How to Get Press for Your Nonprofit

By Sam Harris, Digital Networking Agency ·

How to Get Press for Your Nonprofit — DNA PR guide

Nonprofits have something most businesses do not: a reason for a journalist to care that is not commercial. They also face more competition than they tend to expect, because a great many organisations do good work and say so.

Here is how to turn the work into coverage.

What press can and cannot do for a nonprofit

Coverage makes you easier to trust. A donor researching you, a foundation assessing an application, a corporate partner doing due diligence and a prospective trustee are all looking for signs that you are established and credible. Independent coverage is one of the clearer ones.

What it rarely does is raise money by itself. An article is not an appeal, and readers who were not already considering support seldom give because of one piece. Treat press as something that supports your fundraising, partnerships and recruitment, and judge it on that basis.

Coverage also helps with audiences you are not actively approaching. Journalists writing later stories look for sources already published on the issue, and potential partners can find you before you find them.

Finding the story inside your mission

"We do important work" is not a story. Every organisation says it, and editors cannot run it.

  • The problem, made current. Why your issue matters this month — a policy change, a seasonal pressure, or a development in the news that your front-line work helps explain.
  • The overlooked angle. Something about the people or place you serve that general coverage misses.
  • The approach. A programme that does things differently, explained well enough that readers understand why.
  • The human story. One person's experience illustrating something wider, told with their consent and on their terms.

Lead with the issue. Your organisation earns its place in the story as the credible source who can explain it.

Impact and data stories

Journalists need facts they can cite, and nonprofits often hold information nobody else has: who comes to you, what they need, and how that changes over time.

Used well, it is some of the most publishable material you have.

  • Report what you actually measured. Use figures from your own records, state the period and the method, and do not extrapolate beyond them.
  • Show change, not just totals. A shift in demand or need often makes a better story than a cumulative count.
  • Protect privacy. Aggregate and anonymise. Small groups in small places can be identifiable without names.
  • Be ready to explain the limits. A journalist who finds one overstated figure will not trust the next, and nor will your donors.

Never inflate impact numbers for a pitch. It is the fastest way to turn good coverage into a reputational problem.

The people you support are not campaign material. Anyone featured should understand where the story will appear, that it may stay online indefinitely, and that they can decline without affecting the support they receive.

Get consent in writing, let them see how they are described where you can, and consider how the piece will read to them in five years. For children and vulnerable adults, follow your safeguarding policy and apply stricter limits.

Often the better approach is a spokesperson from your organisation describing the pattern, with individual stories used sparingly.

Timing and working with journalists

Good material still needs to arrive at the right moment.

  • Plan around the calendar you already know. Awareness days, annual reports, policy announcements and seasonal pressure on your services are predictable. Pitch ahead of them, not on the day.
  • Move quickly when news breaks. If a story touches your issue, a short, specific offer of comment sent that morning is far more useful than a statement the next day.
  • Make a spokesperson available. Name one or two people who can speak on the record, brief them, and agree what they can and cannot say.
  • Keep your promises. If you offer data, a case study or an interview, deliver it within the deadline, or say early that you cannot.

Where nonprofits get coverage

  • Local and regional news, often the most receptive outlet for community organisations.
  • Sector and trade publications in your field, read by funders, peers and policymakers.
  • Expert commentary, where journalists covering your issue need a knowledgeable source quickly.
  • Opinion pieces from your chief executive or a front-line specialist, submitted to publications that publish their guidelines.
  • Agency-placed features in general-interest publications such as MSN, US Reporter, NY Weekly and Digital Journal, which give donors and partners a substantive article to find when they search your name.

As with any organisation, distinguish earned coverage from contributor and paid routes, and describe each accurately in your reports and to your board.

Digital Networking Agency develops and places stories for nonprofits, and we are clear that editorial coverage is always the publication's decision. See PR for nonprofits for how we work.

Frequently asked questions

Is it appropriate for a charity to spend money on PR?

That is a question for your board and your supporters. Communications can be part of delivering a mission, and what matters is that spending is proportionate, planned and reported openly.

What should we do when a journalist calls about something negative?

Respond promptly, confirm the facts before you comment, and agree one spokesperson. Silence rarely helps. A calm, honest explanation usually protects trust better than a defensive statement.

Can we use coverage in our fundraising materials?

Yes. Link it from your website, grant applications and donor updates, and describe it accurately. A placed feature should not be presented as independent investigative reporting.