It’s giving season in the U.S., and with holiday donations in full-swing, now is the time where many nonprofit foundations make hay for the coming year.
Obviously your trusted donors are the first on your list to reach out to, but what about the general public who, according to the IRS, spend, on average, more than $5,000 in charitable donations per year?
To ensure you’re getting the biggest possible donations for the cause, it’s important not to overlook people that aren’t on your donor list — yet. As experts in animal welfare public relations, we understand not only the importance of your work, but how valuable external donations are to continuing and growing your life-changing efforts. That’s why we recommend adding these two tried and true PR tactics to your appeal:
- A press release: A well-crafted press release can be an amplified appeal letter in the right hands. By turning your appeal into a newsworthy story, you can connect with journalists who act as conduits of your message to their audience, increasing the positive impact (and hopefully donations) of your holiday appeal. Just make sure you understand the greater narrative and how it ties into the current media landscape to ensure coverage.
- Media pitching: Every year, journalists are looking for stories about giving back. Sometimes they’re looking to do a round-up of the best foundations to give money to. Other times they’re looking to do a more in-depth story on a foundation that they see a lot of good coming from or that has an interesting story. By actively engaging with the media at the right times, you can improve your chances of being considered for stories like these when the holiday season rolls around. It’s an ongoing effort, however, as just reaching out during the holidays can quickly get your editorial requests forwarded to the ad department.
Adding just these two tactics to your holiday appeal can create a significant ROI for your donations. But, they have to be executed correctly with the proper narrative and approach, otherwise the media will ignore them and their audience will send their donations elsewhere.
If you’re looking to get a boost out of your animal welfare foundation appeals in 2020, give Orange Orchard a call at 865-977-1973 or contact us here today. We’ve got the experience and knowledge to help you create a captivating appeal narrative to connect with new donors.