PR & Fundraising: How They Work Together

PR or Fundraising? How Nonprofits Should Choose What to Invest in

Public relations plays a vital role in fundraising and development efforts for nonprofit organizations. Communications is the foundation of relationship building, audience development and telling your story of impact. However, it’s also often overlooked.

Too many nonprofits face a circular problem: they don't have sufficient funds to invest in marketing, communications and advocacy initiatives, and in turn they aren’t able to raise their profile to attract more funding. This issue constrains their growth and limits their ability to serve.

The key to solving this dilemma is to not think of PR and fundraising as two separate investments but rather to see that they are one and the same.

Fundraising is Storytelling

Any great fundraiser will tell you that their secret lies in storytelling. As a PR firm for nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, we often hear from nonprofit leaders that they believe the work should speak for itself – that others should understand their cause innately and be moved by it. Sometimes this can be true, but more often than not, it's not enough. Nonprofits need to be consistently telling their story, making their case as to why their cause and work is important and elevating their profile to get in front of those that can help you grow your organization.

Donors and funders need to understand where their funds are going, why the work is important and why your organization should be trusted with those funds. By crafting your story, showcasing your impact and training your staff and leadership to tell your story in a compelling way, you can attract and retain the right donors.

Where PR makes a difference for fundraising:

Creating a Compelling Story

Crafting your story begins with your impact. Who have you helped? How have you helped them? What actions did you take that moved the needle? What stories can you tell that showcase it?

Pull together any numbers you have that illustrate your impact. Look for individuals helped by your work that can speak on your behalf. Measure your impact on the issues you tackle on a societal scale.

From there, you can put together compelling messaging that everyone in your organization can rely on, from your executive director to your front-line teams.

Preparing to Answer Discerning Questions

Stay consistent, be transparent and be prepared to answer questions from discerning donors. Understand what questions could arise and be prepared to answer them.

Review your finances – what percentage of your budget goes to programmatic work, are your salaries in line with other organizations in your industry, etc. Your 990 tells a lot more of your story than you might assume, and it’s an important place to start. Donors will want to see your financial statements, so make sure they’re telling the story you want them to tell.

Sharing Your Story

Once you understand your story, it needs to be disseminated through the right channels. This means making sure your story is told clearly across your owned channels first. Consider which avenues you have for communicating to your audience already. From social media to newsletters to your website, you must incorporate and reiterate your key messages.

Then incorporate this messaging into all of your fundraising materials. Your annual reports, donor materials and grants should all speak from the same data, information and story.
Finally, when all messaging has been set in place, it’s time to take your story to the media.

Securing Media Coverage

Donors need to know that you exist, believe in your mission and know that your organization is credible. Securing media coverage of your organization – a feature in a local newspaper, an interview on a local broadcast channel or on the radio or a quote from a senior leader in a national outlet – puts you in front of larger, new audiences and builds credibility for your organization. It’s a great way to be on the record with what you do, advocate for the issues you focus on, have reporters vet you and establish your organization as a leader in your industry. Media coverage can even be leveraged for grant applications.

At TASC, we've seen media coverage result in donor outreach, volunteer offers, increased engagement from the board, new partnerships, awards and recognition, legislative action and much more. You can see our case studies here.

Investing in PR is Investing in Fundraising

For nonprofits looking to raise funds and increase their impact, consider how your communications and public relations efforts are aligned with your fundraising goals. If they aren’t working together, you’re missing out on real profits for your organization. You don’t need a huge investment or a massive budget to accomplish your goals. By thinking and working strategically, you can hit both your communications and fundraising targets.

Looking for a partner to tell your story and elevate your organization? Reach out to TASC. We’re here to help.