ASCD affiliates maintain a high profile with all stakeholders through creation and dissemination of a variety of high-quality print and electronic publications that are widely used by the membership, other practitioners, and policymakers. Read more in the Affiliate Developmental Continuum ( 51KB).

What Do You Know About Your Affiliate's Communication and Publications?

Newsletters and E-Newsletters

Journals and Magazines

Special Publications

Printing Publications

Mailing Concerns

Sharing Publications With Other Affiliates

Using Your Web Site for Communication and Publications

ASCD Communication and Publications Resources

 What Do You Know About Your Affiliate's Communication and Publications?

• With whom does your affiliate communicate: board members, members, policymakers, other?
• How do you communicate with each of the groups: telephone, e-mail, newsletters, other?
• How often do you communicate with each of the groups: monthly, weekly, daily, other?
• Is your communication with the groups effective? Why or why not?

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 Newsletters and E-Newsletters

The way we communicate has changed dramatically in recent years. Electronic, instantaneous communication is the norm today, yet the traditional printed publication remains a vital part of affiliate communication and publications. Each method of publication delivery meets different needs.

Print vs. Electronic

The standard printed and mailed newsletter provides great value to those members who prefer to read publications on paper or keep a file of affiliate activity. In addition, not every member of every affiliate has an e-mail address on record. If they can't receive all of their benefits, members may perceive a lower value of membership in the organization.  

An electronic newsletter, or e-newsletter, is cheaper, faster, and more immediate. Full-color pictures can be included at little or no cost compared to print costs. An e-newsletter is often divided into topics such as board news and actions, member news and recognition, local education policy updates, grant availability, promotion of ASCD activities. The more flexible format allows the affiliate to provide more in-depth content directly related to members' needs. Most e-newsletters are archived on the affiliate's Web site and available for all users. Although such online access may allow a few nonmembers to take advantage of this member benefit, it serves as a membership recruitment tool that shows the depth of affiliate offerings.

Developing an E-Newsletter

The first step in developing an affiliate e-newsletter strategy is to obtain member e-mail addresses. This is best done when mailing the annual dues renewal notice. Include the e-mail address on file with the mailing and ask the member to revise or update it if incorrect. Ask members who do not have an e-mail address on record to provide one.

The next hurdle is finding a way to send a large number of e-mails all at once. Different Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have different rules for sending out messages to a large audience. Some limit the number of messages a person can send each day; most will limit the number of messages that can be sent at any one time. If your publication goes to a small number of e-mails, using your executive director or editor’s personal account might be the most effective and cheapest way to send e-mail newsletters.

If your affiliate needs to send more than a few hundred e-mails, then investigate companies that only send out messages in bulk. Each one has a different type of service, but for most affiliates, the prices should be reasonable. These services usually are also able to handle "bounced" e-mails and ensure a high delivery rate.

In many cases, affiliates find it easier to post the e-newsletters on a Web site and simply send an e-mail to members giving its location and availability. In these cases, however, it is imperative to have a link in the newsletter that the member can click and automatically be routed to the publication. Each click reduces the number of people who will read your e-newsletter.

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 Journals and Magazines

Journals are a special type of publication that require more expertise and cost than other types, but they provide a great benefit to members and are another way to add value and retain members in the affiliate. The best journals are peer-reviewed with an established editorial board reviewing each submitted article, determining if the article should be published, and then working with the author on necessary editing. A magazine is a more relaxed format and may not require the more intensive peer review and editing of a journal. It still requires a special group or committee to monitor article value.

Once you know how you will determine content, you need to format the journal or magazine for publication. You will need someone in the affiliate who knows how to use publishing programs and can produce a final copy to send to the printer. You will need to find a reliable and quality printer who can produce small quantities at a reasonable rate. And you will need a mailer who can address the copies and deliver to post office for bulk mailing. Add to that the cost of postage and the total cost of production can be a major expense to an affiliate. Postal code requires that journals or magazines (8½" x 11" publications) are handled as "flats." The requirements for addressing and packaging are usually best handled by a professional mailing organization; these businesses also usually have permits that the affiliate may use to receive special postage rates. 

