I need some hints on "HOW TO" for our first local newsletter

[Omaha Steve]

I got volunteered to help put out our newsletter. We never had one before. So what do we do?

OS

[pinto]

1. I started one for a local non-profit years ago, would be glad to offer out pitfalls and successes.

What group and who's the audience?

[Omaha Steve]

2. Local 251

We have members in several units (cities and counties) across the State of Nebraska. Evenly split between male and female.

[pinto]

3. I'd get consensus on some top issues for *your* local, collect some background info

on same - backbone for articles. Any good quotes or statements - pro/con from local politicians?, union officials? - make note of them. Pick one issue to lead off a newsletter - piece in the background info, any quotes you have from people involved, and some time line on what happens next. Who, what, where, when, why.

Compile all the relevant contact info for your Local. Union leaders, politicians, etc. Include in *every* newsletter. Make it useful to keep around.

Ask for member feedback - whether it's letters to the editor, guest columns, or suggestions for articles, whatever. Keep readers involved in your Local's activities.

Member profiles are good. One each newsletter helps keep it local and connected to your readership. Could be self-written, i.e. "I'm Local 251" ...

Ask for help. Someone in the Local may be good at layout design, photo cropping or such.

And have fun with it. Good luck.

Appreciate your posting here on DU. - pinto

[pinto]

4. Oh, and maybe some other Locals or a national umbrella organization would

allow reprints in your newsletter. Simple cut 'n paste.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. I put out a monthly newsletter for my non-profit

If you hate coming up with a layout, use software like Windows Publisher, which will lay it out for you--you just put in photos and text. How many newsletters are you printing? If it is in the hundreds, you might wish to invest in bulk mailing permit--otherwise it is just as easy to send them first class.

More guidelines:

1. Set deadlines for articles to be in, printing to be done, and mailing to be out.

2. Make sure you have regular features that are handled by at least a couple different people. Give them guidelines for length. We have an events page (a calendar) template that we use to fill in the events for the coming month.

3. Always have a group of "fillers" ready to go if someone doesn't come through with a promised article or an article isn't long enough. Find information from national organizations, and ask for permission to copy it in your newsletter. They are usually glad to give it as long as you put in copyright notices and "printed with permission" or something like that. I can't emphasize enough that the fillers should be of varying lengths, anything from 2 lines to half a page.

Hope this information is helpful.

[pinto]

6. Good stuff.

:thumbsup:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Thanks

That's praise, coming from you. I was trying to cover angles you hadn't.