Life & Technology

"If something happens, we'll hire a freelance communications practitioner to respond." 

Public Relations is not a defensive tactic. Approaching Public Relations or using communication practices defensively will make it harder to get people on board with your nonprofit cause. 

What happens when public relations is a defensive tactic?

A proactive approach is always better than a reactive one. When the attention turns on you, you will be much more believable when you respond because of the trust you built over time telling your stories. 

Consider the following three approaches to drive your communications and online presence.

In today's digital age, news travels quickly and gets amplified by social media. Be proactive in your PR efforts and build positive relationships with your stakeholders. A documented communications strategy will help you in the long run. 

Is your Cause funding-worthy? Often, small nonprofits are unable to convince donors why they deserve funding. Some tend to assume others know about their Cause, so there's not much to say, and their presentations end up drab. With so many similar causes reaching out to the same pool of donors, here are six elements to present your Cause in a better way.

These are some of the most common asks from donors when giving to charities. Network for Good surveyed 3,000 donors and found the top seven reasons donors give to nonprofits. 

Hiring a Communications professional will make a big difference for small nonprofits and bring the necessary attention to donors, volunteers and partners.  

In every interview I've been to or conversations I've participated in, one common problem small nonprofits face is the challenge of fundraising. 

Surveys and reports time and time again reveal the same gaps when it comes to raising funds for small nonprofits. 

There are several reasons why nonprofits struggle to raise funds. Here is a list of seven reasons.

Apart from the above, reputation-related concerns often lead to a lack of funding.

Social Media has opened up a world of opportunities for small nonprofits to explore fundraising and community mobilising. Fears of using digital technologies and lack of knowledge have led to numerous small nonprofits doing good work getting unnoticed.

Funding is critical for any organisation. Educating staff and volunteers on social media can go a long way in raising funds and amplifying outreach in the digital age.

Everyone has something of value to contribute to this life. There will always be an audience who enjoys your style and dedication to what you do. Who is willing to know you better and walk with you in your journey.

There will always be an audience for those who provide value. Similarly, every Brand or Cause must provide value on social media to keep its audience engaged. 

I want to share three ways you can add value as a small nonprofit on social media.

The question isn’t, ‘What do we want to know about people?’ it’s, ‘What do people want to tell about themselves?’ – Mark Zuckerberg, Founder, Facebook.

Educate Your Audience

What can you teach others about how you do what you do? Let’s say you are working in the field of human trafficking. Showcasing one or two examples of how you work with the public to reduce the menace differentiates you from other similar nonprofits. The safe methods you use to collaborate with the larger community could drive involvement. When people read or watch how participants keep in touch with nonprofits, they will be encouraged to join in.

Empower Your Members

Everyone involved with your work must be a step ahead of the rest. They need to know what you are currently involved in and what you have achieved. Access to information that empowers your members to help them form a deeper understanding of your cause and tell others about your work.

Comfort Your Followers Hearts to add value as a small nonprofit

What brands or nonprofits often forget to communicate is that they are human. It is a SOCIAL media platform, after all! A good word can stir hearts in the right direction in times like these. We believe words are powerful but shy away from speaking what we know is the need of the hour. Don’t be too caught up with what you do or be so worried about being stuck creatively. 

Inspire hearts and minds to live a better quality of life. 

Today, we are in a more digital world than ever. Eyes glued on the screen could use a slight deviation to self-reflect. It will go a long way in changing the world one person at a time. Check out this blog post on using social media. 

Media Interviews can be tough to navigate without prep work for regular, media-savvy spokespeople. I would never take any media interview for granted, for that matter, any interaction in life. Every interaction today is a personal branding opportunity. It does not mean you need to fake it. It is a call to add value. 

Sharing three essentials to ensure a successful media interview. Here are my brief thoughts on each of them; 

Know your media

If you know your audience, you will need to know your media too. A trade publication will always have a different focus than a mainstream financial. 

Researching previous articles on the subject will help you prepare a fresh perspective for the readers. 

Evaluating the journalist’s past stories and writing styles can provide insight into what to expect from the interview.

Capture key messages

What’s in it for you? 

What’s in it for the media? 

How will it help the reader? 

Crack these three, and it’s a win-win-win for all. 

Make sure you practice different approaches when responding to probable questions with your Communication team. 

Sometimes interviews can veer off because of various industry or trend-related changes. Exploring different angles helps bring the conversation back to what you need to say, apart from what readers need to hear and what journalists need to cover.

Remember, No such thing as “off-the-record” after the 'official' media interview.

Everyone is looking for stories that can go viral. One off-the-cuff response can reap trouble. 

If you aren’t sure of the numbers, let the Communication team get back to the journalist with the exact figures. 

Stick to your area of expertise. Speak only when necessary, outside of the interview. Avoid post-interview chitchats so you can stay away from opining on sensitive topics.

Never make forward-looking statements unless you are sure. Or it is an agreed-upon ‘prediction’ internally. 

Not all interviews are the same. These suggestions are suited for first-timers or if you are meeting a journalist for the first time. 

