Newsletters are a great way to bring your message to the people. But, staring at a blank screen can be a nerve wracking experience, wondering what to write, what information to include, or where to start! Here are a collected list of newsletter article ideas that you can use for your group’s own newsletter or for a column in a local newspaper.

The HumaneFundraising list members have brainstormed these ideas to help their fellow rescuers.

**General Pet Topics**
Microchipping
Spay/ Neuter
What to do if your pet is lost, local resources
Animal CPR and first aid
Poison prevention for pets
How to move to a new home with your pets
What to do with your pets during a military deployment
Local laws regarding animals (on leash, tags, register)
Disaster preparedness (for hurricanes, floods, tornados– making an emergency kit)
Bringing home a new baby
Protecting wildlife in your area
Trap, Neuter, Release for feral cats
Importance of basic obedience (especially ‘recall’, down, sit)
Therapy pets– Canine Good Citizen
Search and Rescue
Health care– brushing teeth, proper shots, heartworm preventative
How to bathe your pet, good hygiene
Dangers of ‘Free to Good Home’ ads
Choosing the RIGHT pet for you (right animals and breeds)
Problems with puppy mills and backyard breeders
Cost differences between adopting a pet versus buying one (show cost of shots, s/n, training, adoption fees)

**Humane Months and Days**
Adopt a Cat month (June)
Adopt a Dog month (October)
Adopt an older pet month (November)
Dog bite prevention week (May)
Chained dog prevention– getting them off the chains and into the homes (February, sponsored by Dogs Deserve Better)
Tag Day– importance of tagging! (April)
Prevent cruelty– how to report cruelty in your area, who to call, how to document suspected abuse
Explain the link between cruelty to animals and cruelty to people

**Behavior Issues**
What to do when a pet marks inside the house
Cats avoiding the litterbox
Prevent digging problems in your yard
How to get your pet to listen to your children/ play nicely with kids
How to tame food aggression
Stop nuisance barking
Crate training
Potty training
Curbing separation anxiety
End furniture scratching
Make your cat NOT a fraidy cat– ending shyness, insecurity
Dog aggression (nipping at other dogs)
Teaching your pets to get along
Bringing a new pet home
Proper socialization

**Pet Crafts**
What foods to avoid when making treats
How to make pet treats at home
How to make a snuggle blanket (can donate these to shelter!)
Growing your own catnip at home
How to make catnip toys for cats
Taking good photos of your pets
Craft items FOR pets (beds, pillows, bandanas, toys)
Making crafts for pet owners (leash holder, quotes on a plaque, special frames)

**Ways to Donate**
15 things you already have at home that you can donate (books, old clothes, collectible figurines, a boat/ car/ RV, furniture, appliances)
Using your talents to help animals (sewing, building, gardening, drawing, website maintenance and other computer stuff)
Small ways to make a BIG difference in the lives of animals (donate 1 hour a week, donate stamps, donate food…)
Volunteering for animals (from phone calls, making crafts to sell, and writing PSAs to fostering, filing papers, updating websites and computer records, taking photos, talking with businesses, etc)
Fundraising ideas
Reasons to foster instead of adopting/ buying a pet

SECTIONS
Q&A with a vet
Health topic (avoiding summer heat, ticks, heartworm prevention, proper exercise, declawing alternatives for cats)
Behavior tips
Pet treat recipe (tried ‘n true, and check with your vet)
Spotlight on one adoptable animal
Wish list for regular items that people can donate (towels, blankets, bleach, paper towels, old washer, printer paper)
Recap of a fundraiser and introduce next fundraiser
Spotlight on a product that your group recommends (such as Bissell carpet cleaner, Anti Icky Poo carpet cleaning solution, favorite shampoos for deskunking, nylabones, specific dog beds, or other products you like)
Living with pets… ways to clean your house, protect furniture and otherwise keep your sanity while living with pets.
Ways to volunteer (Highlight different ones each time, such as making phone calls, doing crafts, contacting vendors)

Just a few more comments that will hopefully be helpful too. People, as much as we would like them to, often do not read or pay attention to “educational” articles in a newsletter, so often the way to do it is incorporating it in the story of an animal, for ex. a dog that came in heartworm positive and the need for preventative care.

Sad stories with happy endings that your organization help make happen every day - lots of nice pictures, they tell stories just by themselves, and sell your organization.

Always include your upcoming events and provide them with various ways (and amounts) of helping your organization. The memorial section is always very popular as one has mentioned. Don’t forget to include a “in honor of” section. Set a minimum donation amount.

Vary your wish list otherwise people start tuning it out. Explain why you especially need something right now, for ex. KMR for motherless kittens or kiddie pools for dogs to splash in.

And preferably have a newsletter for your “outside” donors and supporters and a different one for your volunteers.