Great Brochures for Nonprofits

A great brochures is powerful, it gives you a quick, easy way to let people know about your work. it builds your brand. Your growing organization should have a great brochure.

Nonprofit Champion will tell you how to get the best brochure money can buy or we'll create one for you. It's your choice.

It’s amazing that a piece of paper can work so hard. If it is well thought out, carefully written and designed to reflect your work a brochure is a pocket size representation of your organization, your work and your vision. It is a powerful tool that can take you from being a good organization to a great one.

How can a brochure do so much? To tell you the truth, it’s not just the brochure; it’s the process that leads to its creation. In order to make a great brochure you need to state your case, you need to be compelling; you need to make every reader feel like your work is something they want to be part of.

That’s a tall order. Not an impossible one. Your organization exists to serve a purpose. You have an obligation to invite people to enter your circle. You may be inviting them to visit your museum, hear your music, attend your school, volunteer in your shelter or sponsor your mission. Without continually communicating your vision to more and more people your organization will become stagnant.

You are asking your brochure to stand on its own and communicate that message for you. Words, pictures and great design will work together to say more than any one element could do one its own.Many years of producing brochures for nonprofit organizations of all sizes has taught us a few lessons. We’d like to share them with you so you can benefit from our experience. Consider these points when you are ready to begin the process of creating your brochure:

• A brochure can be quite simple – a single piece of (good quality) paper is enough for many organizations. If you have many different programs and services or you are launching a capital campaign you may need several pages.

• Small brochures travel well. You will carry more 6x8 brochures with you then 9x12 ones. The more you carry, the more you give out.

• The copy for your brochure is very important. It may be true that most people won’t read every word but every word they do read should be honest, compelling and informative. A good copywriter will be able to take your information, plainly stated, and use that to craft the copy for your brochure.

• Make sure your brochure looks like your organization. Hopefully you have established a brand – a logo, tagline, colors and fonts that people can identify with your organization. Use those for your brochure and continue to build your brand every time you give one out.

• Great photography is important. If you don’t have professional photos of your work, begin to gather them. Hire the best photographer you can or seek out a professional who will work pro-bono. Actual photos of your work in action are best but carefully selected stock photography is better than poor quality photos.

• Printing is expensive, it usually costs more than the copy and design combined, but there are economical printing options online and probably in your neighborhood. Factors that determine cost include size, weight of paper, number of colors and quantity.

• Printing 5000 doesn’t cost a whole lot more than printing 3500. Remember each one is working to promote your organization, so have plenty!

If You Create Your Brochure In-House

• Collect samples of good quality brochures from other organizations for ideas and inspiration. We are happy to share samples of our work, request them on the form at the bottom of this page.

• If your budget does not allow you to pay for professional services and you are doing it yourself, you can use a common "slim-jim" format, a sheet of paper folded in thirds. Be careful! Too often they are poorly done. Use good quality paper and a clean design; you don’t want it to reflect poorly on your good work.

• Decide on the essential message and write copy that delivers that message. Use bullet lists for easy reading. One way to improve copy is to go back and take out superfluous words; removing unnecessary words generally tightens your message and makes it clearer and easier to read. Be sure to have someone else review and proof it.

• If the budget can’t handle design services, try to find someone who will work pro-bono. If you design it yourself, see if you can get a pro to review your work. There are many templates available online or as part of the design software you use.

• If you do not have the photos you need and can not afford a photographer, look for a professional or a very good amateur to donate his/her services.

"Thank you for all the wonderful work you do for The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts (METC). Your creativity played an important part of our Capital and Endowment Campaign. Now our extensive collection has a worthy home. The logo and materials you created represent METC perfectly. I particularly want to acknowledge your creation of Work, Wealth & Wisdom. This masterpiece captures the history and mission of METC and pays tribute to all who made it possible."
W. Stanley Brown
Former Chairman, Board of Trustees
Museum of Early Trades & Crafts

Your Brochure Today

Now is the time to get started on your brochure. This minor investment will pay for itself many times over. Your brochure is your silent partner, working for you while you are busy taking care of all the other important aspects of managing and growing your organization.

Some agencies may feel they can do without a brochure. But the truth is, every organization has a need to get their message out. Your brochure works to recruit volunteers, attract donors, interest members, invite attendees and inspire loyalty. In fact, a well done brochure will pay great dividends just with your existing board and staff. Imagine the pride they will feel being associated with the organization. Everyone likes to be associated with a winner.

Nonprofit Champion has created many brochures for a wide array of organizations. We have seen the results. And we’d like you to have a great brochure that serves you as well as it has served so many other organizations.

"We had a wonderful response to the brochure on Saturday. People were very happy to have a copy.....which says something. It also created interest in our organization. Thank you for your beautiful work. I am very pleased with the final outcome. I love the color and the paper.......wonderful job, thank you. Lots happening too fast and it just continues. I look forward to working with you for years to come to help with this mission."
Sandi Schroeder
Seeds for Hope

Your brochure is a key element of your success. You should have one that you are proud of and that works for you. You might even consider your brochure as your best volunteer, working for you to spread your mission. You just have to give it the power it is capable of by making sure it has the elements needed for success:

1. Great copy that succinctly tells your story and compels action
   
2. Beautiful photographs that bring your mission to life
   
3. Expert design that brings it all together, enhancing your brand and showing your organization in the best possible way.
   
4. Quality printing on good paper

Your organization can commit to a new professional image now by getting started on a new brochure. In just a couple of weeks you could have a great brochure working for you. Right now, we are offering three ways to help you out. Choose any of the three and we will assist you in starting the process. No obligation and no cost. Just tell us how we can help you. And, don’t worry, we promise to use your email address only to respond to your request, which we will do within 24 hours.

Nonprofit Champion Brochure Services Please note that all fields followed by an asterisk must be filled in. First Name Last Name E-mail Address* E-mail Address* Web Site URL What would you like us to do for you? I would like a free review of our brochure I need help, please let me know more about your services

Completing the above form entitles you to receive FREE information from Nonprofit Champion. Your email address will only be used to send you that information.

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Brochures are a powerful tool for Nonprofit Champions, head back to the homepage for more free information.