How to Promote a Nonprofit on a Shoestring

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By Virginia Allain
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Getting the word out about your nonprofit organization is crucial to its success. Most nonprofits can't afford to hire a public relations person, so here's how to promote your organization without spending a bundle.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

Approach the local paper about a weekly column or feature. If your nonprofit is an animal shelter, feature the dog-of-the-week that's available for adoption. If the nonprofit is a library, write a column about books and services the library provides. Having a weekly slot in the paper forces you to keep providing material and certainly achieves the goal of keeping the organization's name in front of the public.
Step 2

Publicize all donations (cash, photos, in-kind items). People love getting their picture in the paper and are more likely to donate when they see others contributing.
Step 3

Submit press releases over several weeks to area papers about upcoming events. Change the slant of each release. In one, feature an activity from the event, in another give the history behind the event and in a third one, talk about what the event benefits if it's a fund-raiser.
In each case, be sure to give directions, times and other basic information about the event.
Step 4

Send out press releases for any special activity the organization does. If the director attends a national conference, speaks anywhere, unveil a new exhibet or service, hosts any local activity, or does anything else noteworthy, get the word out.
Step 5

If you can't afford a fancy website designed for your nonprofit, at least create some web presence. You can do this with something like wordpress.com or other blogging sites. The graphics make it quite attractive and there's a lot of flexibility in the site. Best of all, it's free.
Step 6

Choose a volunteer of the month. Take a photo and write up a press release about the contributions of the volunteer. Most papers are willing to publish this type of article. It keeps the volunteers happy, encourages new volunteers to sign up, and keeps the nonprofit's name in front of the public.
Step 7

Have you one-minute promo speech ready to give at any moment. You never know when someone will ask, "and what do you do?" Tell them, and tell them succinctly what your nonprofit is about and how it's doing. Don't wait for them to ask. When you see someone, introduce yourself and bring up your organization. They call this an elevator speech.
Step 8

If there's a college or community college nearby, talk to an instructor in the business section or the art department. They might have the students plan a publicity campaign as a class project or create a free logo for you. Check with the computer instructor. Students might take on your webpage design for you.
Step 9

Join Rotary. You need to be sponsored, so ask around to find out who you know that's in the club. In Rotary, you'll meet business people and movers-and-shakers in the community. Be active and keep good attendance to get the most from the network you develop. If you are unable to join Rotary, check into Kiwanis or the Optimists or other civic organizations.

Comments

JasneJ said

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on 1/24/2009 Great non profit ideas. We are trying to promote our small charity - a Thai AIDS orphange. We will have to try a few of these great suggestions.Thanks.