprofit Website

Do Something Special For Your Donors and Hold an Open House

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, planning , ,

 

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Nonprofit organizations need to find ways to thank donors all year round. One special way to show appreciation is to hold an open house at your organization. If you can’t hold one on site, have it at a restaurant or other venue.  You may be able to find someone to donate space.

Invite other supporters, too

You could just have an event for donors, but why not invite your email subscribers and your social media followers, too? This could be a great way to convert these supporters into donors. Also, encourage donors to bring a friend.

Coordinate it with your year-end appeal

Depending on your resources, you may only be able to hold one open house a year.  If you can hold more, that’s great.

A good time to have your open house is before you launch your year-end appeal, so you could hold one sometime between mid-September and early November.

Another option is the spring, if you have an appeal then, or you could make it a thank you event.  Winter is tricky, unless you are fortunate to live in a part of the country where it doesn’t snow.  July and August are also problematic since that’s vacation time.

Whenever you decide to hold your open house, don’t ask for money at this event.

Keep it informal

No three course-dinners and never-ending speeches.  Hold a gathering where your supporters can drop in after work.  Serve something to eat and drink. You may be able to get food and beverages donated or find a sponsor.

Have a brief program.  You could show a video and/or let a client share his or her story.  Your executive director or board chair should thank the attendees and share some accomplishments and plans for the future.  Again, keep it brief. You don’t want your supporters fleeing out the door.

Create some photo displays and have literature available. You could also show a video on a laptop. Offer tours, if that makes sense.

Let your donors and other supporters see the heart and soul of your organization.

Get your board involved

You want a good turnout from your board. Encourage board members to invite friends and other potential prospects.

Make everyone feel welcome

Be sure your staff and board mingle with your supporters and make them feel welcome.  You may need to go over your organization’s talking points and brush up on your elevator pitches, so everyone is prepared to talk about what you do and answer questions.

How To Get Everyone In Your Organization To Be Consistent In Messaging

Don’t let them get away

Anyone who has taken time out of his/her busy schedule to attend your open house needs to be showered with attention.

Collect names and addresses of people who attended and send a thank you note right away. Don’t ask for money (that comes later).

When you do send your next appeal, include a sentence that says  “It was great to see you at our open house.”

Not all your donors will attend your open house, but will appreciate the invitation.  Donors and other supporters who do come are showing you they are interested in your organization.  Keep cultivating them.  This will help ensure they’ll continue to support you.

 

Photo – Tech Cocktail Miami Launch Party https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

Show and Tell Time

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, wiritng

Remember show and tell back when you were in elementary school?  You would bring in something special, such as a shell from a recent vacation, and share it with the class.

Nonprofit organizations have their own version of show and tell when they share accomplishments and stories.  You need these for your year-end appeal and annual report, so why not spend some time collecting them now.

Show your donors how they are helping you are making a difference

Sharing accomplishments is not a bragfest.  Too often I see a list of activities or accomplishments that are focused on the organization. 

Instead of saying we started a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in the Riverside community, say Thanks to you, we started a CSA program………  Now every week residents receive a box of fresh fruit and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, and blueberries.  

Use clear, conversational examples. Don’t throw around terms like market-based solutions or underserved communities.  Use words your donors will understand.

Tell a good story

You want to capture your donor’s attention right away and a good way to do that is to open your fundraising appeal or annual report with an engaging story. Here’s an example. 


Gina is a single mother of four working two part-time jobs. She struggles to put food on the table, but thanks to YOU, she and her family can get fresh fruit and vegetables every week.  “I’m so excited,” said Gina.  I usually can’t afford to buy a lot of fresh vegetables.  My kids actually liked the spinach.”

Always write from the heart.  Keep statistics and facts to a minimum.

Remember to include your donors in your stories.  Focus on how they are helping you make a difference, and keep your organization in the background.

A picture is worth a 1000 words

I know is this a cliché, but it’s so true.  You can strengthen your appeal letter and annual report with engaging photos.

Besides your direct mail letter, use photos in your email appeal, donation page, and on social media.  You can use the same picture(s) throughout your campaign for consistency.

Work with program staff

You need to share information about the people or community you serve, and you’ll have to work with your program staff to find accomplishments and stories, as well as getting access to photos.

Respect your colleagues’ time and your clients’ confidentiality.  You can often find clients who are willing to share their stories, and you can always change their names if needed.

