A newsletter is a designed, branded email built from blocks rather than typed into a plain editor. Use it for community updates and anything where the layout matters as much as the words.
Go to Emails > Compose and click Start newsletter.
Before your first newsletter: branding
Newsletters carry your branding, so you must set your organization's logo before you can send one. Until then, the builder shows a warning across the top and blocks dispatch.
Click Open branding settings to fix it. Do this once, and it applies to every newsletter afterward.
Choosing a starting layout
Pick a layout to start from:
Layout | Use it for |
Single column | A straightforward update, one thing after another |
Image-lead | A story carried by a photograph |
Two-section story grid | Two stories side by side, for a fuller update |
Start blank | Building from scratch |
The layout is a starting point, not a commitment. You can add, remove, and reorder blocks afterward.
The builder
The builder has three panes: settings on the left, the newsletter itself in the middle, and the block library on the right.
Settings
Field | Notes |
Title | An internal name for finding the newsletter later. Recipients do not see it. |
Subject | The line shown in the inbox. |
Audience | The segment to send to. |
Delivery | Send now, or Schedule for later. |
Building the content
Click any part of the newsletter to edit it in place. Click the image placeholder to upload a picture.
Add blocks from the BLOCKS panel on the right:
Block | What it adds |
Header | A title, with your logo optionally |
Text | A rich text block |
Image | A single image with alt text |
Button | A call to action link |
Divider | A horizontal separator |
Fund Snapshot | Live fund numbers, pulled at send time |
Fund Snapshot is worth knowing about. It pulls real fund figures when the newsletter goes out, rather than whatever the numbers were when you wrote it, so an impact update sent a week after drafting still shows current totals.
Personalizing
Merge fields work here as elsewhere.
Rich and Plain
The toggle at the top right switches between the designed version and a plain text version. Plain text is what recipients see if their mail client cannot display the designed one, so it is worth a look before sending.
The footer
Every newsletter carries a system-populated footer with your organization name, mailing address, and Update preferences and Unsubscribe links.
This footer is not optional and cannot be edited or removed. It keeps your sends compliant with anti-spam law, which requires a physical mailing address and a working unsubscribe link for bulk email.
Preview and test
Click Preview to see the newsletter as recipients will.
Switch between Desktop and Mobile. Most donors read email on a phone, so the mobile view matters most.
Enter a donor name to preview with their details merged in, then use Send test to email yourself a copy.
Saving and sending
Save Draft keeps your work without sending. Send Newsletter sends it, using the audience and delivery option set on the left.