A newsletter is a printed report of information and ideas. Neighborhood organizations publish newsletters to inform residents of issues that concern the neighborhood, announce meetings and events, summarize activities of the group, and promote community pride.
Community Services will assist neighborhood organizations in the design, layout, printing, and mailing of neighborhood newsletters. Groups are encouraged to have a newsletter committee coordinate articles and proofread final documents. Articles can be submitted to Neighborhood Preservation for design and layout or groups can prepare the newsletter and submit a disk or camera-ready copy.
Benefits of a Newsletter:
- Keeps members up-to-date about group activities.
- Educates readers about issues and ideas that concern your group.
- Builds cohesion and a sense of pride among members.
- Sparks new interest in and increases recognition of your organization.
- Offers a format for information.
- Announces your regular meetings.
- Provides meeting summaries.
Steps to Prepare a Newsletter:
- Form a committee and designate an editor.
- Decide what will be in the issue:
- Notices of meetings and group events
- Agendas
- Report on the group's activities
- Issues that effect the neighborhood
- Community interest articles
- Community history articles
- Recognition of volunteer efforts
- Advertising
- News from other groups
- Leader and member biographies
- Design the layout for the newsletter.
- Write or have others contribute articles.
- Edit articles for content, style & space.
- Ask others to help proofread.
- Take final copies to the printer.
- Check the final copy for errors in printing or editing.
- Mail or hand deliver the newsletter.
- Seek feedback about the issue.
Tips for Words and Graphics:
Masthead: The title on the front page of every newsletter.
- Keep the name of the newsletter short and catchy.
- Use a logo or symbol in the masthead.
Font: The style of typeface.
- For article text, use a serif (or hooked) font that is easy to read.
- Sans serif fonts (Arial, Helvetica) are appropriate for headlines.
- Be consistent with the fonts selected.
- Use italics sparingly.
- Justify two or more columns.
- For articles, use a font size of 10 or 12.
Headline: A short title to the article.
- Print headlines in the same color as the article.
- Set them like sentences without periods. For example, capitalize only the first letter of each sentence.
Articles: The stories and text that explain the different events, issues and plans.
- Organize ideas before beginning.
- Avoid complicated words and lengthy sentences.
- Always proofread your article for spelling and grammatical errors.
Layout Basics:
- Use two to three columns per 8 ½" x 11" page.
- Limit each page to no more than three to four articles.
- Use a moderate amount of white space. Keep white space at the edges of the page, not the center.
- Make sure the page looks balanced. Lighter items should be toward the top of the page and darker ones should be toward the bottom.
- Use graphics, clip art, or photographs to break up the text and give your newsletter a more polished appearance.
- Consider keeping your newsletter at six pages or under. This will keep costs down and make readers less likely to feel that there is too much to read.
- Consider using a consistent layout that will make your newsletter more familiar to readers.
Cost Saving Tips
For groups producing newsletters themselves:
- Consider selling advertising to help cover the costs. This can be as easy as photocopying someone's business card.
- Determine if you qualify for non-profit status to lower postage rates. Check into bulk mailing and bar codes. The post office can provide more information about reducing postage costs.
- Consider other means of distributing your newsletter besides the mail. Block representatives can hand deliver newsletters.
- Decide how often you really need the newsletter to go out.
- Ask your printer or other newsletter editors how your newsletter can be done for less.
- Move through every step of the process of creating your newsletter carefully, and make sure to edit as you go along. Mistakes are expensive.
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(Sources: Community Tool Box and Salem, Oregon Neighborhood Handbook)