Keeping Donors happy isn’t as hard as you think.

Thanks to generous donors, nonprofits can sustain the fine work they do. These are donors who believe in the power of social impact. To those who donate, nonprofits have a responsibility.

Currently, funds diverted to address the pandemic make it difficult for small nonprofits to sustain themselves.

I want to share three ways you can keep your donors involved;

Why is Showcasing Impact necessary?

Showcasing impact involves the transformation in the lives of your beneficiaries.
How does showcasing impact help the donor?

Educate to keep your donors involved

Education is about taking your donor into your state-of-the-heart sanctum sanctorum – your mission, employees, volunteers, donors, and partners.

How to educate your donors? How does educating your Donor help?

Presentation matters

Presentation is about representing yourself (organization) in the best way possible. Be it public engagements, websites, social media platforms, or internal presentations.

Why does Presentation matter to donors?

Consider these best practices for your nonprofit to keep your donors involved. Check out this interview with Claire, a fundraising coach, on Amy Eisenstein’s blog. She elaborates on helping the donor feel good about their donation.

In the beginning years of my Public Relations career, I woke up to a negative line in a restaurant review feature for one of my clients. This client was an oriental restaurant, a new kid on the food scene. I got numb with fear, but my boss reminded me that she had already updated the CEO and that he would handle it personally.

A mere mention in a leading newspaper has the power to change the perception and hurt any company. To write negatively about a newbie with great ambitions, and already planned to set up multiple (three digits) restaurants across India, was not something to take lightly.

This crisis required a special touch. Delicate handling that I knew my CEO would be able to manage with relative ease.

The CEO personally called the journalist and requested another shot at the food. The CEO joined the journalist for lunch that day.

A confident client is a PR practitioner's delight in a crisis

The journalist genuinely enjoyed the food. He also apologized for taking a stance based on a single experience. A bad hair day in the food industry is a more risky business than ever before, with everyone able to post a review instantly. The journalist was humble enough to admit he should have visited a few times.

When you are with the CEO, the experience has to betop-classs, right? The journalist got a tour of the kitchen. He appreciated the cleanliness and hygiene measures. He enjoyed witnessing the speed of cooking and serving food.

The CEO led the entire tour, confidently explaining and answering the journalist's questions. Within weeks the journalist, after a few solo visits, wrote a positive review.

Such CEOs are a gem, one of a kind. Accessible, available, and admirable.

Getting to work with spokespeople who are both intelligent and empathetic evolves you as a professional. A front seat to watch them do their magic is educational and a confidence booster. 

Every brand, be it a nonprofit or business, requires a spokesperson. 

Not everyone can be a spokesperson.

Not everyone should be the spokesperson of an organization.

The primary spokesperson of any company is typically their CEO. Having a single spokesperson for media interviews is any day better than having different voices or perspectives represent an organization. Multiple spokespeople make sense when you have the right people to elaborate on specific business units. 

When the CEO is inaccessible, the journalist tends to reach out to “anonymous” sources. He or She could be any employee with insight into the inner workings of the company. This is risky for the company because such “anonymous” sources will misrepresent and speak from a meager context.

I want to highlight three reasons why organizations need a spokesperson;

One Voice.

The best person to speak for an organization is its CEO. Why? Only she has a 360-degree view of the organization’s health. Every other leader in the organization reports to the CEO, making her the best person to provide a holistic perspective. An organization with spokespeople apart from the CEO has specialized representatives for their respective departments. E.g., an HR Head would talk about hiring, learning & development, culture, etc. The Finance Head (the numbers guru) stays focused on the financial performance of the organization. There will be times when specialists from core (E.g., engineering) teams are called in to respond to technical details, along with the CEO.

The CEO is almost always the primary spokesperson for any organization, be it a Corporate or Nonprofit. 

At small or medium nonprofits (grassroots organizations), the leader tends to be the sole spokesperson. Strategy, planning, and budgeting are the nonprofit CEOs’ prerogative. She will be the best person to highlight impact.

Consistent Messaging.

The Voice of an organization ensures consistent messaging across media platforms, offline or online. Consistent messaging involves both form and sequence. What I mean by form is, ensuring that the message shared with different media on a given topic is in line with the overall messaging. No two media should have disparate views on the same topic from the same organization.

When we work with journalists over a long period for regular features, the cascade of information must not be repetitive. The key spokesperson is aware of what was said earlier to ensure the messaging flow is sequential and follows a timeline. This is useful for the publication as they look for updated inputs for their stories.

Response-able Spokesperson.

In times of crisis, every organization requires to respond immediately. To inform, educate and empower with critical messaging internally or externally. Or even when there is an opportunity for an organization to be part of a larger feature story that positively highlights its positioning. Media stories often require insights from organizations well-versed in a particular industry or Cause. Being part of those stories help position the company as an expert, building trust and confidence. 

COVID-19 has kept PR professionals alert like never before. Working overtime ensuring their spokespeople reflect their hard work in the background. 

