In an association, every unit of currency spent on print is one that does not go to the work itself. So the question here is not "what shall we print" but which of these pays for itself.
A leaflet that asks for a donation
Most printed pieces asking for donations begin by describing the organisation: when it was founded, how many members it has, which field it works in. Yet the question the reader wants answered is different: what will my money do?
A leaflet that answers that concretely outperforms one that recounts institutional history. A single line in the form of "your donation covers this" does more than pages of organisational description. Background about the organisation is of course needed, but it comes second.
Then there is the matter of the route back. If the reader is convinced, what do they do? A QR code, account details or a single phone number — one of these has to sit where the eye lands. A decision to give is usually short-lived; information not found in that moment is not looked for later.
Visibility at an event
For most associations the event is the most visible moment of the year. On the same day you are seen by attendees, by the press and by potential donors.
The list of materials that works here is short: a portable stand, a shirt or vest that identifies volunteers from a distance, and a single sheet to take away. Those three cover most events. Long leaflets and thick catalogues are not read in an event setting; nobody reads text standing up in a noisy room.
Volunteer clothing does a second job as well: attendees know whom to approach, and the organisation's name appears in photographs without anyone arranging it.
The annual report: who is it printed for
Printing the annual report for everyone is a common but unnecessary habit. Its real audience is known: corporate donors, funding bodies, members and the supervising authority. That group is small and its size is known in advance.
A well-printed report in a small run therefore works better than a cheaply printed one in a large run. The version that has to reach a wide audience is shared digitally anyway.
Saying thank you, in print
In most organisations communication stops once the donation is collected. Yet the most likely source of the next donation is the person who gave last time.
A single handwritten thank-you card does more than dozens of bulk emails to the same person. It costs little, is easy to produce, and gets kept. With a corporate donor the same job is done by a short note showing where the donation went — a note their accounting department needs in any case.
Free advertising support
Google runs a search-advertising programme for non-profit organisations: qualifying organisations receive up to ten thousand dollars a month in search ads. For an association working on a limited budget that is a serious resource.
Eligibility depends on the type of organisation and the country it operates in; the programme's country list and conditions are kept current on its official page and should be confirmed there before applying. Accepted organisations are also expected to run the account by particular rules, and support can be suspended otherwise.
Why consistency matters more here
An association runs on trust; a donor who does not know the organisation cannot see where their money goes. When one logo appears on a poster, another colour in a leaflet and a third tone on social media, the impression created is of an organisation that is disorganised internally too.
Fixing that is not expensive: one logo file, two colours and one typeface make a sufficient system for most associations, and every new piece comes out of the same place.