Nonprofit PR in a Brave New World
Posted by Carolyn Hathaway, Marketing Communications Manager, The Family Conservancy on Feb. 23, 2011 / Subscribe 0
I feel like the changes in nonprofit public relations over the past few years are akin to the changes television experienced in the 1970's when it went from three major networks to a broad spectrum of cable channels. Instead of relying primarily on traditional media, my nonprofit agency, The Family Conservancy of Kansas City, has broadened its communication channels - re-purposing the same message for each audience. With limited dollars, we are always looking for creative, no- or low-cost ways to get our messages out.
We've reached out to area partners who target similar audiences (in our case, parents); asking organizations such as the school districts and community colleges to include our messages in weekly print and e-newsletters to parents.
And of course we've tuned in to social media. With one in 13 people on this Earth having a Facebook account, that's not optional. Although the topics we cover are the same (all channels follow our editorial calendar), we try to stir up some discussion about them and ask parents for parenting topics that would interest them. We tweet and have a channel on YouTube.
As a recipient of a Google Grant since 2008, we receive free sponsored ads on Google searches. The great thing about AdWords is we learn what people really think about our agency and its services from which keywords perform well (or not so well). This has helped us narrow down our advertising dollars with things like Yellow Pages headings.
On the horizon, we're seeking funding for a text-to-donate option for donors and an iPhone/Droid app for Kansas City parents.
I've seen more changes in PR in the past two to three years, than the previous 20 years in this field, and more precision and science - testing keywords, email subject lines and ads on a small scale and seeking data before making a bigger commitment. It keeps things interesting ... which I guess was the point of more cable channels as well.
The Family Conservancy's mission is to champion the healthy development of children by supporting parents and families and promote quality early education. We are a nonprofit organization that: helps children overcome traumatic experiences, helps families break the cycle of poverty and equips children with supportive, nurturing parents. The Family Conservancy, a United Way agency, has been serving Kansas and Missouri families since 1880. For more information, visit us at www.thefamilyconservancy.org.
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