“Speaking with one voice is paramount in crisis communications. Countless times officials have needed to contradict or re-explain the president’s miscommunication. The president has sought to blame China for the virus and previous presidents for a lack of preparedness. He’s also bashed the press repeatedly and said at times the Democrats were to blame.” –

Excerpt from an article on PR News.

Training spokespeople is critical because not everyone is media savvy. Some still go their own way, despite all the training. Training a spokesperson before any media interview is a necessary exercise. It doesn’t matter how good they are. We know experts have been known to drown in swimming pools too. 

Public Relations is the long game. 

Nonprofits are in the long game. 

Building credibility requires time and trust. Public Relations helps build trust. PR also prepares nonprofits promptly to leverage the power of media.

What are five long-term media opportunities that nonprofits can leverage? 

Unique interview

How are you uniquely impacting your cause as an organization? Is your method a new one that will help lift mankind out of its misery? Are you the first one to make such strides in this area? 

Whatever sets you apart from your peers in the space is a potential story you can pursue with the media. 

Profile your people

Almost every mainstream media has a section to profile individuals making a difference in the community. A diligent search across print, television, and online will help locate relevant ones. 

Larger industry stories 

Participating in industry feature stories is a great way to position yourself in the eyes of your audience. Keeping in touch with journalists relevant to your space is a good approach, if not the best.

Say a journalist is doing a feature on human trafficking. Your expertise will be valuable for the story. A quote or insight you can provide will add value to the story and educate the public. Your value as a reliable source will help you gain similar opportunities. 

Trending stories

When some cause-based issue begins to trend in the news or a trending story is relevant to your nonprofit, reach out to the journalist. 

Media briefings or 1o1’s

Frequent media catch-up meetings are a great way to build your media relations. No strings attached briefings, meaning no expectation of coverage. The journalist learns about what you do and the cause. Hopefully, the journalist will leave with enough information for multiple story angles. Keep that in mind when talking to a journalist – story ideas. 

Another important detail, no meeting is off-the-record for anyone. It is always official. 

These are easy-to-find opportunities, not necessarily easy to get done. Persistent effort is necessary. Apply these media opportunities to spread your word as a nonprofit or startup. 

Every Employee Volunteering Program deserves an appreciation of its people and teams. 

Also, a showcase of the positive outcome for beneficiaries.

Celebrate People. Celebrate Impact.

These tips will reward you greatly both in the short and long term. 

Reward Those Who Give Freely

Celebrate Top Performers among the Volunteers, 3-5 (in a medium org) or 7-10 (large org) employees. A top volunteer may not be excellent at work (core function). There may be many good volunteers, but some will stand out. Create a criterion before you strategize for the Employee Volunteering Program. Partner with Internal Communication, call out top performers during a Town Hall or with an email to all employees, and display their photos on your digital screens. 

Celebrate Leader Involvement

Do not forget to appreciate the role of the manager. Not all managers may be proactively encouraging their employees. It is important to thank those who do publicly. For those who do not, try to pursue a conversation offline. Line Managers need to be made aware and encouraged to acknowledge the specific strengths of their team members. An email to managers makes a big difference whether you meet offline or not.

An appreciative personal email from the CEO or a key leader will go a long way. An appreciative personal email from the CEO or a key leader will go a long way. Most employees look up to their leaders. Any encouragement is a big emotional incentive to do more for the company. Reach out to key leaders to appreciate the volunteer in a joint forum of volunteers or through an encouraging email.

Similarly, in the case of the individual volunteer, appreciate volunteer teams too. Highlight strengths that enabled them to be impactful.

Do Not Forget The Nonprofit

Include your trusted nonprofit partner in your celebrations. Slot them into a Town Hall or host an exclusive session with volunteers and supportive leaders. Get the beneficiaries to showcase the outcome. It’s always credible when beneficiaries endorse the work done by Employee Volunteers.

Get Social - Create Employee Advocates

Rally your Volunteer team to spread the word on Social. Create posts for them whenever necessary. Highlight the opportunities the organization provided to its employees and the work done by the nonprofit partner. Videos or quotes by employees, if shared on personal networks, bring greater visibility and appreciation for employees, organizations, and nonprofits.

Report Facts, Tell Stories, Use Data

Most companies record output but often fail to showcase the outcomes externally or internally. Reporting is necessary, and so is celebrating Impact at all levels. It keeps the spirit alive for your campaigns to keep it going. Most Volunteers forget about results, and fewer ask. Even for one-time events involving planting saplings, matching programs that donate to NGOs (employee hours) require sharing with all employees. Necessary when a significant amount collected produces a tangible change.

Word of Mouth is still the best medium to communicate. Social Media (Communication), or digital word of mouth, has taken it to a new level.

When we showcase change using internal channels, it develops a sense of pride in employees. It inspires some previous non-doers to contribute and be part of the change.

Showcasing Impact affects employees, leaders, nonprofit partners, customers, and other organizations in the community. Stories require telling, and change-makers need to be appreciated.

Building a Team, Inspiring Hearts and Minds, and Celebrating People and Impact, will always be a need to develop and sustain a successful Employee Volunteering Program.