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 Special Publications

Affiliates may produce an annual or more frequent publication based on a specific topic or issue. This special publication might take the form of a longer article on a specific topic to a four-page mailer highlighting timely issues. Frequently, these publications are on a topic of more immediate and general concern to members and educators. Depending on circumstances, such publications can often be reprinted in the affiliate journal or magazine.

Many educators in the field write well on these special topics. In addition to providing recognition to the author, a special publication helps the affiliate demonstrate its support of these issues. Recent ASCD special publications have focused on issues of concern to the Association and to all educators, including high school reform, the whole child, and testing.

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 Printing Publications

Almost any printer can handle a four-page, folded self-mailer newsletter. Investigate local printers and choose one that will do the best job for the lowest price. Printing rates vary widely depending on paper choice, quantity, color, timeframe, and more. When considering timeframe and printer scheduling, keep in mind that a week or longer for a one-page publication is not unusual. Some printers provide fast delivery, but be sure that quality is not diminished.

It will always take more planning to print longer publications cost effectively. Page count for any publication must be in multiples of four. Essentially, it is an 11" x 17" sheet of paper printed on both sides and folded. If it will be a self-mailer, it is folded again so that a space is available for postal address and mailing information.

If the publication is a journal or magazine, it is more economical to format the publication to multiples of 16 pages. Printers who handle this type of printing lay out the publication so that it is printed on both sides of a 34" x 22" piece of paper, which is folded to 16 pages measuring 8½" x 11" then trimmed so that all pages open on three sides and bound (stapled) in the middle. Printers, however, can handle any number of pages as long as it is a multiple of four. You can get a better price for your publication by discussing these issues with the printer.

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 Mailing Concerns

A four-page publication folded to 8½" x 5½" with space for postal information is a "letter shape." A larger journal or magazine that is 8½" x 11" is called a "flat." Nonprofit organizations may apply for postal bulk mail permits to become eligible to receive a lower postal rate. Unless your affiliate does a lot of postal mailings and has software to print and sort addresses in the required postal format, it is usually cheaper and more convenient to work with a professional mailer.

Mailers can take the affiliate's address list of members and other recipients and provide the correct postal sort order. They can also provide the affiliate with a "ghost permit" that, when printed on the publication, allows it to be mailed at bulk (third-class) rates.

To mail anything at bulk rates, the mailing must have a minimum of 200 pieces. For a four-page mailing of this size, find the price for bulk mail and decide if there is sufficient savings to justify it or to send by first-class postage. Remember that an incorrect address or an item that can not be delivered will just be discarded by the post office if mailed bulk (third class). To find out if any of the addresses have flaws, you must send the mailing first class or stamped "address correction requested" on bulk mailings. Any item that is returned will cost more than a first class letter (usually about one-and-a-half times the current rate). 

Keep addresses current by mailing member renewals by first-class mail. If the mailing address is incorrect, it will be returned either with a new address or a stated inability to deliver. If the renewal notice is printed on the document to be returned, the member will make any necessary changes.

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Sharing Publications with Other Affiliates

The best way to improve an affiliate's publications is by sharing them with other ASCD affiliates. The writers, editors, and publishers of affiliate publications can learn from one another ways to present and improve their own publications. Each affiliate has developed different approaches to communicating with members over the years and many continue to change. Add other affiliate leaders to your e-mail newsletter lists; these are easier to maintain than print distribution lists and usually cost no more than sending e-mail newsletters.

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Using Your Web Site for Communication and Publications

An organizational Web site has become as important as brochures, cards, and pins to attain and retain members. Almost every affiliate has a Web site, and most have members or partners who are technologically knowledgeable and can manage the site and electronic publications.

The biggest hurdle for most Web sites is keeping the content current and relevant. Failure to keep a Web site current can be as bad as not having one at all. Outdated content will affect a reader's impression of an affiliate and possibly discourage membership.

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