PR Campaigns for Non-Profit Organizations
The reason non-profits are often dissatisfied with how their fundraising campaigns have panned out can often be boiled down to one thing: they are unable to tell a story. The public relations message that you give to the media determines how much publicity your campaign will generate, whether your target audience will understand your goals, and whether or not the message will be properly aligned with the cause you support. The best way to achieve this is through PR.
Building successful PR campaigns for non-profits
Everyone has a story, but in this crazy competitive world, not every story is able to be heard. How can you predict whether it will be your story that the audience will fall in love with? The short answer is that you can’t. However, if you follow the path we describe below, catching the media’s attention through a PR campaign will be much easier.
Define your objectives
You can’t build a targeted PR campaign for your non-profit organisation if you don’t know what its outcomes should be. According to Website Magazine, there are five goals that are intrinsic to any PR campaign, whether it is for a non-profit or a for-profit: 1) control a conversation, 2) understand an informational flow, 3) get acquainted with the right people from the media, 4) ensure a PR campaign boosts your recognition, and 5) expand your community.
When setting your goals, don’t forget that it’s important to make them measurable. This means if your #1 objective is collecting funds, you should have a goal of how much money you want to end up with at the end of the campaign.
Focus on your audience
Take your aunt or a colleague (a real person who can identify with your target persona), and scrutinize this persona’s traits and habits. Brainstorm questions that will help you learn more about this persona like “What does his or her typical day look like?”, “What industry does he or she work in?”, “What are this person’s key challenges both at work and at home?”, etc. Try to be as specific as possible when answering these questions. Whether it’s your aunt or a colleague you’re profiling, you should know this person as well as you know your best friend by the time you’re done.
Your goal is to get a thorough understanding of what your target audience’s needs are. Once you make this blurry picture clear, you can start developing a PR campaign that addresses the real-life needs and wants of your target persona.
Create a smart strategy
From the tone of your press release to social media posting, every aspect of a PR campaign should be governed by your new strategy. It’s up to you whether you develop it in-house or hire a PR agency to walk you through the process. Here are three core tasks that should be placed at the top of any strategy:
- Create a detailed schedule for social media posts and press releases.
- Choose the media channels you want to utilize based on your goals.
- Develop messages for multiple press releases that you can use whenever new opportunities emerge in the future.
How to pitch your non-profit’s fundraising campaign
The secret to a successful pitch can be found in three fundamental elements: the right media outlet, the right message, and the right timing. These three essential components of a successful fundraising campaign can be supported if you follow these simple guidelines.
- Build a targeted media list. Based on the types of stories that you’re going to pitch, pick several media outlets that you believe are the most likely to pick up your message. Start building the list from your review of local, regional, and industry-specific outlets. Check out the types of stories that these media typically publicise, and also think about whether the style and angle that particular writers take can match your messaging. This will help you narrow down the results. Lastly, record the specific characteristics of each outlet, along with the contact information of journalists, to simplify the pitching process.
- Write press releases that will be picked up. At this stage, it’s all about a catchy message and the right target. Non-profit organisation advertising shouldn’t be overly promotional or sound too sophisticated. Your path to success lies in a worthy cause, a targeted story, and a subtle link to your organisation’s activity. A focused list of contacts is another must-have. If the mission of your non-profit is to support animals, it’s unlikely that Techcrunch will pick it up; and even if it does, the maximum effect you can reach with such a campaign is merely entertaining Techcrunch’s readers.
- Choose a spokesperson. The person who will talk to the media should be not only super knowledgeable about the goals of your non-profit but should also have extensive expertise in the target niche. Assign the task to a spokesperson who 1) has been a source for reporters before, 2) has a strong online presence and contributes to the industry’s expertise, and 3) supports the mission of your organisation.
- Set up analytics. You need to have the proper tools for assessing a PR strategy in your toolbox. To measure your impact, you can apply metrics like the number of pitches that were picked up, the number of positive stories about the organisation that were created, etc. Once you collect these insights, you can start implementing improvements.
Creative PR ideas for non-profits
A shoestring budget is the principal challenge that non-profit organisations have to deal with on their way to gaining publicity. Here are several creative tactics that will help you get your story heard even without a huge monetary investment.
Expand your community through inspiring content
You can generate publicity by empowering your community. Charity: Water did a great job creating a series of videos dedicated to the strategies of PR for non-profit organisations. While some may see this as a “showing your hand” kind of strategy, this is really about building trust and inspiring your loyal followers.
Build virality through social media engagement
Media outlets pick up stories that resonate with a huge number of people. Free advertising for non-profit organisations is often gained through viral social media campaigns that are infused with strong user-generated content. The best example that we can point out here is the #MeToo campaign, originally launched by Just Be Inc., a non-profit. In this case, enormous publicity was the result of this initiative that simply encouraged people to share their personal stories on social media.
Organise online or in-house contests
Invite people to participate in a contest that challenges them to showcase their talents. For example, if your organisation targets the protection of homeless dogs, invite local citizens to create unique dog adoption projects. An initiative that generates competition is very likely going to be picked up by both local and regional media outlets.
Conclusion
Clever PR campaigns help non-profit organisations not only collect donations but also communicate their vision to a larger community, gain publicity, and attract new investors. Tap into the stories that your local, regional, or industry-specific media outlets pick up, and create campaigns that are based on the most successful practices.