Community Communication Corner
by Bob Gourley, MyEZCondo Founder, Member of CAI CT Board of Directors

When community associations need to get the word out, many send a newsletter. It's friendlier than a business letter, and it lets residents know what's going on. - "as seen in the Chicago Tribune"

"People get their information either through the newsletter or through the rumor mill," said newsletter designer Bob Gourley of West Haven, Conn.

Typically, newsletters have been produced by association volunteers, but in some cases, professionals specializing in writing for associations are contracted to produce the newsletters.

One is Gourley's company, MyEZCondo. He and his staffers write articles, design pages and put the publication into an electronic format that is sent to the association. The association then self-publishes or hires a local printer and distributes the copies.

As for content, some subjects such as pets and parking are universal, and Gourley can supply pre-written copy. He also talks to an association's residents and managers and reviews recent announcements and meeting minutes to learn about the association's issues and hot buttons.

"Maybe a community needs to raise $500,000 in the next five years," he said. "That's their story. I feel as if I'm partnering with them to help present the information in a positive way so that they can be successful. It's a little like spin-doctoring."

MyEZCondo charges $249 for two pages and $399 for four pages.

The company doesn't sell advertising space but will lay out ads that the association sells.

"I don't want to be in that business and collecting the money," Gourley said. "I like working with the communities."

Carmel Muelhausen and Denise Stauder of CD Newsletters in Chicago have a different business model. They not only handle the creative end but also sell the advertising and get the newsletters printed.

The association pays only a $25 delivery charge.

The company's services and the printing are paid from advertising revenue, and some minimums apply.

"At first, some associations didn't want advertising in their newsletter," Muelhausen said. "But their budgets are so limited, and no one has the time to [produce] it, and the objections are usually overcome."

Another CD Newsletters policy: The associations must deliver the newsletters to the door of each resident.

"People can't just pick them up in the mailroom," Stauder said. "That's important to the advertisers and important for the editorial part. If the residents have to pick it up, they will usually read it."

More typical is a volunteer-produced newsletter. At Rob Roy Country Club Village in Prospect Heights, The Village Voice is usually 8 to 12 pages and is mailed monthly. It contains reminders written by committee chairs and club presidents and a calendar that lists dozens of meetings and social and recreational events.

A committee of volunteers proofreads and organizes the copy, and a local printer does the rest, said Al Kotlarz, who serves on the board of the 650-unit association.

"People look forward to getting the newsletter, especially the calendar," he said. Advertising sales to local merchants help defray the cost, but the association also kicks in a few dollars per unit per year, he said.

Associations that have Web sites often post their newsletters, but they aren't about to dispense with the paper version. That includes Rob Roy.

"We're a community of mostly older people, and many don't have a computer at home," said Kotlarz. "Those people would be kind of left out."

"There is a lot of information, an assessment increase or details that cars have to be off the property before the new paving comes in, that from a legal standpoint, I don't want someone to say, 'You didn't put this in a format I could access,' " Gourley said.

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Tips for creating an effective newsletter

Afraid no one ever reads your association's newsletter? Here are tips from Bob Gourley, founder of MyEZCondo, on ways to get residents looking forward to the next issue:

-The refrigerator magnet test: Make sure the newsletter content is relevant enough that residents will want to keep it close at hand.

-The Golden Rule: Speak unto others as you would like to be spoken to. Don't use the newsletter as a forum to scold rule breakers. Instead keep the message positive and use the newsletter to credit residents who are making a difference.

-Content is king: Provide readers with something they want. Most residents want to know what's going on, Gourley says, especially if it affects their pocketbook. If the board is discussing a major captial improvement, association members want to how the improvement will benefit them and how much it will cost.

-Keep it human: Facts and figures aside, residents want to feel as if they're a part of a community. Who is new to the building? Who has just celebrated their 50th anniversary? Who has a new baby?

-Looks do count: Making your newsletter look its best is critical. Spelling, grammar and design require time and attention. Color printing, if you can afford it, will draw attention better.

The preceding article appeared in the April 12, 2007 Chicago Tribune. It was authored by Pamela Dittmer McKuen as a Special to the Tribune, in her column “Community Living” on Page 4 of the “Your Place” section of the newspaper.

Copyright (c) 2007, Chicago Tribune Company. All rights reserved.

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