5 Ideas for HOA Newsletters With Free Templates 

Are you part of your local Homeowners Association (HOA)? Periodically sending an HOA newsletter to all the members could be an integral part of your responsibilities as a member or manager. However, drafting and sending newsletters, even if you don’t send them out very often, needs considerable effort. 

You might be short on time, run out of ideas, or be unaware of the best way to send a click-worthy HOA newsletter. 

Don’t worry though, it’s not rocket science. In this article, you’ll learn how to easily draft interesting newsletters, shortlist HOA newsletter ideas, and discover free HOA newsletter templates that can make the job easier for you. 

Why Is Having a Great HOA Newsletter So Important?

The primary duty of a homeowner’s association is to make regulations and lay down guidelines for every property owner who is part of it. HOA members are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with such rules and may even have the legal right to reprimand those who fail to comply with them. However, for that to happen, you must update homeowners on what’s happening at the right time. 

Otherwise, most homeowners may be oblivious to these rules and any changes to them might result in non-compliance. 

• Weekly, monthly, or seasonal newsletters are an excellent way to share news, updates, and other relevant information with all the members of the HOA.
  
• Having an official line of communication ensures that every stakeholder gets the memo. It also allows you to keep track of updates that have been shared with members, discover how many of them read your email newsletter, and discover new or ongoing issues. 
  
• Besides the utilitarian side of things, a well-written and designed HOA newsletter can help you build a sense of community. It can bring together homeowners who hardly interact with each other, encourage them to get to know their neighbors and help them stay updated on what’s happening in their community. 
  
• Savvy HOA members can also make money by strategically placing ads in the newsletters. The money that you earn from ads can go towards funds for developing your community. 

Tips on How To Write a Good HOA Newsletter

To leverage these benefits, you must know how to create an informative  HOA newsletter that grabs the attention of its recipients. It should be useful, practical,  and provide value to them. 

To draft the perfect HOA newsletter that is a great read, you should: 

Focus on Quality 

This cannot be reiterated enough—never compromise on quality. Make sure that the content of your newsletter is informative while being interesting and engaging. Add a subject line that sparks curiosity without sounding too spammy or salesy. 

Most importantly, keep it simple, short, and succinct. 

Address Challenges 

Your HOA newsletter articles should talk about the challenges that the community has to contend with in real life and propose practical solutions. Understanding your audience and what ails them is imperative to drafting a newsletter that will resonate with them. 

Choose HOA newsletter topics that are relevant. 

Involve Members and Inspire Participation

Since an HOA community newsletter is aimed at homeowners, you need to establish a strong connection with your readers. Including information about HOA members who have gone the extra mile can make the HOA newsletter feel more intimate and inspire others. 

You could have a dedicated section on HOA members, add quotes from them, or simply talk about how they contributed to the HOA. 

Time It Right 

They say timing is everything, and HOA newsletters are no exception. If you want yours to be read, then send it when your recipients are most likely to read it. Research reveals that most people are most likely to read emails between 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. So, schedule your HOA newsletter during this period to get maximum engagement. 

Ask for Feedback

Last but not least, explicitly ask for feedback. Invite suggestions from members on what changes they would prefer to be incorporated into the HOA rules. Seek their feedback on any recent changes or updates that have already been implemented. 

Knowing the sentiments and preferences of your audience is non-negotiable if you really want to make a difference. 

What Should a HOA Newsletter Contain?

The sole purpose of a newsletter is to disseminate information. Although quality is important, every HOA newsletter should have the following sections: 

Date & Issue Number

Always put a date stamp on HOA newsletters because the information in them is time-sensitive. Additionally, you could add the issue number that tells HOA members which issue they’re reading. 

Announcements

Do you have upcoming community events? Perhaps a new action plan is being implemented or existing regulations have been updated. Updates should be included in the announcements section of your HOA newsletter so that homeowners become aware of them. 

Reminders 

Homeowners might get busy with their work and personal matters. It’s important to remind them of any pending payments they need to make, including maintenance bills, repair costs, contributions to social causes, etc. 

Updates on Meetings 

Since the HOA convenes regularly to discuss various issues, it’s a best practice to include minutes of the latest meeting in the newsletter. You should also add information about upcoming meetings or any group discussions that have been scheduled for committee members. 

Message From Board Members 

It is equally necessary to include a message from the HOA board members. This could be inspirational in nature or be an appeal depending on what kind of situation you have at hand. 

