As the pillars that keep their community going, nonprofit organizations have a major impact on the lives of so many. From providing shelter and clothing, to voter education, to feeding the hungry and educating our children, most nonprofits do not receive any type of government funding yet still support the communities who desperately need their services. They are the boots on the ground that get the work done, providing basic essentials for those who have no other resources.
Now more than ever, nonprofit organizations are vital, and so is making their presence among the community known. November marks the beginning of Nonprofit Awareness Month, which seeks to create a better understanding about the value, importance, and impact of the nonprofit sector. As nonprofit organizations continue to grow, especially on a shoestring budget, here are a few steps they can take to generate awareness for their cause:
Start Local. For nonprofits looking to raise awareness for their cause and generate media attention, it’s important to start local. Begin with grassroot efforts and local media like radio, community newspapers, and local television stations like public access TV. From there, local stories will give your nonprofit the credibility and ability to connect with your main audience. As a result, national media outlets who are inspired by your cause will reach out to you. If the national media is writing a story about your mission, they will view you as the thought leader for your niche cause, and look to you to explain the intricate issues you’re working to solve for. Don’t underestimate the power of local media.
Be authentic and do your research. Conduct research and read articles that resonate with your cause in order to find out who cares about your mission as much as you do. You can’t just reach out to anyone. There are a ton of bloggers, pocasters, influencers, and reporters out there who represent your niche, so it’s key is to be strategic and develop relationships with those who are covering your specific area. Your knowledge of their research and coverage will be appreciated and go a long way, leading to an authentic relationship. When you connect and build relationships with the right people who are already using their platform to amplify similar causes, the easier it will be for them to shed light on the issues you’re fighting for and bring it to the forefront.
Highlight the human element of your cause. When telling your story, it’s crucial to be engaged at all levels and show how the particular group is being impacted. Statistics are a great way to connect the reality of a situation to those who have no idea the cause you’re fighting for is an issue at all. For example, nearly 40% of missing persons are persons of color, yet African-Americans make up only 13% of the population. This statistic makes people question why so many missing persons are African-American, why they are going missing at such a high rate, and why is this the first time they are hearing of this? You have to show the human side of the issue and create a call-to-action, making your audience understand that this can happen to them and those they love, so they become inclined to take action and help.
Stand out from the crowd. There are a ton of organizations out there fighting for similar causes, therefore think about why someone would want to support you instead of the other nonprofits doing similar work. Whether you’re having a soft launch, celebrating an anniversary, or establishing a new campaign, take the time to highlight these accomplishments and showcase the work you’re doing so you stand out. Nonprofits also shouldn’t be afraid to stray away from their main mission at hand. For example, right now a lot of people are unable to make ends meet as a result of COVID-19. Tap into your community resources and organize a local food drive to help families put food on the table. Although this may not be aligned to the basic mission of your organization, it shows leadership, resourcefulness and the strength your organization has to make a positive change within your community.
Tap into the tools and resources to help your nonprofit shine. You don’t have to have a lot of money to be successful as a nonprofit. It’s about having an idea, fleshing it out, and being surrounded by the right people who are just as passionate as you are. You have all the strengths, so take a look at what’s around you and utilize the resources at hand. What you have can open a door and get you to the next step of where you need to be.
Here are a few tools and resources that can help:
Fiverr. Starting at five dollars, Fiverr can help with your entire communications strategy–from press release to graphic design to video editing. The platform connects freelancers with people who need their services.
Muck Rack. Muck Rack can help you find journalists, get press for your story, monitor the news and report on the impact of your PR.
HARO (Help A Reporter Out). HARO is a popular sourcing service connecting journalists and bloggers with relevant expert sources and thought leaders to help tell their stories.
Social Media and Email Marketing. Maximize your media coverage via social media and email marketing. Once you land media coverage, always make sure you share it as content on your social media platforms. You can even take it one step further and repurpose that media coverage through a blog and send it to your subscribers via email marketing.
On the flip side, supporters of nonprofits should realize they have the power to help the causes they’re most passionate about during Nonprofit Awareness Month. We can’t wait to get involved, the time is now. Nonprofits need all the help they can get, so raise your hand and volunteer. They will welcome all the help they can get. We are the person that we’ve been waiting for. Stop waiting for someone else to bring out the change that we’ve been asking for and get involved today.
By Natalie Wilson
Natalie Wilson is the founder of the boutique public relations agency, the NWR Communications Group (@nwrcommsgroup on Instagram), as well as the co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, Inc. (BAMFI), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring awareness to missing persons of color. As an award winning practitioner in the fields of non-profit development, communications, marketing, media relations, digital media, and crisis management, Natalie leverages her expertise and resources to help clients become successful.
She took BAMFI from a vision to The View, and many more local and national media platforms.
She holds a master’s in communications from Trinity University in Washington, DC, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a minor in communications, from Howard University, Washington, DC.
