Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
”
— Emily Dickenson
2 Nonprofit Communications Report © 2018 View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com DOI: 10.1002/NPCR
Communications Budgets Eight Ways to Improve Your SEO
How to Shape Your Communications Budget By Yvette Boysen
4 Nonprofit Communications Report © 2018 View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com DOI: 10.1002/NPCR
Unifying Your Brand Nurture Connection Between
Align Your Mission and Your Market PR, Development Staff
The receptionist at a nonprofit is responsible for more than just answering phone calls Communications staff and development
with a friendly smile. He or she is also an extension of the organization’s brand. If the per- departments must work closely with
son at the front desk lacks an understanding of how his or her role ties back to the non- each other for a nonprofit to succeed.
profit’s mission, this indicates miscommunication. When nonprofits struggle to communi- However, PR staff should look beyond
cate internally, it becomes harder for them to accurately convey who they are and why they development’s specific needs (e.g., giving
exist. society brochures, special event flyers,
“Every institution struggles to connect the day-to-day actions back to their annual reports) and feel welcome to
mission,” says David Thiel, assistant head of the school for strategy and planning at share strategies and ideas as well.
Deerfield Academy (Deerfield, MA). “Nonprofits must examine their output — To encourage a positive give-and-
whether it be programs, projects or policies — to determine how all of the pieces fit take relationship between departments:
together to serve a specific audience.” Once a clear picture comes into focus, only then 1. Work together; invite involvement.
can organizations align their mission with their market. Place a development staff’s donors
“If you have to ask yourself why your organization does something a certain way, on a PR committee. Get community
that’s the first step in questioning this notion of alignment,” Thiel says. “When the answer relations staff involved on
amounts to, ‘Because we did it this way last year,’ then it’s time to address the disconnect. development committees. Share
If your organization doesn’t understand its current intentions, that’s a big red flag.” In each other’s strengths whenever and
order to streamline the alignment process, Thiel suggests examining how these three pillars wherever possible.
tie back to the nonprofit’s mission: 2. Promote yourself.
1. Strategic plan. A nonprofit’s strategy encompasses their mission, vision, objectives Members of both departments
and tactics. It is the externally focused link between the organization and its market should join clubs and service
(competitive forces, customers, negotiating power of employees and suppliers). groups, sharing passion for their
2. Culture. Cultural alignment allows nonprofits to manage their internal nonprofit in meetings and
environment. “Nonprofits with cultural alignment regularly discuss their core elsewhere.
values and ensure that these are reinforced in the behaviors of people who work 3. Recognize, recognize, recognize.
there,” Thiel says. “When behaviors are repeated consistently, they have a way of Creatively acknowledge donors in
becoming policy. So, it’s critical to make sure they support the overall mission.” newsletters, donor displays, thank-
3. Brand. Your brand is not just your logo and your tagline — it’s also the people, you ads, banners, posters, meetings,
attitude and perceptions connected to your nonprofit. “Brand is the thing that personal notes, news releases, etc.
links strategy to culture, while supporting both,” Thiel says. 4. Gather and share feedback.
Whatever the source, whether
Successful nonprofits recognize the horizontal relationship between these
positive or negative, share feedback
frameworks. “Imagine these three pillars are the drummer, the bass player and the
with each other. Select community
guitarist in a band,” Thiel says. “Many organizations make the mistake of perfect-
members to meet regularly to
ing the drum line before considering how the guitar riffs will contribute to the song.
discuss and share feedback and look
Just like a fine-tuned band, focused nonprofits understand how strategy, culture and
for ways to improve your image.
brand work together to support one mission.”
5. Begin charity efforts at home.
Source: David Thiel, Assistant Head of School for Strategy and Planning, Deerfield Academy, Ask your department’s staff, board
Deerfield, MA. Phone (413) 774-1878. E-mail: dthiel@deerfield.edu. Website: www.deerfield.edu members and volunteers to support
in-house special events, campaigns
Increase Contact With Supporters and fundraisers. Applaud their
support through newsletters, ads,
Seek E-Mail Addresses From Newsletter Recipients photos, annual reports and more.
Are you considering offering an electronic newsletter to donors, constituents or 6. Develop a team spirit.
other key audiences soon? Now’s the time to start gathering e-mail addresses. Work through disagreements.
Even if you plan to keep sending traditional paper newsletters through regular Always speak positively of one
mail, gathering e-mail addresses for those on your mailing list is a good idea. You another to the community and co-
could use e-mails to test online solicitations and newsletters or as a means to invite workers. Share key communications
supporters to special events. pieces, such as news releases and
Here are three ways to start gathering e-mail addresses: quarterly reports, with each other.
Meet regularly. Thank each other
1. Include a call to action in your current newsletter to send an e-mail to be entered in
often for mutual support.
a contest, seek important information — or better yet, receive a free gift.
