Public Relations

Effective Nonprofit Communications Starts With ‘Why’
February 17, 2022 at 10:53 am

The communications teams at the most successful nonprofits are laser focused on showing people how their work transforms lives — and they can clearly articulate their vision. If your nonprofit is struggling to find its voice or having a hard time connecting with potential supporters, it’s important to take some time to think clearly about why you exist.

First Look Media, Democracy Fund Announce Over $12M in New Grants to Support Journalists
March 29, 2017 at 8:42 am

Democracy Fund and First Look Media announced more than $12 million in new grants to support an independent, robust free press. Three leading nonprofit news organizations—the Center for Investigative Reporting, the Center for Public Integrity and ProPublica—will each receive $3 million at a moment when the role of journalism in our democracy is facing unprecedented…

Coca-Cola Has Donated More Than $106M to Over 230 Nonprofits
February 16, 2017 at 8:53 am

The Coca-Cola Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company together donated more than $106 million to more than 230 organizations in 2016. These contributions will directly benefit communities across more than 200 countries and territories, with approximately 97 percent of the grants focused on The Coca-Cola Company’s core sustainability priorities of women, water and community well-being. The…

Nonprofit Communications: You Don't Have to Have All the Answers
January 27, 2017 at 8:00 am

Many of us, especially in business settings, are afraid to admit we don’t know something. We worry that it is a sign of incompetence or weakness. I disagree. Actually, I believe that when you don’t know the answer, owning up to it is important to establishing trust with your coworkers and clients, the media and your donors...

4 Steps to Getting Your Nonprofit's Story in the News
January 19, 2017 at 10:31 am

Every fundraiser dreams of being the most loved and well supported nonprofit in town. The charity that everyone gives to and talks about. Sounds good, right? But how do you get there? You need a big, loyal donor-base of people who love your nonprofit’s mission. How do you grow a big, loyal donor-base? You start…

Best Correction Blog Ever—Or, Why You Should Take Your PR Person to Lunch Today
January 4, 2017 at 9:01 am

In a recent blog, I erroneously described Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, who have been described as “psychology’s Lennon and McCartney,” as “two Princeton University psychologists.” Actually, only one of the pair worked at Princeton—Kahneman, who has been there since 1993. Tversky was at Stanford University at the time of his death in 1996. This is all background for an interesting email I got last week from Adam Dickter, a public relations guy...

Is Your Nonprofit Prepared for a Media Crisis?
October 18, 2016 at 10:05 am

The presidential election has become—quite unfortunately—a daily case study in crisis communications. Nearly every day this fall—and sometimes more than once a day—one or both of the major candidates has been forced to respond to a crisis, whether it’s negative news about his or her past with the release of damning audio or leaked emails,…

Nonprofit Communication: Features Versus Benefits
October 5, 2016 at 11:01 am

I recently had the pleasure of working with a homeless services nonprofit (not named to protect the innocent). Its challenge was engaging donors beyond the first gift—and its donor retention rates were in the basement. During our first meeting, I asked: "Tell me what you do and why your organization matters?" The director of communications looked…