Open Forum

Hi folks,

We love our member magazine (see attached) but it is a pretty large expense. We're tossing around several different ideas to cut costs. Here's the list so far:

• Still print but cut out all extraneous content (no BoD or Staff list, no programs, no internal adverts) just content. 
• Switch to online version only
• Some sort of a hybrid, send a pdf of the content including all the above. Print the shorter version

Is anyone else mulling over the same?

Have you discontinued a print version altogether? If so, what was the reaction

Or have you come up with some other approach?

I'd love to hear your thoughts?

------------------------------
Tree Callanan
Director of Museum Operations and Communications
Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum
Bristol, RI, 02885
------------------------------

Hi Tree, 

After a few years of reviewing the our magazine line item every budget cycle and talking with our stakeholders, I realized that the print magazine was too precious an item to let go. The amount we spend on them annually is significant, so we're looking to make it worth our while in terms of moving key relationships forward and communicating about our mission in a compelling way. 

1) We moved from 4 a year to 2. This is more financially attainable and lessens the staff burden. 

2) We reviewed content to be sure that we're representing the many programs our organization delivers. We don't include a photo collage of who attended our events, rather we talk about the mission we're accomplishing daily. 

3) Every article contains a  "how you can support our work in this area" message. We have funds set up for our major program areas, so we refer to the fund that would keep the mission work going at the end. It is often italicized and is crafted to feel like a part of the article. E.g. "You can help our efforts to conserve pseudoZziphus Celata and other endangered plant species with a gift to the Rare Plant Conservation Fund."

We also try to reference the funding source for the mission work in the article. E.g. "With support from Duke Energy and donors to the Rare Plant Conservation Fund, our conservation team...." 

4) We send our magazine in a 9x12 envelope and cover it with an annual fund solicitation letter and reply envelope. The giving coupon lists the funds featured in articles within the magazine. 

5) Finally, we back all this up with companion emails that include links to the digital version of our magazine. 

Now, our annual fund cycle includes two additional mail drops (our 3rd of the year is a #10 for year end), our donors get to see their money at work, and we enjoy a tidy net profit rather than an expense. 

Meantime, we invite our constituents to opt in to a "digital only" membership because one day print will, indeed, be obsolete. We anticipate that being many years in the future, but we're building our data now to be ready then. 

Hope this is helpful to you as your evaluate your program!

M

------------------------------
Melissa Tyrone CFRE
Director of Philanthropy & Membership
Lake Wales FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2026 11:20 AM
From: Tree Callanan
Subject: Members' Magazines: Print v PDF

Hi folks,

We love our member magazine (see attached) but it is a pretty large expense. We're tossing around several different ideas to cut costs. Here's the list so far:

• Still print but cut out all extraneous content (no BoD or Staff list, no programs, no internal adverts) just content. 
• Switch to online version only
• Some sort of a hybrid, send a pdf of the content including all the above. Print the shorter version

Is anyone else mulling over the same?

Have you discontinued a print version altogether? If so, what was the reaction

Or have you come up with some other approach?

I'd love to hear your thoughts?

------------------------------
Tree Callanan
Director of Museum Operations and Communications
Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum
Bristol, RI, 02885
------------------------------

@Melissa Tyrone this is such a great example of how to rethink content. I'm a big fan of physical content like a high quality magazine, even though I spend so much time online. I think it can truly differentiate when done well for the right audience. Kudos to you all at your museum! 

------------------------------
Dan Moyle
Solutions Consultant
Digital Reach Online Solutions
(he/him/his)
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2026 03:01 PM
From: Melissa Tyrone
Subject: Members' Magazines: Print v PDF

Hi Tree, 

After a few years of reviewing the our magazine line item every budget cycle and talking with our stakeholders, I realized that the print magazine was too precious an item to let go. The amount we spend on them annually is significant, so we're looking to make it worth our while in terms of moving key relationships forward and communicating about our mission in a compelling way. 

1) We moved from 4 a year to 2. This is more financially attainable and lessens the staff burden. 

2) We reviewed content to be sure that we're representing the many programs our organization delivers. We don't include a photo collage of who attended our events, rather we talk about the mission we're accomplishing daily. 

3) Every article contains a  "how you can support our work in this area" message. We have funds set up for our major program areas, so we refer to the fund that would keep the mission work going at the end. It is often italicized and is crafted to feel like a part of the article. E.g. "You can help our efforts to conserve pseudoZziphus Celata and other endangered plant species with a gift to the Rare Plant Conservation Fund."

We also try to reference the funding source for the mission work in the article. E.g. "With support from Duke Energy and donors to the Rare Plant Conservation Fund, our conservation team...." 