7. Cross-market each other.
2. When registering people for special events or fundraisers, ask for their e-mail
Use marketing newsletters to
addresses as well.
promote fundraising efforts and
3. On your website, prominently feature a button that says, “Yes, I want to get the showcase positive PR stories in
latest information by e-mail,” that links to a simple sign-up form. donor publications.
DOI: 10.1002/NPCR View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com Nonprofit Communications Report © 2018 5
Consider Creative Outdoor Sharing Visually
Advertising Options Make Your Website Photo Gallery Easy to Locate, Navigate
Outdoor or out-of-home advertising is Affordable and sometimes free software can help you build a fully functioning and
not limited to billboards. Visiting with interactive photo gallery on your organization’s website, but properly categorizing
an outdoor advertising firm pictures of your events and activities will make them easier for visitors to find and
representative to learn more about how enjoy. To accomplish this:
to promote your programs, mission or
events is time well spent. 1. Build a navigation tab for photos. Some website visitors look specifically for
In your meeting: photographs to give them an idea of your activities. Make it easy for them to go
directly to a photo page from your home page.
❏❏ Learn about all available options. In
2. Link photo albums to your events calendar. If you have an at-a-glance calendar
addition to traditional billboards,
on your website with both past and upcoming activities listed, make the event
outdoor advertising can include bus
name a hyperlink to any photo gallery that corresponds to that date. Visitors
benches, subway stations and trains,
can access pictures of that event by clicking that date.
as well as digital billboards that allow
you to easily switch art and copy. 3. Categorize your albums by groups of people. Listings for staff, board, volunteer
committee leaders and event chairs are just a few types of categories you could
❏❏ Ask about the newest mobile trends. Bi-
feature in your online photo album. Showcase volunteers in an online photo
cycle- and motorized-scooter-powered
album that shows them engaged in activities or events that may be featured in
displays, Segways, vehicle wraps, sail-
other albums, but offers specific context.
boat sails and large inflatable balloons
with your logo and message are a few 4. Group photos by activity. Make a separate photo album for every activity worthy
attention-getting possibilities. These of photographing and clearly identify it (e.g., January Scholarship Recipients or
options also let you target specific March 2011 Service Awards) to save browsers from endless searches and page-
areas and high-traffic times. loading times.
❏❏ Think — literally — on the outside of 5. Keep all photo album links and galleries on one page. Your photo navigation tab
the box. Advertising can be printed will ideally direct traffic to a page with all albums organized by date, event and
on pizza boxes, coffee cups, posters category. Allow visitors to click on the gallery they choose to see all photos of
inside grocery stores and gas that activity.
stations, and on shopping cart 6. Publish your albums on your social media pages. Photos that may not work on
panels. You may not have considered your website may be ideal for more casual social media, such as your
such lesser-known avenues, but your organization’s fan page on Facebook (www.facebook.com). Also, using different
advertising specialist can direct you pictures on your formal website and in social forums offers you different ways
to such creative options. to attract diverse audiences.
❏❏ Consider human billboards. Sandwich Volunteer Engagement
board advertising has been effective for
decades, but now your message can be Assemble a Public Relations Advisory Committee
backlit and colorful. You can spread
A volunteer public relations advisory committee can be worth its weight in gold in
the word in large crowds like concerts
terms of community and media relations. Be creative and open-minded to find
and sporting events, or put your team
individuals who can attract the spotlight to your organization in a positive way.
on any busy street corner, along with
To help you create a committee that includes a balanced group of professionals
your brochures or flyers.
who will bring positive visibility to your cause, seek out candidates who possess
❏❏ Make your message sky-high. communication skills, the ability to persuade and inspire others, and media
Building illumination and large- savviness. To do so:
format projection can get your name
in lights and in unusual places, and • Explore creative or marketing staff of large organizations who already support
as large as 300 feet. Create a buzz in you. A major business or institution with in-house marketing and public
a big way using this technique that relations may have skilled volunteers to loan to you — graphic designers,
often creates an advertising space copywriters, media coordinators or photographers.
where none existed. • Seek out small business owners. These men and women must often oversee
❏❏ Use a combination of techniques. marketing efforts for their own businesses, including advertising development,
Bicycle billboards and print ads on community relations and promotion. They are likely to know account
recyclable coffee cups to advertise a executives from a variety of media sources, which may be useful to you as well.
charity bike ride, a pizza box appeal • Keep a watch for the newly retired. News anchors, television and newspaper
and shopping cart ad to fill your reporters and advertising agency execs in your community may be ready to
food pantry are examples of ways to retire and do volunteer work on your behalf.
combine strategies and enhance your • Think of the most effective sales persons you know. A real estate agent,
message with a targeted audience. insurance planner or corporate sales director will be comfortable making calls,
Ask your consultant to help you persuading media to attend your next event and preparing presentations or
make the most of available options. proposals.
