Public and Media Relations
Nonprofit organizations of all kinds flourish best when they have strong support among the communities that they serve and those that fund them. While it's tempting to think that one's good works will speak for themselves, the public sometimes needs to be reminded of this fact. These sites offer many guidelines on how to develop a community relations strategy and how to relate to the public media.
-
One of the biggest U.S. consultants on media relations for nonprofits in the U.S. is Fenton & Co. Check here for a series of booklets providing an introduction to most aspects of communications with the public.Fenton Communications -
Here are the basic principles for successful advocacy of the issues important to your organization. Check this site also for complete information on all aspects of community development.University of Kansas Community Toolbox -
Excellent British website offering 10 tactics for gaining support for your cause using new social media.Tactical Technology Collective -
Have you have ever wondered about what your clients, funders, volunteers or staff think about your organization? A useful tool for contacting these people is by means of an online questionnaire. Zoomerang lets you easily create and distribute short questionnaires for up to 50 recipients at no cost. Other online survey providers are SurveyMonkey (www.surveymonkey.com)and SurveyKey (www.surveykey.com).Zoomerang -
The government of British Columbia maintains a database of print, electronic and online media outlets. This web page can be used to obtain the most recent data from the database.Government of British Columbia -
Some nonprofits have much to learn from the world of marketing. All About Branding is one of the best websites on the topic of creating your public image.Allaboutbranding.com -
It is not easy writing media releases and public service announcements for newspapers, radio and TV that will actually be used by those they are sent to. EnVision, the amazing web-site of The Community Services Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, provides very detailed and practical guidelines on these matters. (Click on âCommunity Services Council of Newfoundland and Labrador -
This consulting firm provides a remarkable amount of up-to-date guidelines on how to write for e-news letters, web page content and other electronic media.E-write -
MyRagan blogger Ted Vollmuth shares eight communication strategies he found valuable in a time of crisis.Ragan.com -
A fun-to-read how-to website on slogan development (a bit different than message development) can be found at this site.AdSlogans.Com -
A good communications strategy takes evaluation very seriously. This component is often overlooked, but is highly regarded by funders. A good article on media relations evaluation is: "Evaluating Your Outreach Efforts" from the Benton Foundation.The Benton Foundation -
Another great little resource from the huge storehouse of information at Charity Village, one of the world's greatest nonprofit management sites. This one contains valuable tips on how to use radio to promote your cause.Charity Village