Storytelling will transform your December newsletters

It's funny how people's usual preferences go out the window when it comes to Christmas. One minute you're all white walls and beige sofas and the next you're shinning up a drainpipe to stick a 10ft inflatable Santa on the roof. In November, you're sticking rigidly to a gym schedule and vitamin shakes, but come December you transform into a predominantly couch-based creature subsisting on pigs-in-blankets and mint thins.

It can be the same for newsletter readers. Habits change over December, as our schedules shift and sometimes vanish altogether. We're more emotionally open, keen to connect with the people around us, more receptive to the idea of 'giving back'.

That's why it's important to place emotional storytelling at the heart of your newsletter content plan this month, particularly if you are a non-profit aiming to:

1. Connect more deeply with your subscribers in a way that will resonate long into 2026.

2. Want to tap into the culture of 'giving back' that people are more open to at this time of year.

I'm going to focus on three ways you can do this, which you would ideally build into your newsletter schedule throughout December. They're summarised in this graphic and I'll go into more detail below:

1. Sharing real stories

Why they work:

• People connect with people far more than they do with statistics or abstract impact.

• They make your subscribers feel their support matters in a way they can actually see.

Example formats:

• Single-person story: 'Emily is able to walk again because…'

• Before/after: 'In January, this was the situation… By December, because of our supporters it had changed to be like this…'

• A short narrative audio/video embed, if your email provider has this function. Otherwise you could link out to it from an image.

Don't forget: Keep the focus on the participant/beneficiary, not the organisation.

2. Personal messages

Why they work:

• They provide social proof as supporters hear directly from those affected.

• They make your organisation feel more human, more real.

• They break the pattern of formal 'charity-speak'.

Example formats:

• A letter from a volunteer sharing why they got involved.

• A voice note or video with a beneficiary saying thank you.

• Day in the life feature.

• A short quote or testimonial presented as a graphic.

Don't forget: These messages don’t have to be long, usually 3-5 sentences are enough.

3. Express gratitude

Why it works:

• Saying thank you is very human. It strengthens loyalty and can help with long-term donor retention.

• Audiences are saturated with asks - a genuine thank-you stands out.

Elements to include:

• Warm, specific thanks e.g. 'You helped provide 1,200 meals to families this year - thank you.'

• A brief story or quote reinforcing the impact.

• No pushy CTA.

Don't forget: A simple thank you is better received when it doesn't come with an ask.

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