Create a story culture

Gathering accomplishments and stories will be less overwhelming if you can do it throughout the year.  Start your staff meetings with a success story or have your program staff give you regular updates, which you can use in your appeal letters, newsletters, annual report, etc.

When you communicate with donors, show them how they are helping you make a difference and tell a good story.

This post contains a number of links to help you tell your stories.

How Are You Telling Your Stories?

Here are a couple more.

Simple Ways to Raise More Money with Storytelling

Your Nonprofit Story: Blockbuster or Dud?

 Photo by woodleywonderworks https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

 

Do You Need to Clean Up and Organize Your Mailing Lists?

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, planning

Wow, summer is flying by. It will be September before you know it. Like many nonprofit organizations, you may be doing a big year-end fundraising appeal. If so, you need to start planning for it now.

A good place to start is by cleaning up and organizing your mailing lists (direct mail and email). I know this is boring, but it’s something you need to take seriously.

Add, edit, and delete
Tackle all those address change requests or bounced email addresses that may have accumulated over the last several months.

Also, check for misspelled or incorrect names and addresses. I’m often addressed as Anne instead of Ann.

You won’t make a good impression if you get your donor’s name wrong or there’s a typo in the address. If a donor ever lets you know his or her name is incorrect, apologize and fix it right away.

Your database is a goldmine
A good database can make a big difference in your fundraising. But the best database in the world won’t matter if you haphazardly enter information and don’t keep it current.

Who does your data entry, and how well do they know your donors? You might need to have your development director, executive director, or any board members who interact with donors look over your donor lists to make sure the information is accurate. Tedious, yes, but important.

Add any personal bits of information about your donors to your database. This could include attending an event or meeting with a board member. You’ll need this when you personalize your letters (see below) and add a short handwritten note to each one.

Invest in a good database, as well as an email service provider to make this easier for you.

5 Signs Your Nonprofit Needs to Stop Using Excel and Get a Database!

 
 
Divide and conquer
Segment your mailing lists by current donors, monthly donors, first-time donors, long-term donors, lapsed donors, other supporters (e.g. people who subscribe to your email list but aren’t donors), event attendees, volunteers, etc.

You want to personalize your letters according to donor group. You’re going to have the most luck with current donors, especially if you’ve been showing gratitude and sharing accomplishments throughout the year.

10 Ways to Segment Your Donors to Improve Fundraising Effectiveness

 
Go multi-channel
You’ll have more success in your fundraising campaign if you can communicate with your donors through more than one channel.

When going through your lists, you may discover you have mailing addresses for some donors, but no email addresses or vice versa. Here you need to write or email your donors to get that information. They may not give it to you, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

You can also email your donors to invite them to follow you on social media and post something on social media inviting folks to sign up for your email list.

Personalization makes a difference
You want to get your donors’ names right and make sure there aren’t any typos in their addresses. Also, if you can personalize your appeal letters, you’ll have a better chance of getting a donation.


Of course, this will take time, which is why you should start thinking about it now and not at the end of October.
 
Photo by Luke McGuff  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/legalcode

Welcome Your New Donors With Open Arms

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, planning
This post is included in Welcoming Donors and Securing Second Gifts from the Nonprofit Blog Carnival
Did you know that approximately 70% of first-time donors don’t make a second gift? Yikes! We can do better.
Do something special for your current first-time donors

Before your next big appeal, make a point to send your first-time donors a short thank you email, postcard, or note card in which you shower them with appreciation and give a specific example of how their support is helping you make difference.

Of course, you should continue to stay connected to all your supporters by showing gratitude and sharing accomplishments.

Create a welcome plan

Your first step after you receive a donation is to thank your donors within 48 hours, preferably with a handwritten note or phone call. Don’t send a boring, generic thank you letter. Take time to create an awesome thank you. Is it Time For an Extreme Thank You Makeover?

According to fundraising expert Roger Craver, thank you calls increase retention rates for first-time donors by 25%. Get a group of board members and other enthusiastic volunteers to call your new donors, or send them a handwritten thank you card.

*Make sure these are actually new donors. A good database will help you avoid any snafus.*

A week or two after the initial thank you, send out a welcome package. You can do this by mail, email, or a combination of both.

Welcome your new donors. Thank them again and show them other ways they can connect with you. Invite them to subscribe to your newsletter and join you on social media.

Your welcome package can include a warm introductory letter and a brochure or fact sheet. You could also guide people to your website for more information about your organization.

Be careful about how much information you send. Donors want to feel welcome not overwhelmed.

