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The power of PR for charities
It goes without saying that fundraising is vital to the survival of charities, but securing finance during a cost of living crisis is incredibly challenging. Many charities are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic, with data from the Charity Commission showing that 60% saw a loss of income, 90% have experienced some negative impact and 32% experienced a shortage of volunteers.
In the face of this difficult landscape, however, there are also opportunities for charities to enable them to attract public support and build their reputation. This article aims demonstrate the power of public relations and why a PR strategy could be the key to unlocking a brighter future for your charity.
Why PR matters
A good PR strategy will identify your key messages and objectives, define your target audience and outline the best way to communicate these messages to the people who you want to reach by producing engaging, high quality content. This could take the form of press releases, broadcast interviews, social media content, magazine features, case studies and much more.
The end goal is to achieve positive content shared across your own channels, the media and other platforms to help raise awareness, enhance your reputation and support wider goals such as fundraising or signing up volunteers.
It can sometimes be difficult to put a monetary value on PR activity, but in the case of charity fundraising the power of PR is often clear to see. A survey of more than 2,000 people recently found that 42% of people have donated to a charity or fundraising drive after learning about it in the media. Nearly half (46%) of people agreed that it is more important for them to support local charities rather than national causes and 52% agreed that positive news stories about charities would make them more likely to support them.
Fundraising for events
It can be particularly useful to consider PR when there is a charity fundraising event taking place and you are aiming to attract as much public support as possible. Take the case of a family who were aiming to raise £50,000 for life-changing multiple sclerosis medical treatment for mother of three Maddy Boardman. Maddy’s husband Phil and her cousin Dave committed to running ten marathons in ten days, accompanied by family and friends.
They used PR to raise awareness to help them reach their ambitious target. A press release brought their story to life and there was then a media relations campaign to connect with journalists who might be interested in the story.
As the marathon challenge approached, media coverage was generated across local newspapers, websites, broadcast and offline channels. From BBC Radio Berkshire to MSN News and BBC One’s Spotlight show, TV, radio and print interviews were secured to raise awareness for the family as they undertook the huge mission. Each time the interviews went live, the donations spiked, and by the end of the 10 days the family had exceeded their target.
An ongoing campaign
PR can play an equally powerful role when you are gradually building your reputation and aiming to secure consistent support. In 2022, YMCA Newark & Sherwood aimed to launch its new Activity & Village and promote it as an asset to the local area. Over six months, a PR and media relations campaign was run to seed positive stories to the local press and to shine a light on the ways the charity was helping to improve the lives of young people.
It was arranged for the media to attend on the opening day of the Village and during key milestone moments, with the local BBC team filming a segment about the launch of the centre. Over the six month campaign, 48 pieces of positive press coverage were achieved across broadcast, print and online channels, with more than 600 social media engagements about the news stories. This helped to drive membership enquiries and encouraged local residents to visit the Village and use its incredible facilities.
A fresh approach
If you are looking to raise awareness of your cause but you don’t have any major milestones or news to communicate, hosting a one-off event can be an effective tactic. This might take the form of a fun day, an awards ceremony or a fundraising challenge. And if you can create something unusual or unique, you will stand a better chance of generating press interest and public support.
This was the case in a charity communications campaign for Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice to raise awareness of a new site and promote it in the surrounding areas. One of the key elements of the campaign was an event called Bark in the Park, which aimed to raise funds and awareness of the hospice. Families were invited to bring their dogs to the event, where they could enjoy activities, a best-dressed dog show, dog agility shows and a group walk around the park.
Alongside regional press coverage and celebrity attendance, a partnership with Channel 4 was secured that meant the charity was shown to millions of people on prime time TV. As well as raising thousands of pounds for the hospice, the PR campaign was seen by 8.1 million people, leaving a lasting legacy for its reputation.
Crisis management
While it is important to build awareness of all the positive work you are doing as a charity, you should also aim to reduce any negative press that could occur by creating a crisis management strategy. Even if the chances of needing this are slim, things can - and do - happen that are beyond your control.
Start by outlining a process you would follow in the event of a PR crisis and identify roles and responsibilities within your charity. Don’t forget to include any external partners you work with, and ensure every individual understands what is required of them and that you have their contact details for any out-of-hours emergencies. You can then identify the most likely risks and outline how you would respond to them.
It is a good idea to build a statement library which you can use as a foundation for any requests for comment. You should also agree on any named spokespeople in advance, to reduce the number of big decisions that need to be made in the heat of the moment. Smooth handling of a potential crisis could help you to avoid irreparable reputational damage that might hamper fundraising efforts and indeed risk the future of the charity as a whole.
PR can be transformational
While PR can feel daunting to charities which have never approached it before, with the right expertise and a strong strategy, it can be transformational. Not only can it help you to engage with your supporters and reach new donors, a good PR strategy can help to boost relationships with stakeholders, employees and the wider public.
As 2024 beckons, your thoughts might be turning to plans for the year ahead. Incorporating PR into your strategy should stand you in the best stead to navigate the challenging backdrop and embrace the opportunities that await.