6 Nonprofit Communications Report © 2018 View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com DOI: 10.1002/NPCR
Extend Your Reach There’s Value in Your
Enlist the Help of Social Media Ambassadors Press Release Archives
Patient families are among Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago’s Why maintain a press release archive?
biggest champions and the Social Media Ambassador Program is giving them a chance to What value does it provide? A press
use their digital voice in ways that really matter. By filling out a simple online form, anyone release archive serves many purposes,
with a passion for helping the hospital can volunteer to participate. By joining, they agree according to Richard Culver, media
to use their own social media channels to share curated status updates, articles and other relations director of Salisbury
branded content on behalf of the hospital. The form can be viewed here: foundation. University (SU; Salisbury, MD):
luriechildrens.org/site/PageServer?pagename=SocialMediaAmbassadorProgram_Join. 1. “In a period of rapid change in
“Our Social Media Ambassador Program serves as a space for us to explore institutions and in personnel working,
and creatively position ourselves with help from individuals who know our work managing and leading them, an
best,” says Manager of Digital Marketing and Analytics Katie Fanella. “It’s a way archive is a valuable source of
for us to engage every day (with) supporters, families and potential donors and institutional memory. It also is a
encourage them to spread our messages to new audiences in a way that is not costly resource for the office when doing
or time-consuming.” More than 250 social media ambassadors are using their follow-up stories on programs, people
online presence to boost reach for the leading children’s hospital. and events, sometimes years later.”
Fanella believes the Social Media Ambassador Program is successful for the 2. “At SU, our archive of press releases
following reasons: is becoming the institutional history
1. Involves a simple sign-up process. A brief sign-up form requires only contact for the campus, recording those
information, an explanation of support and a list of the social media platforms things which are most significant in
on which the volunteer is active. Once the form has been submitted, the university life and the basics of who,
volunteer is introduced to an easy-to-use widget that allows him or her to post what, when, where, why and how.
pre-populated updates directly through Lurie Children’s Web page. “A Although our university library
streamlined user experience is a top priority for us,” Fanella says. maintains an institutional history
2. Offers instant engagement. “Since the user is engaged the very moment they sign up, archive, it frequently relies on
we want to provide them with content right away,” Fanella says. “Generic messages materials from PR, including press
about the hospital are provided for them to share on Facebook and Twitter. This releases, to tell the university story.”
instant engagement helps ensure that they come back to post again in the future.” 3. “It is an antidote to faulty memory.
3. Reflects user input. “Think about who you wish to target with your initiative We occasionally have individuals,
and get information in front of stakeholders before you launch your program,” including reporters, asking us about
Fanella says. “We shared our concepts with our foundation and marketing something that occurred years ago.
team, but we also took it to our Kids Advisory Board and Family Advisory The archive allows us to more easily
Board since we knew their audiences would be a big target for this campaign.” fact-check. One example: A few
years ago, a local reporter told a
4. Interests young people. “College students have become a large segment of our
colleague of a rumor he’d heard
ambassador audience, which makes sense because young people tend to have
from students. The end result was
limited resources but still want to give back,” Fanella says. “With so many
PR staff spent part of an afternoon
young people already plugged in creatively on social media, this is a great way
going through an archive, this time
for them to use their tech-savvy skills for good.”
of old student newspapers, tracking
5. Leaves room to grow. “At the moment, people are just volunteering out of the down the names of former student
good of their hearts, but we’d like to eventually incentivize in phase two or three editors and reporters, calling them,
by giving our strongest ambassadors VIP opportunities, such as first access to confirming that the time frame of
events, discounts, special tours and other tokens of appreciation,” Fanella says. the rumor was off, which made the
Source: Katie Fanella, Manager, Digital Marketing and Analytics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie rumor just that. If we had not had
Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Phone (312) 227-7285. E-mail: kfanella@ access to the student newspaper
luriechildrens.org. Website: www.luriechildrens.org archive, we could not have disproved
the rumor. The same is true of press
Effective Branding releases.”
Logos, Logos Everywhere … 4. “Press releases get reused and
recycled for marketing publications,
Whether you’re marching in a community parade, setting up a press conference or
admissions pieces and alumni
helping a reporter set up a shot for a story about your agency, make sure your
outreach. An archive is useful if a
company logo is somewhere in the picture.
story for alumni, for example,
Don’t worry about overkill — you want the audience to know in a blink of an
requires delving into the past.”
eye that it’s your organization behind the message!
