059: Want More Donors? Ditch Your Newsletter

If you’ve ever spent hours pulling together a nonprofit newsletter — only to feel like no one’s reading it — you’re not alone. For years, I felt the exact same way.

Back when I was leading a nonprofit, the newsletter was my least favourite task. Month after month, I’d open up Mailchimp, stare at that empty template, and wonder how I was going to fill it this time. I’d cram in updates, events, and a message from the director, but deep down I knew... our donors weren’t reading it. And if they did, they certainly weren’t taking action.

Here’s what I discovered - the problem wasn’t me, and it wasn’t you either. The problem is newsletters. They’re outdated, one-sided, and they don’t inspire donors to feel connected or to give.

So I started experimenting. Instead of newsletters, I sent shorter, story-driven emails. I made the donor the hero of the story, not the organization. And I began to invite simple, clear actions in every message. Little by little, everything changed — replies came in, relationships deepened, and donations became more consistent.

That’s exactly what I want to share with you in this episode. You’ll walk away knowing how to...

• Retire the newsletter once and for all and stop wasting time on emails no one reads.
• Shift to story-driven emails that make your donor the centre of the story.
• Invite clear, simple action that strengthens relationships and increases donations.

Because when you nurture instead of “news,” everything changes.

And if you’re ready to go deeper, I’d love to see you inside Donor Magnet - my free 5-day bootcamp for nonprofit leaders. It’s free, it starts October 14, and you can grab your seat at janditchfield.co/bootcamp.

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