7 Nonprofit Public Relations

A nonprofit or not-for-profit organization (NPO) is the one that not driven by profit but dedicates all income, beyond what it takes to run the organization, to a public or social benefit. Examples of nonprofit organizations include hospitals, universities, national charities, churches, and foundations.

According to the Government of Nova Scotia, nonprofit organizations are some of the key threads that make up the social and economic fabric of the province. Every day, many Nova Scotians depend on nonprofit organizations to deliver various programs and services that help create positive change and build vibrant communities.

Many nonprofit organizations play an important role in our society by educating, funding research, providing various free services, and even lobbying in support of a public cause or initiative. For example, the Canadian Cancer Society is a nonprofit organization that exits for the benefit of the public interest. They fund cancer research, educate people about cancer, and offer the largest support system in Canada for people with cancer, their family, friends, and caregivers.

Nonprofit organizations use public relations help nonprofit organizations educate their publics, increase donations, government funding, and find volunteers. Public relations specialists help nonprofits with social media, event planning, conducting fundraisers, media relations and membership recruitment. In the event of crisis, they can help organization to navigate through crisis and mitigate its effects.

Nonprofit organizations usually spend less than 5 percent of their budget on public relations. Many of them cannot afford take any money from the cause. Public relations students in our university often help nonprofit organizations with their communication efforts pro bono and as a part of a class project. They help nonprofit organizations to utilize social media in order to reach various audiences, create communications plans, help establish online presence, and create audiovisual materials.