Adding a message from the board or a board member adds gravity, urgency, and credibility to the HOA newsletter. 

Member Spotlight/Quotes

As suggested earlier, it’s good to have a section dedicated to the members of the HOA. So, a spotlight section or quotes from homeowners should be a part of your newsletter. In some cases, you can even include a short interview.

All these sections may seem like a lot to include in your HOA newsletter, so it’s important to find a balance between providing comprehensive updates and respecting your recipients’ time by not sending a huge newsletter. You can search for HOA newsletter templates that will make the job easier for you. More on that in the next section. 

5 HOA Newsletter Article Ideas with Templates

By now, you already know the basics of a HOA newsletter. So, it’s time to look at some HOA newsletter examples and editable HOA newsletter templates. 

1. Tips for Saving Energy 

A good HOA newsletter provides information. A great one adds value that goes beyond information and announcements. One HOA newsletter topic is energy-saving ideas for homeowners. 

You couldinclude tips and tricks for saving energy in your newsletter. In addition, you could also link it to your local solar suppliers. Doing so will allow you to promote local businesses while being useful to homeowners. 

At a time when the cost of living is skyrocketing, such a newsletter will definitely deliver an impactful message. 

What To Include in Your Template:

Header – Add the date, name/logo of the HOA, and issue number. You could position this in the top left corner of the newsletter. 

1. Banner – Add an attractive image with an impactful headline. Place it horizontally across the top length of the newsletter. 
2. Body – This section will include suggestions and contain hyperlinks to the websites of local businesses or their contact details. Add short paragraphs with bullet points to improve readability. 
3. Bottom Banner – You can divide this into two sections. Add a message from the management in one of the sections. The other can have a quote from an HOA member who has implemented energy-saving practices and seen improvement in their quality of life. 
4. Footer – This section should ideally contain a call to action (CTA). Alternatively, you could also use it to sign off the newsletter. 

2. Noteworthy Residents/Members 

Another novel idea for an HOA newsletter is to feature one or more of the residents who have contributed to the society or are involved in inspirational work. Such a newsletter could build a sense of appreciation, fraternity, and community among homeowners who are part of the HOA. Although unusual, dedicating a newsletter to the residents can help you build a stronger sense of community and stay top of mind among residents. 

What To Include in Your Template:

1. Header – Add the date, name/logo of the HOA, and issue number. You could position this in the top left corner of the newsletter or at the center, depending on your preference. 
2. Banner – Add an attractive image with an impactful headline. It could be a collage of the pictures of the residents you’re featuring in the newsletter. Place it horizontally across the top length of the newsletter. 
3. Body – This section could contain a detailed interview of a resident or an article about them. If you’re featuring more than one member, divide the body of the newsletter into smaller sections but limit yourself to 3 to 4 members per newsletter.

For this one, you may omit the footer since the body is going to be text-heavy.

3. Welcoming a New Season 

Looking for spring HOA newsletter ideas? A welcome spring newsletter can be a fun project to consider. You can mention upcoming festivals, local events, announce a charity event, or a bake sale. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even host a festival that involves your HOA members and post updates in your spring issue.Incorporate colors of spring in the design and use a jovial tone of voice in your copy. 

What To Include in Your Template:

Banner – Go for a big, bold, colorful banner that announces the arrival of spring in your locality. You could incorporate the date and logo in one corner of the banner, keeping the focus on the imagery. 

Body – This section can be divided into a column to the left side that contains details of all upcoming events. You can get creative with the rest of the body. Load it with graphic elements, add bullets, short paragraphs, and lots of colors. 

This section should also include a nice message from the board in a pop-up box. 

Footer – Keep it simple with a sweet message urging all members to welcome spring. 

There are many free editable HOA newsletter templates available online on websites like Pinterest and others. You can download one to create any of these three HOA newsletters. 

4. Highlighting Local Business 

Every neighborhood has small businesses run by members of the community. It’s a good idea to dedicate one of your HOA newsletters to their cause. You can choose to introduce new local businesses that recently opened in the vicinity or focus on family-run businesses that have been operating for years. 

Putting local businesses in the spotlight is an excellent way to support small enterprises that may not have the outreach or means necessary to publicize themselves. Besides, helping small businesses in your area also contributes to the growth of the local economy. So, it’s a win-win in every way.

