For charities and nonprofit foundations, public relations can be a powerful tool for shifting perception and changing opinion. Sometimes, this happens at the individual level—for example, persuading local families to show up for an animal adoption event. Public relations may also be leveraged to enact change on a broader level, in some cases even influencing public policy.
Partnering with an agency that has experience in advocacy PR, and a specialized focus on nonprofit work, can be an impactful way to educate the public, raise awareness about salient issues, move public sentiment in a specific direction and even mobilize grassroots support.
This can happen in a number of different ways:
- Highlighting urgency with data-driven narratives. A local animal shelter can share compelling statistics about the number of dogs and cats saved each year—and the number still in need of loving homes. An ocean cleanup organization is a credible source to highlight looming threats to particular species and habitats. The right agency can shape this data into case studies, helping to humanize raw facts and figures and generate greater emotional investment.
- Sharing thought leadership. A nonprofit’s leadership team can be pitched to local or even national media, sharing their subject-matter expertise via opinion pieces and interviews. A good PR agency can ensure placement in the most relevant outlets, creating opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and authority and ultimately to inform public opinion.
- Building coalitions. Joint press releases and combined pitching can be used to create and amplify partnerships, including strategic alliances with likeminded organizations. This makes it possible to advocate for issues with a more unified voice.
- Mobilizing supporters. A PR agency can also provide messaging advice for nonprofits looking to mobilize their grassroots supporters; this might involve using social media or an email newsletter to prompt a specific action, like signing a petition or writing to a congressional representative.
Enact change via advocacy PR
The right PR partner can be invaluable for influencing opinion and ultimately changing policy. That’s something we’d love to help with here at Orange Orchard. Contact us here or call (865) 977-1973 to get going.