Reply to:   Re Newsletter
I edit and publish a newsletter which is distributed to our aprox. 250 faculty.
 It's probably a little different to most.
I distribute grants deadlines, NIH Guide index, bulletins pertaining to grats
etc. electronically through our email system.
The newsletter, a quarterly, is a publication of the office of the VP and Dean
of Faculty, of which I am part. It's working extremely well.  It contains
write-ups and photos of faculty field trips, a column by the VP, listings of
proposals submitted and funded, submissions from the public service center and
institutional research, and lots of grant-related info. (Being editor gives me
unfair advantage on space allocation!) The summer issue is our biggest and
contains schedules for faculty activities for the coming year.
Since I don't have to take up space publishing deadlines etc. I can use the
newsletter as a vehicle for articles like "Institutional Approval - A Necessary
Step in Your Quest for External Funding" and other preachy stuff. I usually
profile a foundation and include general fellowship opportunities.  Our faculty
love it and read the hell out of it.  Many of them actually keep it, especially
the summer issue.
An additional advantage is that the VP pays for publication costs and so we're
able to do a really nice job through our publication services dept (who does
our layout) , some snazzy paper, and a local printer.  It really doesn't take
much of my time and is worth every penny we spend.  (Costs vary depending on
the number of pages and number of photos but average is $130.00 per quarter for
a run of 300.)  Demand is high and I usually distribute every one I print; many
non-faculty request the left-overs.
I know that it has contributed to the increased number of proposals we've
submitted over the past year -- I cannot quantify it's effect though because I
started publishing it at the same time that we set up our first ever full-time
grants office.  (The combined effect has led to a 360% increase in $ promised
and proposals submitted.) I do know of instances where individuals who had
never considered submitting a grant application were inspired by the increased
visability of grant-activity on campus and written one.  The newsletter gives
my office great visability and I'm really happy with it.
Alexandra Thompson
Armstrong State College
email: xxxxxx@mailgate.armstrong.edu