Another bonus: Placing your company logo somewhere in the shot helps make Source: Richard Culver, Media Relations
sure that your organization gets the credit for the story in those circumstances in Director, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD.
which the reporter does not include your organization’s name in the cutline or text Phone (410) 543-6030. E-mail: rwculver@
identifying the person in a TV interview. salisbury.edu. Website: www.salisbury.edu
DOI: 10.1002/NPCR View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com Nonprofit Communications Report © 2018 7
Build Your Corps of Experts Community Impact Reporting
When the media calls, it’s helpful to have Have a Process for Documenting,
a pool of individuals ready to lend their Sharing Your Community Impact
expertise. Fitness, fun and friendship take shape at Jefferson Field Day - an annual event
Janet Kacskos, director of during which 600 elementary school children interact with Muhlenberg College
communications at Millersville (Allentown, PA) students on a historic campus. This spring excursion invites
University of Pennsylvania Jefferson Elementary School students to explore different fitness stations, where
(Millersville, PA), says her school has they enrich their knowledge of health and wellness and build relationships with
a pool of more than 100 experts. strong role models. This tradition is one that began more than a quarter century
Organized online (blogs.millersville. ago, and it is still going strong, all thanks to the standing partnership between both
edu/news/experts-list/) by department educational institutions.
and by popular topics, the database is Since its establishment in 1848, Muhlenberg College continues to make a
easily searchable. It includes a difference in the Lehigh Valley community. In an effort to demonstrate these
summary of credentials for each successes, Muhlenberg College releases a Community Impact Report every two to
expert, as well as his or her contact three years to showcase the positive effects their existence has had on Allentown —
information. socially, culturally and economically. Their 2017 report can be seen here: https://
Millersville’s experts are also www.muhlenberg.edu/media/contentassets/pdf/about/pr/2017-MuhlenbergCollege
included in Pennsylvania’s State System CommunityImpactReport.pdf.
of Higher Education’s Faculty Expertise “Our Community Impact Report serves as an opportunity to collect and share
Showcase. Available to the media online the most powerful stories, collaborations and partnerships that take place between
(www.passhe.edu/experts/Pages/default. Muhlenberg and our Lehigh Valley neighbors,” says Executive Director, Office of
aspx), users can begin their search by Communications, Bill Keller. “It reinforces the commitment we made 170 years ago
selecting from one of 14 categories. to remain deeply involved with our local community.”
From there, experts, their credentials Keller offers tips for documenting and distributing an engaging and informative
and contact information are listed in community impact piece:
alphabetical order.
To build these databases, each 1. Stay connected. “We ask people to share their news with us, whether it’s the
year Kacskos says the university faculty member who is providing service learning classes at local schools or the
sends an e-mail to invite faculty to nonprofits who enlist our students in volunteer roles,” Keller says. “Our office
sign up to serve as experts. New of community engagement helps us collect and prioritize the stories that
employees are also invited to embody our mission best.”
participate. Those willing to serve as 2. Identify impact categories. “We explore financial impact; neighborhood
experts and speak with the media sign development; aspects of service learning; employment in our region; issues of
up online at www.millersville.edu/ public safety, arts, culture and education,” Keller says. “Really think about how
services/ucm/expertform.php. your nonprofit improves your community, and highlight human stories that
Kacskos receives the submissions via support those areas.”
e-mail. She then either requests
additional information or 3. Create “snapshots.” “It’s not feasible to list every example of engagement, so
immediately posts it online. She also choose stories that resonate with your audience and show the breadth of those
offers a 60-minute media training connections,” Keller says. “Highlight the relationships and people who
program for everyone willing to speak contribute to your culture, and uncover ways to quantify your impact whenever
with the media. possible.”
Kacskos says allowing individuals 4. Do limited runs. “A well-done community impact report is not a disposable
to volunteer as experts produces a larger document, so print an initial run based on your mailing list of donors,
pool, as it is difficult to know everyone’s supporters and community partners,” Keller says. Distributing the report
individual expertise. She says it is also through e-mail and on your website can save money while still increasing
important to remember to regularly exposure.
review the list to make sure information
is current. 5. Update every three years. “By releasing a report every three years, we can show
Additionally, Kacskos notes that our college seniors how things have evolved since they were freshmen at
despite having a list of sources online, Muhlenberg,” Keller says. “Drafting a report every year could lead to repetitive
the media still initially contacts her the content, while once every 10 years might diminish effectiveness. Think about
clear majority of the time. what works for the scope of your organization and the way you interact with
your community.”
Source: Janet Kacskos, Director of
Communications, Millersville University of Source: Bill Keller, Executive Director, Office of Communications, Muhlenberg College,
Pennsylvania, Millersville, PA. Phone (717) Allentown, PA. Phone (484) 664-3230. E-mail: billkeller@muhlenberg.edu. Website: www.
871-7870. E-mail: janet.kacskos@millersville. muhlenberg.edu
edu. Website: www.millersville.edu
8 Nonprofit Communications Report © 2018 View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com DOI: 10.1002/NPCR