I don’t recommend sending unsolicited swag. You could offer your new donors a gift and they can let you know if they want to receive it, but it’s not necessary.

What donors really want from you is to know how they are helping you make a difference.

New Donor Welcome Kits | Your Next Gift Strategy

Who are your new donors?

They could be event attendees, volunteers, or newsletter subscribers. If you know, refer to that in your thank you letter. If not, send a short survey with your welcome package and ask, “How did you hear about us?”

Another question to ask is whether your donors prefer print or electronic communication. Short surveys are also a good way to connect throughout the year. The more you know about your donors the easier it will be to communicate with them.

Keep spreading the love
Keep reaching out your donors – at least once or twice a month. Show appreciation and update them on your success.

Also, think of other ways to do something special for your new donors. You could offer tours of your facility or hold an open house.

A huge factor in donor retention is a good donor relations plan that you will carry out regularly as long as your donors support you, which hopefully will be for many years.

Let’s keep working on bringing up those retention rates.

Photo by Gideon Tsang https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

Is it Time for a Message Makeover?

Ann Green Communications, fundraising, marketing, writing

What would happen if you got your staff or board together and asked them to give a short description of what your organization does? Would you get a variety of different answers?

Now take a look at some of your communication materials – fundraising letters, thank you letters, website etc. Are your messages consistent in all your materials? Are they written in clear, conversational language or are they filled with mind-numbing jargon?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then it’s time for a message makeover.

Create a message platform
Putting together a set of clear, consistent messages, also known as a message platform, is a good project for you to take on this summer.

Now whenever you create a fundraising letter or content for your website, you can draw material from this set of messages.

Having a consistent set of messages is essential when you have more than one person writing for your organization and as new staff or volunteers come on board. All your materials need continuity and a single voice.

Everyone in your organization – staff, board, volunteers – is a message ambassador, and needs to be involved. Although, that doesn’t mean they should be involved in every step of the process.


You may want to get some initial input from staff and board. Ask everyone a few key questions, such as:

  • Who is your target audience? You may need to cater different messages to different audiences.

  • What is important to them?

As you create your positioning statement and talking points, ask:

  • Who are you?

  • What do you do?
  • How do you do it?

  • Why is it important?

  • What makes your organization unique?

  • How are you making a difference for the people you serve and in the community?

  • What do you want to achieve?

Keep it simple
This may sound obvious, but your goal is to make sure your reader understands your message. Your messages should be clear, specific, and include a call to action. Again, they need to be conversational, so avoid using jargon. Most people respond better to a human interest story than a lot of statistics.

Your messages should not say something like – We make a difference for at-risk students. Instead, say Our volunteer tutors help students boost their reading and math skills so they’ll have a better chance to get into college.

Use language your donors will understand
Have someone outside your organization, a friend or family member, look at your messages. Something that’s clear to you may be confusing to others. What Does That Mean?

Stay consistent with a style guide
Continuing on the theme of consistency, I strongly recommend putting together a style guide. Create a Style Guide for Your Organization

Get everyone on board
A small group – marketing staff and board members with marketing experience – should put together the message platform and then introduce it to everyone else.

Resources
Here is some more information help to you create a message platform.

The 4 Cornerstones of Your Nonprofit Message Platform  

Build Your Message Team

Getting to Aha! The Nonprofit Marketer’s Top Challenge

Take some time this summer to make sure that your messages and materials are clear and consistent.


Before and After Kitchen Photo by Patrick via Flickr

Is it Time For an Extreme Thank You Makeover?

Ann Green Communications, donor relations, fundraising, writing

Summer is here! Yea, finally.  This may be a slower time for you, and over the summer, I’m going to give you some suggestions on how to improve your fundraising and communications to help you get ready for a busy fall.

One area where most nonprofits can do better is thanking their donors, something that often seems like an afterthought. 

A landing page is more than a receipt

Many people donate online now, and your landing page is your first chance to say thank you.  Make it personal and not transactional. 

Open with Thank you, Susan!or You’re amazing!  Include an engaging photo and a short, easy to understand description of how the donation will help the people you serve.  Put all the tax deductable information after your message or in the automatically generated thank you email.

If you use third party giving sites, such as PayPal or Network for Good, this is what your donors will see, and it’s not pretty.How to Go Beyond a Receipt Follow up with a personal thank you email message within 48 hours (see below).

Your thank you email should sound like it’s coming from a human

Set up an automatic email to go out after someone donates online. This will let your donor know that you received her donation and it didn’t get lost in cyberspace.

