For nonprofits, maintaining an impeccable level of credibility, trust and transparency at all times is a must. With so many passionate organizations campaigning for their causes, small missteps in messaging can sway your supporters to commit their donations elsewhere. In a Forbes article regarding nonprofit trends for 2024, Ready to Succeed co-founder Romi Lassally stated that AI is already “…freeing us up to do what only humans can do—build meaningful relationships with our scholars in real life.” While proper use of tech can empower teams to do more, it will always introduce variables into organizations. Choosing to partner with a team experienced in nonprofit public relations efforts can help keep your story and brand consistent, and it can also add a layer of security should the wrong message reach the public.
At Orange Orchard, we applaud both your mission and your desire to do more good by adding capacity to your team. That said, we also understand that protecting your name is of the utmost importance and have helped organizations like yours do just that. Let’s look at a couple ways a nonprofit public relations strategy can help grow and retain your supporters.
Using PR Proactively
Ensure your brand story is consistent: You work hard to maintain visibility for your existing and potential supporters. From social media updates to blogs and sharing news, you may be producing a lot of content to stay top of mind and demonstrate relevance. If you’re now using any generative AI or other technology to supplement these efforts, editing and proofing becomes more important than ever. Instead, consider leaning on an experienced PR agency with an in-house content team. They can remove the lift of producing content, ensure the voice and tone is on point and add a layer of editing that ensures quality. Then, you can train technology on streamlining admin tasks so you can focus on growing your base of supporters.
Crisis management and risk mitigation: It’s a best practice to think about an image crisis or blow to your credibility in terms of “when,” not “if.” If the wrong message reaches your audience, whether it was an accident or not, it can result in lasting damage and loss of support if it’s not handled correctly. Having experts in your corner to oversee your communications, like press releases, public statements and online content, can help reduce the risk at the onset. That said, one part of a comprehensive nonprofit public relations strategy is a crisis management plan. When disaster does strike, your team will be able to swiftly take action and reduce the impact to your organization.
To learn more about adding a PR strategy, complete with content support and crisis management, to your organization, contact us at Orange Orchard here or by calling (865) 977-1973.