Most of you may already be aware that at the first-ever Nonprofit Congress event last October, 500 representatives from state nonprofit associations and individual nonprofit organizations, voted “Public Awareness and Support of the Nonprofit Sector” one of the top three priorities for the sector.

Shoestring Creative Group and NonprofitPR.com were proud to attend and help support this important event and pledge continued support to the initiative.

Below are notes/highlights from the “Public Awareness & Support of the Nonprofit Sector” priority discussion that took place at the first-ever Nonprofit Congress event in October 2006. These notes have been provided by the National Council of Nonprofit Associations. To view/download the complete publication from the event (PDF), click here.

Public Awareness and Support of the Nonprofit Sector (Highlights)

CONTEXT

Root causes of why current public awareness and support of the sector is not as prevalent or positive as it could be include:

• Denial or lack of understanding of the importance of communications and PR
• Diversity, the lack of unity
• Apathy
• Boards of directors do not embrace the role of community spokesperson and liaison
• Lack of clear and concise facts and statistics about the nonprofit sector
• Nonprofits are too focused on our own organizations
• Nonprofits don’t listen to the marketplace
• Lack of collaboration
• Nonprofits lack a nonprofit consciousness
• Nonprofits serve too many masters, we don’t know what we are selling or to whom we are selling
• The sector is not organized enough to do this
• The public image of the sector is driven by negative media
• “Nonprofit” is a negative term
• The public does not currently understand the role of the nonprofit sector
• The culture of nonprofits reflects low self esteem and self deprecation
• Lack of capacity and skills
• American culture is based on individualism and self-centeredness
• Lack of marketing on the part of nonprofits
• Nonprofits discuss problems rather than successes
• Lack of media savvy
• Nonprofits have an apologetic mindset
• Lack of a clear, shared message
• Lack of investment in communication and PR
• Lack a nonprofit sector leaders
• Media paints nonprofits as a cute kid
• Media does not want to understand the systemic issues behind current problems
• Lack of a definition of the nonprofit sector: who are we?
• Nonprofits don’t take advantage of publicity

Long-term implications of successfully addressing public awareness and support of the sector include:

• Increased public understanding and support for nonprofits
• Nonprofits will be better able to accomplish their missions, organizations can not do this without the
• public
• The sector will be widely recognized as a viable social and economic force
• The public will understand that nonprofits are a good investment
• Power
• Individuals will increase their involvement in all levels within an organizations
• More young professionals will enter the nonprofit sector; nonprofits will fill the generational gap in leadership
• Respect
• Viable careers with good salaries and benefits
• More unity and less fragmentation within the nonprofit sector itself
• Nonprofits will redefine ourselves in a positive light
• Nonprofits will endure a greater risk of regulation from government and competition from business
• The relevancy and perceived importance of nonprofits will grow
• Nonprofits will be able to control our own reputation
• The nonprofit sector will be able to sustain itself
• The public will understand that nonprofits do much more than serve the poor
• Nonprofits will be better able to match audiences and services, this will decrease the disconnect
• between organizations and those in need
• Nonprofits will be better able to achieve individuals missions and collective goals
• This country will develop a stronger culture of volunteerism and social responsibility
• The public will be able to differentiate between large and small nonprofits

STRATEGIES

Events

• Hold a statewide Nonprofit Day
• Hold a forum or town hall debate for federal Presidential candidates in each state, especially key primary states
• Hold donor/funder conferences similar to public company investor conferences where nonprofits come together to present their organization to funders, media, and others
• Establish a day where nonprofits all shut down
• Establish a symbolic nonprofit week or nonprofit day

Public Education and Public Relations

• Develop a public relations campaign – create a national steering committee to work on this; create a professional campaign (National PR firm/Ad Council); multilayered campaign to reach various target markets (i.e., youth seniors, corporate sector, politicians); use latest technology and multimedia approach

• Launch a PR and ad campaign specifically to increase charitable giving; to document the benefits of the sector
• Use technology such as blogs and webcasts to promote nonprofits, state associations, and Nonprofit
• Congress
• Change the name “nonprofit,” perhaps to PROS (Public Response Organizations)
• Establish a nonprofit tagline
• Utilize PSA’s to share the effectiveness of nonprofits (or what the world be like without nonprofits)
• Influence TV/Hollywood to incorporate nonprofits into popular culture storylines
• Leverage public speaking opportunities at events outside of the nonprofit sector
• Educate and partner with youth to influence the next generation; focus on students; target messages to young adults
• Establish spokespeople for the nonprofit sector
• Recruit a celebrity spokesperson
• Establish a mascot
• Rebrand the nonprofit sector: each nonprofit should contribute $5 to hire ad/branding firm, come up with one way to get the word out, and put a “member of nonprofit sector” on their website/ads/spots/literature
• Ensure that secondary schools and colleges educate on leadership in the nonprofit sector; utilize guidance counselors and curriculum specialists
• Develop a service similar to 211 as a national reference resource
• Develop a national campaign that promotes the idea that everyone belongs to the community of common social good. Reinforce concept on personal and local levels
• Develop a quarterly newsletter for the public

Communication and Collaboration within the Nonprofit Sector

• Develop common asset-based language
• Show strong unity and collaboration within the sector
• Develop a unified message based on Guiding Principles of Nonprofit Congress; develop a common
• message from nonprofits to government officials and the public
• Create a strategy to inform nonprofits and the public about the Nonprofit Congress
• Decrease fragmentation through increased networking
• Promote the greater good of the sector beyond the individual organization
• Develop a grassroots campaign – local nonprofits use materials developed for national campaign on local area and develop local strategies
• Develop a campaign to promote greater understanding among nonprofits about the sector as a whole and each other; use annual meetings of state nonprofit associations as a vehicle; foster the development of regional and local nonprofit associations – formal and informal
• Develop/strengthen state associations in every state
• Encourage the Nonprofit Congress to open itself to anyone who wants to be involved as a one-stop resource for information and involvement in the sector
• Communicate key messages of the Nonprofit Congress and State Action Plans to the nonprofit community

Media Relations

• Increase training on media relations
• Increase involvement and strategic use of the media
• Secure an ongoing nonprofit section in major daily newspapers
• Promote stories of success, more than just feel-good stories
• Increase proactive/positive communications to local/state outlets by coming up with our own ways to get the word out
• Buy a newspaper column
• Highlight the local hero aspect of nonprofit work
• Meet with editorial boards to explain nonprofit sector

laceName>RelationshiplaceName> laceType>BuildinglaceType> and Cross-Sector Partnerships

• Educate state, federal, and local elected officials on what the sector contributes to the state, including economic and social benefits
• Hold joint meetings with counties and other local governments
• Increase grassroots communication with local government
• Partner with government to validate the essential nature of nonprofits
• Network with funders of all scope and size to support and endorse rebranding our image

Research and Planning

• Conduct a survey of internal and external market (environmental scan)
• Conduct a brand audit and create a nationwide marketing/branding plan
• Establish the true cost of services to promote the understanding of the importance of nonprofits, and our subsidy of service

These are notes/highlights from the “Public Awareness & Support of the Nonprofit Sector” priority discussion that took place at the first-ever Nonprofit Congress event in October 2006. These notes have been provided by the National Council of Nonprofit Associations. To view/download the complete publication from the event (PDF), click here.

Shoestring Creative Group and NonprofitPR.com were proud to attend and help support this important event and pledge continued support to the initiative.