Newsletter software for clubs and associations

The Google Docs, PDF, email habit

Ask a club secretary how the newsletter goes out and you'll often hear the same routine. Write it in Google Docs or Word. Save it as a PDF. Attach it to an email. Paste the member list into BCC. Send.

It works, and it's familiar. But it has real costs:

• Many members never open the attachment. The email itself says "Newsletter attached," so there's nothing to read unless they tap it.
• PDFs are hard to read on a phone. A letter-size page means pinching and zooming, which is where most email is read now.
• Links don't get clicked. The tournament sign-up or the dues payment link is buried on page two.
• You can't tell who read it. No idea whether anyone saw the date change for the spring show.
• Nobody can unsubscribe cleanly. Former members keep getting it until someone remembers to delete them.

Why a real email beats a PDF attachment

When the newsletter is the email, members see the first story the moment they open it. Text resizes to fit the phone. Buttons for "Pay dues" or "Sign up for the tournament" sit right next to the news. Photos from the last meeting show without a download.

And you get a record: how many members it was delivered to, how many opened it and what they clicked. A one-click unsubscribe link and your club's mailing address go at the bottom of every email automatically.

What clubs put in their newsletter

A few patterns by type of club:

• Garden clubs: the next meeting and speaker, a plant sale date, what to prune or plant this month, a member's garden photo.
• Sports leagues: schedule changes, results and standings, registration deadlines, a call for referees or coaches.
• Speaking and debate clubs: meeting roles for the next session, a member milestone, a contest date, a short tip.
• Alumni groups: upcoming reunions and mixers, member news, a profile of one graduate, a donation or scholarship update.
• Hobby clubs: the next meetup or show, a project of the month, swap and sale listings, dues reminders.

Whatever the club, a predictable order helps: dates first, one main story, one ask, then the rest. Our guide to how often to send a newsletter can help you pick a schedule you'll keep.

Switching from the PDF in four steps

1. Export your member list from wherever it lives (a Google Sheet, Excel, your league software) as a spreadsheet, or copy the addresses out of your last BCC email.
2. Import it into MailWild. It matches the columns, removes duplicates and sets aside addresses that look broken.
3. Paste this month's Google Doc text into a newsletter layout, or paste your notes and a few photos and let the AI draft it. Add a button for anything you want members to click.
4. Send a test to yourself, read it on your phone, then send it or schedule it for the morning.

What it costs for a small club

MailWild is priced by how many people you can email, with unlimited sends:

• Up to 500 members: $9 a month.
• Up to 1,500 members: $19 a month.
• Up to 2,500 members: $33 a month.

Setting up is free. Import your member spreadsheet or paste in the emails, write the first newsletter (or tell the AI your news and photos and let it draft one), and send yourself a test. You pay when you send to your list, and you can cancel any time from the Plan screen. See every size on the pricing page.

If your club is very small and sends rarely, a free plan elsewhere may be enough, and MailWild doesn't have one. New members can sign themselves up from a link you share, and a small "Sent with MailWild" badge appears at the bottom of every email.

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