Public relations is critical when working for a nonprofit organization as it determines the bottom line for the organization itself and shapes public opinion. One can best describe public relations as a “storytelling” career in which you are trying to communicate a specific message to your target audience. PR professionals working with nonprofits have one very critical task:
Establishing a positive image for your organization in the media to increase donations.
When working with nonprofits, an excellent public relations strategy can increase the number of donors within the target audience. But often, an organization can face crisis mode, so a perfect public relations strategy can reflect the gravity of situations that may not be told correctly. It is vital to make your message as transparent as possible. The public must understand how people are impacted by a crisis and be empowered to make a difference by supporting your organization.
There will be “gray skies” and “blue skies” when working in a nonprofit. Gray skies are when an organization has a crisis; its main priority is the stakeholders. Making sure your stakeholders (donors, volunteers, employees, local communities, etc.) are cared for and maintaining a positive relationship is critical to nonprofit public relations. Blue skies are when there is little to no urgent communication, and the organization’s time is spent planning new strategies for long-term challenges. A blue sky moment within nonprofit public relations can be anywhere from building new partnerships with other organizations or working with the media.
As new partnerships emerge within the organization, so do new opportunities for a PR professional. Professionals who start/continue their career pathway with a nonprofit overcome unique exposure to experiences compared to working in a corporate or agency. Since you are working closely with your local community, your viewpoint on the world and understanding of a target audience can brighten, later improving your future works. Since professionals are working closely with their target audience, they begin to see the organization’s growth areas become transparent. Professionals can be given insight into how to work through challenges and quickly adapt to change, which is crucial to success in the PR industry. These changes can vary from changes within the economy to communication styles through volunteers and donors.
Knowing an organization from head to toe (history, current events, organizational values) can be beneficial when pitching a story to the media. Every day is different in public relations, so preparing for any situation will be advantageous. One way to prepare for a typical day working in nonprofit PR is to be on top of everything. Preparing can mean scanning five to ten news stories about an organization or effectively communicating creative/innovative ideas. Communication is vital in a professional’s day-to-day life, as they have to share with their team, organization, the media, etc.
Overall, working within nonprofit public relations can be challenging but rewarding as long as one prepares. The key idea when entering the workforce is to keep an open mind and fully adapt to change since crises can occur anytime.