4) We send our magazine in a 9x12 envelope and cover it with an annual fund solicitation letter and reply envelope. The giving coupon lists the funds featured in articles within the magazine. 

5) Finally, we back all this up with companion emails that include links to the digital version of our magazine. 

Now, our annual fund cycle includes two additional mail drops (our 3rd of the year is a #10 for year end), our donors get to see their money at work, and we enjoy a tidy net profit rather than an expense. 

Meantime, we invite our constituents to opt in to a "digital only" membership because one day print will, indeed, be obsolete. We anticipate that being many years in the future, but we're building our data now to be ready then. 

Hope this is helpful to you as your evaluate your program!

M

------------------------------
Melissa Tyrone CFRE
Director of Philanthropy & Membership
Lake Wales FL

Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2026 11:20 AM
From: Tree Callanan
Subject: Members' Magazines: Print v PDF

Hi folks,

We love our member magazine (see attached) but it is a pretty large expense. We're tossing around several different ideas to cut costs. Here's the list so far:

• Still print but cut out all extraneous content (no BoD or Staff list, no programs, no internal adverts) just content. 
• Switch to online version only
• Some sort of a hybrid, send a pdf of the content including all the above. Print the shorter version

Is anyone else mulling over the same?

Have you discontinued a print version altogether? If so, what was the reaction

Or have you come up with some other approach?

I'd love to hear your thoughts?

------------------------------
Tree Callanan
Director of Museum Operations and Communications
Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum
Bristol, RI, 02885
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 2/11/2026 11:20:00 AM
From: Tree Callanan
Subject: Members' Magazines: Print v PDF

Hi folks,

We love our member magazine (see attached) but it is a pretty large expense. We're tossing around several different ideas to cut costs. Here's the list so far:

• Still print but cut out all extraneous content (no BoD or Staff list, no programs, no internal adverts) just content. 
• Switch to online version only
• Some sort of a hybrid, send a pdf of the content including all the above. Print the shorter version

Is anyone else mulling over the same?

Have you discontinued a print version altogether? If so, what was the reaction

Or have you come up with some other approach?

I'd love to hear your thoughts?

------------------------------
Tree Callanan
Director of Museum Operations and Communications
Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum
Bristol, RI, 02885
------------------------------

At the Bullock Museum, we currently produce three seasonal print publications each year-Spring, Summer, and Fall. In the past, we incorporated additional print pieces, but we found that doing so required a significant amount of staff time. Ideally, one full-time staff member would oversee the content schedule and manage the publication but these responsibilities are currently divided between two full-time staff members. We've experimented with producing two issues along with a separate calendar, which helped reduce costs. However, maintaining a calendar proved challenging, as it required other departments to finalize programming far in advance. We have since transitioned to three issues per year without a calendar and focus now on highlighting programs scheduled three months out.

In 2024, we surveyed our Members to better understand how they learn about Museum happenings and their preferred methods of staying in touch with us. The results showed that email is the primary way Members receive information, with the magazine ranking second. Based on this feedback, we still believe the print publication remains a valuable and worthwhile investment. Our magazine features a range of content, including upcoming exhibitions, documentary films, public programs, merchandise from the Museum Store, recent accomplishments, and artifact stories. We have also recently begun including annual giving and planned giving ads, facility rental ads, and highlighting upcoming Member events when applicable.

Although we have discussed transitioning to a digital format, we have determined that doing so would likely require even more staff time. Because the majority of our Members are age 60 and older, we are concerned that a fully digital publication may not be utilized to its full potential. As a state agency, we must also comply with recent legislation requiring all digital documents to meet web accessibility standards, adding another layer of complexity that increases the amount of staff time required for either version.

To help offset printing expenses, we work closely with our Foundation to cover a portion of the costs. We would need to consider reducing the number of issues or decreasing the average page count (currently 24 pages) to manage expenses without this support.

Hope this helps!

------------------------------
Daniel Rodriguez
Head of Membership
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Austin TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-11-2026 11:20 AM
From: Tree Callanan
Subject: Members' Magazines: Print v PDF

Hi folks,

We love our member magazine (see attached) but it is a pretty large expense. We're tossing around several different ideas to cut costs. Here's the list so far:

• Still print but cut out all extraneous content (no BoD or Staff list, no programs, no internal adverts) just content. 
• Switch to online version only
• Some sort of a hybrid, send a pdf of the content including all the above. Print the shorter version

Is anyone else mulling over the same?

Have you discontinued a print version altogether? If so, what was the reaction

Or have you come up with some other approach?

I'd love to hear your thoughts?

------------------------------
Tree Callanan
Director of Museum Operations and Communications
Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum
Bristol, RI, 02885
------------------------------