March 2018
By Lois Maharg
At NAMI Washtenaw County, volunteers and staff are rarely content with the status quo. We’re always thinking about how to improve what we do and do it more economically.
This month, with assistance from volunteer Cathy Hearn, we’re launching an online newsletter, which in the future will be supplemented by a shorter print version for members who still want to receive a newsletter in the mail.
The main reason for the change is our need to control costs. With an online newsletter we’ll save on printing and postage. The new print newsletter will be created in house, eliminating charges for layout.
But it’s not just bottom-line considerations that led to this decision. An online newsletter opens up exciting possibilities:
- We can send out newsletters more frequently, offering timely notice of upcoming meetings and events.
- We can be more flexible about newsletter content. Without the need to fit newsletter copy to the printed page, we can also be more flexible about article length. Writers, take note: We won’t turn away good stories because of concerns about insufficient space.
- Readers will be able to leave comments about newsletter stories. Take advantage of this new feature to let us know what you think!
- Finally, we can include more photographs. Smart-phone users, help us document NAMI projects and events by taking photos and sending them to newsletter@namiwc.org.
If we have your email address on file, the online version of this newsletter will appear in your inbox on March 15. Take a minute to look it over. If you’re happy to receive future newsletters online, no further action is required.
If you don’t receive a newsletter in your inbox, it means we don’t have your current email address. To receive our online newsletters, or if you’d prefer to receive a 4-page print newsletter instead, let us know by calling the office (734-994-6611) or typing in your contact information on this Google form.
Hey, Lois and Cathy, this is great news. I hope others respond. Maybe we can rename the new newsletter to distinguish it from the printed version. We could run a contest among members. No rush.
A contest to name the new online newsletter might be a way to increase engagement. Cathy, what do you think?
Sounds like a wonderful idea! One way to do this would be to poll members for suggestions in our next issue, and hold a vote in the following one.