Do you lead or work for a non-profit? Let’s talk about the superpower you need to tap into: Public Relations! PR, or public relations, isn’t just for big corporations – it is an important asset and will help make an impact on your mission.

Nonprofits exist to serve people and their communities in positive and meaningful ways. Your daily actions, branding, community engagement, and overall marketing efforts need to show this.

When thinking of public relations, we think of fast talkers, on-air preppers, and training celebrities for TV interviews, and this is all true yet PR is more than that. Public relations is defined as “the professional maintenance of a favorable public image by a company or other organization or a famous person” or “the state of the relationship between the public and a company or other organization,” according to the Oxford Dictionary.

Public relations’s primary goal is taking control of the narrative the public thinks, feels, and shares; it is crafting media releases and creating social media initiatives that will shape public perception of their clients and their missions and help raise awareness and visibility of the good things you are doing as an organization.

PR is a powerful media tool in your toolbox. Let’s unpack how that’s possible below!

1. Storytelling⁠

Public Relations helps you tell your story in a compelling and favorable light. The best way to spread awareness is by controlling the narrative from the get-go. Drafting important and community-focused press releases, media opportunities, and digital campaigns that communicate positive storytelling with your public. If you want to captivate your audience, tell a good story! Share your mission, efforts, impact, and the great things your organization is doing daily. Help people see the positive impact you are making in your community.

While trends can help people get eyes on your pages, it’s the story your organization tells that will keep them engaged. A well-delivered story will tell people the “why” behind your organization and compel the right people to support it.

People love stories. They have the ability to cut through the social media noise as well as connect people to you and your mission. When audiences hear stories about real people who have been helped by your organization, they are more likely to connect with your mission and support your work.

A good Public Relations team can help your organization find which platform works for your organization and tell authentic, engaging stories. They will know who to communicate with and how to speak to each audience. This leads to the next point, which is vital to organization and audience relations.

2. Building Trust⁠

Just as it is the foundation of personal relationships, trust is everything in the non-profit world! Non-profits operate and thrive off of the support of others, but those relationships don’t just happen. Lean into PR to start building that trust!

While there are no shortcuts when it comes to building trust, you should consider long-range thinking when crafting an initiative’s strategy from the outset. This is a powerful and ethical way to set yourself up for success, and PR can help you in this endeavor.

Having a strong and consistent PR team will also showcase your impact. If you only ever post asking for donations, your audience loses faith in the authenticity of your relationship. Share events, educational content, and more to engage with the community. Being authentic is the first step in building trust.

Part of PR is navigating organizational crises. While it is best to avoid public crises altogether, sometimes there are unavoidable incidents that must be communicated well with the public. No matter the issue, a PR will respond quickly and professionally to maintain a good relationship with the public.

A PR expert can also help your organization stay transparent, avoiding many public organizational crises. For example, donors and supporters like to see what their money is going towards. Through showcasing the fruit of your labor, you can encourage supporters that their money is making a difference.

⁠3. Awareness & Visibility

Get seen! Let’s face it: you can’t change the world if no one knows you exist! Non-profits rely on community support to survive and thrive. A Public Relations team will communicate with local and national news outlets to get your story to more people, especially in your local community. This includes all digital platforms, new stories, influencer collaborations, blogging strategies, flyers, and marketing.

Community members may miss your social media content but the local news story will have a larger audience and reach in your community. Others may be scrolling through their newsfeed and find a press release and captivating story about your organization. Now, they click on it and are hooked by your impact right there in their community.

PR teams do this kind of legwork for you. They handle media relations, news articles, and more! These media types are just as important as ever for spreading awareness of a professional organization.

---

If you’re a non-profit on a mission to make a difference, take notice of the power of Public Relations!

Are you ready to invest? Reach out to Freebird Communications today! We design logos, create brand identities, develop business strategies, and more for businesses of all sizes. Work with us, and we will give your brand wings to fly!

For additional help, follow @freebirdcommunications on Instagram for the best content tips.