Advancement · Communications

An issue people open,
read and act on

A newsletter that works tells one story well, asks for one thing and fits on a phone. Enter the subject and preview text, a lead story and a few short ones, the button and the footer. The tool counts what matters, flags a subject that will be cut off, links that say “click here” and images with no alt text, and prints the issue and its plain-text version.

Add an issueWhat you get
$12one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $12

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Development and giving kit, $39 for 32 items.

Newsletter issues

The worked example is made up: a literacy group’s donor update, an animal shelter issue that tries to say everything and a garden club draft. Saved on this device only.

Loading the issue form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Advancement · Communications$12 · included with Classroom and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A record per issue: the audience, subject and preview text, a lead story, shorter stories with link words, images with alt text, one main call to action, the footer address, the send date and six send checks; character and word counts, the number of asks, and a printed issue laid out as an email plus a plain-text version.
Who it is for
Communications, development and volunteer staff at nonprofits, school foundations and parent groups who write a regular email update.
Format
Browser tool with a saved record per issue. Prints the issue as an email, a plain-text version, the record, every issue in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Development and giving kit ($39) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Communications space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Write the subject and the preview text.
  2. Tell one lead story, about 150 words.
  3. Add two or three short stories.
  4. Name one main ask.
  5. Fix the flags, then print or copy.

Add an issue

What makes an issue work

Where each part of an issue earns its placePartAim forWhySubject line40 to 50 charactersPhones cut longer subjectsPreview textA second reason to openShown next to the subjectLead storyAbout 150 wordsOne person, one changeShorter storiesThree or fourReaders scan, they do not readMain askOne buttonName what the gift doesImagesAlt text on eachBlocked images, screen readersFooterAddress and unsubscribeTrust and the lawWhere each part of an issue earns its placeSubject lineAim for: 40 to 50 charactersWhy: Phones cut longer subjectsPreview textAim for: A second reason to openWhy: Shown next to the subjectLead storyAim for: About 150 wordsWhy: One person, one changeShorter storiesAim for: Three or fourWhy: Readers scan, they do not readMain askAim for: One buttonWhy: Name what the gift doesImagesAim for: Alt text on eachWhy: Blocked images, screen readersFooterAim for: Address and unsubscribeWhy: Trust and the law
Most people decide from the inbox line alone, so the subject and preview do most of the work.

One story, one ask

Readers respond to a single person and a single change far more than to a list of everything the organization did. Lead with that story, keep it short, and end it with one clear thing to do. Shorter items can follow, each a sentence or two with link words that say where the link goes. Your email service adds the unsubscribe link and sends the plain-text part; this tool gets the words ready for it.

Accessible by default

Many readers have images blocked or use a screen reader. Give every image a short description of what it shows, never only “image”. Write link words that make sense alone, since screen reader users often jump from link to link. Keep important words in text, not inside a picture, and check the issue on a phone before it goes out.

Sources

  1. Federal Trade Commission. CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business (ftc.gov).
  2. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. Images tutorial and link purpose guidance, WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.1.1 and 2.4.4 (w3.org/WAI).
  3. Nielsen Norman Group. How users read on the web, and email newsletter usability research (nngroup.com).
  4. M+R Benchmarks. Annual study of nonprofit email, open and response rates (mrbenchmarks.com).

The worked example is made up, including the organizations, people and numbers. Character limits are working guides; inboxes vary by app and screen. Nothing here sends email: copy your words into your own email service. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.