What To Include in Your Template:

1. Listicle: Create a clean listicle design with segments dedicated to local businesses, what they’re known for, and any other important information. You can skip the banner for this one since it’s going to be content-heavy.  
2. Pop-up Message: Since the listicle will comprise the body of the article, have a speech bubble or something similar with a message from the head of the HOA. 
3. Footer: You can invite your HOA members to try these local businesses out and shop from them, but keep it short and simple. 

5. Announce Upcoming Events 

Another interesting idea is to create an HOA newsletter on upcoming public events and celebrations. You could also talk about events taking place in the outskirts of your community even if they are not taking place within your locality.  

Feel free to include big-ticket events like music festivals, conferences, etc. 

No matter what, events always generate curiosity and excitement. 

What To Include in Your Template:

1. Banner: Add a simple but informative banner that clearly states the purpose of the newsletter. You can even consider adding copy that’s click-baity in nature to grab the attention of your readers. 
2. Calendar: Follow it up with a calendar that shows when and where each event is taking place. You could play with the placement of the calendar—it could be positioned either vertically or horizontally depending on your aesthetic preferences. 
3. Blurbs: Place the rest of the information in blurbs distributed evenly across the body of the newsletter. This layout will prevent the newsletter from looking disorganized and content-heavy. 
4. Footer: Complete your newsletter with a quick call to action that urges the members of your HOA to actively participate in upcoming events. Remember to keep it simple. 

Examples of HOA Newsletters for Inspiration 

You can always refer to newsletters published by other homeowner’s associations for inspiration. Here are three examples that tick the right boxes.

Lakeside Community Owners Association Newsletter 

Here’s what works for this newsletter: 

• There’s an uplifting banner with the HOA’s name, edition, and date. 
• It’s followed by a clutter-free and easily navigable table of contents. 
• The body section of the newsletter is further divided into smaller sections. Each of these sections has a stylish but easy-to-read font. They’re also colorful and informative. 
• There’s an inspirational quote that breaks the monotony of an information-heavy newsletter. 
• It also comes with a calendar of upcoming events, details of future board meetings, reminders, and more.
• The newsletter contains lots of important information but is formatted in a manner that makes it easy on the eye and interesting. 

Rockwood Homeowners’ Association Newsletter 

Here’s what works for this newsletter: 

1. It begins with an announcement about something new that grabs the reader’s attention and delivers value. 
2. It has an interesting editorial piece that’s strategically placed on the second page of the newsletter.
3. It contains smartly placed advertisements that provide welcome breaks in the body of the content.
4. It covers a range of topics: announcements, charity, feature articles, seasonal updates, and more. 

Leawood Southwest Homeowners Association Newsletter 

Here’s what works for this newsletter: 

1. It packs a lot of information but doesn’t look overwhelming. Information is neatly organized in blocks. 
2. It has a main banner, side banner, footer, and call-out. 
3. It uses multiple colors and fonts but all of them are cohesive and work well together. 

There are many more HOA newsletters out there that you can look at for inspiration. Some freelance designers also sell HOA newsletter templates for Word. You can download the design and insert it in MS Word to customize the template according to your needs. 

The best thing about a pre-made HOA newsletter template is you can use it for digital circulation via email or print it out for physical distribution. 

Best Tool for Sending an HOA Newsletter

In general, email is the way to go when it comes to sending your newsletter out. It’s convenient and there are ways to track its performance. Plus, it helps you avoid printing costs. You’re also choosing to be environmentally responsible by taking the digital route. 

The only question that remains is—what tool should you use to send your HOA newsletter? 

You can use an email marketing solution instead of relying on mail merge to send mass emails. 

Mailsuite’s dedicated email tracking for Gmail comes with features like sending emails to 10,000 recipients at once. Each of these emails will be tracked for their performance so that you can gain better visibility on the success of your HOA newsletter campaign. You can even securely share documents with recipients and get their signatures if needed. 

Mailsuite’s dedicated email tracking solution could be the answer to your HOA newsletter challenges. Give it a shot and experience the difference today.

Before You Go: Focus on Readability and Relevance

While you may have your hands full gathering information, writing articles, and formatting your newsletter, finding a way to send it shouldn’t eat up the bulk of your time. With these tips, tricks, and tech-based solutions, you can make newsletter distribution a breeze. Free up valuable time so you can focus on things that matter. Your HOA members will appreciate receiving a well-designed, timely, readable, and relevant publication.