Transcription of How to Create a Neighborhood Newsletter
1 A How-to Guidefor neighborhoodleaders working to make life better forpeople in Battle CreekHow to Create a Neighborhood Newsletter A Neighborhood Newsletter is a greatway to get the word out and get peopleinvolved in activities going on in yourneighborhood and the Creek neighborhoodgroups are learning that anewsletter is a great way toconnect with theirneighborhoods. Publishing anewsletter can informneighbors of local issues,announce meetings and events,summarize activities of thegroup, get neighbors involvedand promote community Newsletter can be as simple as one page typedon someone s typewriter andcopied on a copy machine or ascomplicated as multiple pages made bysomeone using desktop publishing software and printed at a local important thing is not so much thelook of the Newsletter , but whatinformation is covered and how clearlyit s communicated.
2 The goals of anewsletter can be to help readersunderstand what s going on in yourneighborhood, get folks to join yourneighborhood group or volunteer for anactivity, recognize members to makefolks feel good about their participation,or give out resources to neighbors tohelp them become more aware ofneighborhood most newsletters are created byexisting Neighborhood groups orassociations, a Newsletter is one toolthat can help an informal group ofneighbors transform itself into a moreorganized Neighborhood association. Step One: Determine rolesDeveloping a Neighborhood newslettertakes time. It s important to share thework of creating a Newsletter so that noone burns out and so that thenewsletter lasts for more than a fewissues. Form a Newsletter committeemade up of people from yourneighborhood group.
3 Discuss who hasan interest in being the editor, who willgather material for articles and writethem, who has a computer to Create thenewsletter, and who can deliver material, writing articles anddelivering the final Newsletter areactivities that can be done by at leasttwo or three people. You may find thatthere is one person who loves to do thiskind of work and wants to take it onalone. No matter how good that personmight be at producing the Newsletter ,they will still need the support of otherneighbors to get the newsletterdelivered to the community. Step Two: Know your purposeBefore deciding to publish theneighborhood Newsletter , it's helpful foryour group to look carefully at yourpurpose. What is it that you're hoping toaccomplish? How will the newsletterbenefit those who read it and those whocreate it?
4 Possible purposes Keep readers up to date about groupactivities, upcoming meetings, etc. Educate readers about issues andideas that concern your group Build unity and a sense of prideamong group members Recognize volunteers, localbusinesses and others who contributeto your group s success Share important resources withneighbors Spark new interest in and increaserecognition of your organization Provide meeting summaries Motivate residents to join your groupor association Let people know what the city, localcompanies and nonprofitorganizations are doing Develop skills among your newslettercommittee: communications, writing,computer, leading meetings, workingwith organizations on storiesHow to Create a Neighborhood NewsletterStep Three: Know your audienceTo help your group plan the contents ofyour Newsletter , it will be helpful toknow something about the people whowill be receiving it.
5 It's time for a littleresearch. Ask neighbors questions like:What would you like to know about ourneighborhood association? What topicswould you like to learn more about?What types of stories would be mostfun and interesting to read? Step Four: Decide on a publishingscheduleRemember the old saying that qualityis better than quantity. You may wantto start with a goal of producing two tothree newsletters per year. As yournewsletter committee grows and yourprocess becomes established, you candevelop newsletters more often. Step Five: Decide what material to includeBe sure to balance information aboutyour Neighborhood group and activitieswith fun, helpful articles that will makelife easier for your readers. More peoplewill read your Newsletter if it is helpful tothem and enjoyable to read.
6 Keep inmind that while your group s goals areimportant to you, neighbor readers whoare not involved in the group may notshare these goals and may need to getinterested over time. Don t try to packtoo much material into an issue. Savetopics for the next issue. You may evenwant to focus on one topic forexample, education, health orbeautification per issue and includeseveral articles that deal with that next issue would then focus on adifferent guidelinesItems should be practical and that tell people how to dosomething, give them tips and insightsinto issues of concern or provideresources to help them with daily tasksare those readers will find most should also emphasize theStep Six: Writing and editingAsk your writers to use a friendly,conversational tone.
7 Think about howyou would talk to a new neighbor. Uselanguage that is easier to understandand avoid long sentences. Use lists andbullets to make articles easier to read. Try to finish all of the writing and editingbefore putting the articles into thedesign layout how the articles areplaced on each page. Putting completeor nearly complete articles into thelayout will reduce the amount of timespent rearranging items on each Seven: DesignNewsletter design is easy if someonein your group has a computer withword processing or design softwaresuch as Microsoft Word or Publisher. If no one in your group owns acomputer, ask neighbors, schools, the Willard Public Library or localchurch for first decision indesigning the newsletterinvolves its format and easiest format for designand production is a standard8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper the standard size for mostsoftware programs.
8 If yourlayout is more than twopages, your local copier orprinter can place the pagesonto an 11" x 17" sheet. Ifyou have desktop publishingsoftware, you can set up the format however youwould like. Remember,quality of content is moreimportant than are more likely topick up and read a two-page Newsletter than asix-page Newsletter . Shorternewsletters are also lessexpensive to Include fun items andrecognize neighbor will leave readers with a goodfeeling, increasing the likelihood thatthey'll want to read your next issue or join your group or article ideas, start with theknowledge and skills of your ownneighborsand local nonprofitorganizations. Develop a list of topicideas based on neighbors jobs andinterests. Ask neighbors who areteachers to write education articles, askauto mechanics to provide car care tipsand ask bookkeepers to give moneymanagement ideas.
9 Talk to localbusiness owners and communityorganization leaders for ideas andarticles as well. Many organizationshave articles that they will allow you tocopy in your Newsletter . Just list theirname as the may also want to scan magazines,newspapers and books for ideas. Ifyou use material, mention where yousaw it. List the source, author, title andissue ideasNeighborhood News Notices of meetings and group events A report on the group's activities Issues that affect the Neighborhood Recognition of volunteer efforts News from other neighborhoodgroups, the city, schools, etc. Reader Interest Articles Education, money management,health and employment Home improvement, recipes,gardening and car repair Word puzzles, jokes and coloring for kids Community services and events Community history Neighbor accomplishments,marriages, anniversaries and birthsFor those of you with computersoftware knowledge, keep in mind these design tips when laying out yournewsletter: Columns: use two to three columnsper 8 1/2" x 11" page for easy reading.
10 White space: Readers eyes needplaces to rest. Keep quite a bit ofspace on the edges of the page, notthe center. Type: Choose a simple type style or font ( , Times New Roman) in 10- or 11-point size. Use bold and italictype sparingly and avoid all capsentirely, as these styles are difficult to read. Type alignment or justification : Leftjustified type is the easiest to read. Graphics: Select graphics that aresimple and clear and that match thecontent and personality of yournewsletter. Use clip art or photographsto break up the text and give yournewsletter a more polished appearancebut don t overwhelm the page withtoo many to Create a Neighborhood Newsletter Boxes: Sidebars and other shortarticles may be set off in boxes. Limitboxes to one per page.
