Creating a Top-Notch Newsletter for Animal Welfare Organizations
Your donor newsletter isn’t just another communication—it’s a powerful tool for stewardship, retention, and even revenue. While appeals highlight what still needs doing, your newsletter is where you show donors the good they’ve already made possible.
And if you work in animal welfare, you have no shortage of incredible stories to share. The trick is packaging those stories in a way that makes donors feel proud, connected, and eager to keep giving.
Here’s how to create a donor newsletter that truly delivers:
1. Strategy First
The best newsletters start with the right plan. That means:
- Audience: Donors need to be your target audience. We’ve seen donor newsletters that try to be everything to everybody—volunteers, members, corporate sponsors. Resist the urge to expand your audience. Staying focused on donor stewardship will make for a stronger and more engaging newsletter.
- Timing: Mail 2 to 4 times a year, with an emailed version for each.
- Length: The optimal length for a newsletter is 4 to 6 pages. Our preference is 4. If you’re starting out, start there. If you’re currently doing a longer or shorter version, test!
- Package: Send your newsletter in an envelope. Tests have shown that a newsletter in an envelope performs better than a self-mailer. Always include a separate reply device in the mailed package. Stewardship might be the primary goal, but a newsletter done right will also generate significant revenue for your organization.
Your primary goal is to engage donors and show them their gifts matter. And when done well, revenue will follow.
2. Stories that shine
Good newsletters report back. Great ones show impact through story.
If you work with animals, you’re sitting on a treasure trove of content. Share:
- Spotlighting a senior pet who lost their guardian and found themselves without a caregiver or home. Show donors how they gave safe refuge and care by helping to provide a loving foster home.
- Surgeries and treatments to help animals get relief from pain or live a full life—made possible because of donor support.
- Letters to the donors from animals in their own words! How a pet found a forever home and what it meant to them.
Always centre the donor in the story. Make sure they can see their role in the happy ending.
3. Complementary content
A strong mix keeps readers engaged. Consider:
- Program spotlights—Spotlight special programs that are made possible through donations. Learning about your veterinary services, a Kids Club, or an emergency after-hours clinic brings donors a little closer to your work.
- Donor spotlights—Consider a specific type of donor to spotlight, like a monthly donor, bequest donor, or organizer of a community fundraising event. It’s a way to spotlight your heroes and promote different ways of giving to other donors.
- Tips and lists! A great way to share information and break up design. For example: The top 5 ways you benefit from living with a pet, How to get ready for adopting a dog, or 3 things you can do to keep wildlife safe during the winter.
- Offers to let donors know what else they can do to support the work they care deeply about. Monthly giving, bequests, or attending an event are all good examples.
- Short “ads” to recruit Foster parents, highlight adoption details, or prompt an upcoming microchip clinic.
But go easy on internal updates like staff bios or board changes—unless it connects back to the donor’s impact.
4. Copy that’s read (or at least skimmed)
Write like you talk—with heart, clarity, and purpose. And always write for real people:
- Keep sentences short and language simple (grade 6 reading level or lower).
- Use headers, subheads, captions, and bolded openers to make your content skimmable.
- Don’t forget to say “you”! Donor-centric language pulls readers in.
5. Design for Emotion and Action
Design should guide the reader and bring your stories to life. We follow the 3 Cs:
- Clean: Use white space. Limit your colour palette to a maximum of four. Use headers, subheads, captions, and bolded openers to make your content skimmable.
- Concise: Break up text with photos, bullets, and pull quotes.
- Consistent: Stick to your branding. Make it instantly recognizable as your newsletter..
Photos of animals—especially close-ups—can carry as much emotional weight as the words. Use them generously.
Need a Hand?
Whether you’re just starting or looking to improve what you already have, we can help. At Give, we’ve been crafting donor-focused newsletters for over a decade. We understand how best-practice strategy, strong content and copy, and first-rate design can come together to create real magic.
