Neighborhood Newsletters

Newsletter Basics

When starting a newsletter in your neighborhood, recruit volunteers like crazy. You will need a Story Editor, Copy Editor, Designer, Advertising Salesperson, and Distribution Coordinator. You will also need plenty of article writers and delivery people if you hand deliver.

To create a schedule, work backward from the delivery date. Decide on the most important articles and ask for contributions early. The Copy Editor edits for clarity and length. Printing, folding and distribution all take a lot of time, so plan ahead.

Design the newsletter specifically for your neighborhood’s personality. With enough forethought, it will remain consistent for years and be easy to read. Include the same logo for each edition and use pictures for the visual people out there.

Content generally includes the issue date, an identifying neighborhood logo, an event calendar, contact information, volunteer requests, important neighborhood issues and a note from the president/chair. Don’t forget your website too!

Distributing by mail is expensive, but less footwork. Hand delivery creates new neighbor connections. On the weekend, people are often out in their yards. Besides, bulk mail still takes a lot of time to prepare and takes longer to deliver than first class mail.

Spotlight: Mt. Tabor’s Quarterly Newsletter

Mt. Tabor puts a lot of thought and energy into their newsletter, which literally pays off. Before they started newsletter, they asked for volunteers because it takes a lot of people to make the newsletter work. Volunteer designers, writers, editors, distributors and an advertising salesperson contribute to each edition. The newsletter also earns more in advertising revenue than it costs.

The newsletter has helped developed a sense of belonging and community. It’s contributed to the neighborhood identity and definition. Everything in this newsletter is about the neighborhood. People should read it and think, “This is about something four blocks from me.”

Mt. Tabor’s newsletter process evolved over the years. The written publication policy eliminated arbitrary rules. Specific types of articles are found in the same place every month for consistency. Each distribution route only is one-hour long so it’s not overwhelming.

The editors are important part of the process. They are involved in the community so they know about current topics and controversies. The copy editor is sensitive, but ruthless. Varying the story sizes makes the layout appealing. Knowing the word count in advance helps shorten the articles prior to placement in the design template. This newsletter is a well-oiled, profitable community asset.

Working Step-by-Step

Step 1: Recruit Volunteers

  • You’ll need many volunteers to publish a newsletter--probably at least one for each step on this list.

Step 2: Solicit Stories & Manage Deadlines

  • The Story Editor should be well connected to the community, so they know the stories to solicit and the right people to write the articles.
  • Ask for contributions early.
  • Volunteers for this stage includes story writers submitting articles.

Step 3: Solicit Advertising

  • An Ads Salesperson connected to the local businesses would be ideal.
  • Promote the benefits of advertising to local residents.

Step 4: Edit for Content & Space

  • The Copy Editor decides on article lengths and content (sometimes significant cuts are necessary).
  • Knows word counts and the community to include vital information.

Step 5:Create Template/Place Content

  • Designer creates and maintains a consistent, crisp, easy-to-read design.

Step 6: Print & Fold Document

  • Maybe a local shop will donate some services for free advertising.

Step 7:Distribute Newsletter

  • The Distribution Coordinator manages the time intensive, expensive bulk mailing process or the labor intensive hand delivery.

Digging Deeper: Additional Resources

Detailed Newsletter Guides

Creating a Neighborhood Newsletter. Created by Iowa City, Iowa. www.icgov.org (pdf)

How to Create a Neighborhood Newsletter

Created by Battle Creek Community Foundation in Michigan. www.wkkf.org (pdf)

Printing Resources

City Printers: Provides printing, copying and design services to neighborhood associations. Call customer service for more information or for quotes: 503 823-4448

Publishing Computer Lab

Independent Publish Resource Center.
Provides computer and specialized publishing software access for daily rates or with memberships. For more information, call 503 287-0249 or check their website at www.iprc.org.

Design Software Resources

Open Source Software:
www.openoffice.org

Discounted Software: www.techsoup.com www.techsoup.com