Again, make it warm and personal.  Just because it’s generated by a computer, doesn’t mean it needs to sound like a computer.

You’re not done yet

I’m a firm believer that even if someone donates online he should receive thank you card, letter, or phone call within 48 hours.

Make your donor’s day with a handwritten note

You can make a good impression by sending a handwritten thank you note.  Personal mail is so rare these days, and your card will stand out.

Now is a good time to create some thank you cards.  One idea is to use a picture of a client or group of clients holding a thank you sign.  If cost is an issue, you could get the cards donated.

Writing cards will take more time, so you’ll need to plan ahead. Craft a sample note; recruit staff, board members, volunteers, and clients to help write cards; and hold thank you writing parties right after you send out an appeal.

Phone calls make a difference, too

You can do the same thing for thank you phone calls.  Create a sample script, recruit people to make calls, and hold thankathons after your appeal. 

Create an awesome letter

If it’s impossible to write cards or make phone calls, then send out an awesome letter. 

This means something personal and conversational without any vague jargon.  Give a specific example of how the donation will make a difference. Something like this.

Dear Matt,

You’re incredible!   Your $50 donation will give a family two bags of groceries.  Thank you so much!

Here are some more examples.

Thank You Letters Donors Will Love 

Thank You Letters – Resources for You

Make new donors feel welcome

Approximately 70% of first time donors don’t give a second gift. Yikes! Don’t let that happen. 

Start thinking about creating a welcome package now.  A week or so after you send a thank you note, send something in the mail or by email, if money is tight.

 Make Your New Donors Feel Welcome

 How to Personalize and Automate the Welcome Series for Your New Supporters

It’s all about relationships

Keep in touch now and throughout the fall, so you stay on your donors’ radar. Thanking donors is not a one-time thing. 

Create a Thank You Plan

Image by Woodley Wonderworks

 

How You Can Print and Mail With Limited Resources

Ann Green Communications, fundraising, planning
In my last post Don’t Give Up on Print, I mentioned that some nonprofit organizations try to save money by cutting back on printing and mailing. That could be a mistake and I suggested you survey your donors to see whether they have a preference between print and electronic communication.
So now you’ve surveyed your donors and found many of them prefer to receive print communication, and you rarely send anything through the mail because you have limited resources (budget, time, staff).  What do you do?  Here are some suggestions.
Be smart
First off, figure out what you should print and mail.  I recommend mailing at least four pieces a year.  If not, you’ll miss reaching donors who don’t or rarely use electronic channels.
In addition, be smart about what you send out and who you send it to. If your fundraising letter isn’t generating the revenue you want, you might need to improve the content. You may also be sending it to a weak audience.  Mail to people who will be receptive to your cause.
Send out quality material your donors will want to read.
Increase your printing and mailing budget
Can you budget more for printing and mailing?  This is often not as much of a priority as it should be.
If you can’t increase your current budget, find additional sources of unrestricted funding to cover these costs.
DIY
With a good color printer and the right software, you can produce materials in house. Be sure they look professional.
Find a sponsor
You could get your invitations or annual report donated.  A print shop might do this.  It’s good publicity for them. You often get sponsors for an event. Have a sponsor cover the cost of the invitations, as well.
Put a donation envelope in your print newsletter
You might recoup the cost of the mailing, as well as raise additional revenue.  In my last post, I recommended organizations that feel really strapped send a newsletter with a donation envelope in the spring and a year-end appeal.
  
Use discounted mailing options
You may be eligible for special nonprofit rates. Special Prices for Nonprofit Mailers You could use standard or bulk mail for items that aren’t time sensitive, such as newsletters or annual reports. Factor in how long it will take to mail, so your spring newsletter doesn’t arrive in July.  Only use first class mail for appeal letters and thank you letters.
Recruit volunteers to help with mailings
Just make sure they do quality work and don’t slap on crooked mailing labels or write illegible thank you notes.
Different strokes for different folks
You may not need to mail something like an annual report to everyone.  You certainly shouldn’t mail one of those massive 20 pagers to all your donors.
You could send a four- page annual report to your major funders and a postcard annual report to the rest of your donors. 

Shorter is better, both to capture your donor’s attention and to save on printing and mailing costs.   

It’s possible to print and mail with limited resources.  It does take some planning and prioritizing, but it should pay off if it allows you to connect with more donors.

Photo by Reza https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode