The Publicity Hound’s Blog  

Samaritan House in Detroit needs publicity tips

9 Responses

1. Carrie Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 1:08 am

   Try tying your fundraisers to a current issue, or need in the community. Have you tried your local television outlets? There could be some great opportunities there. Are there community oriented blogs in your area? That could be a big help!

2. Molly Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 1:38 am

   For many years I worked on just this kind of problem. Two things come to mind here. First, it might be useful to learn more about the editor’s negative response and whether or not there’s a way to improve that. But more important, even small weeklies are still NEWSpapers. Rather than pitch the events and fundraising, pitch the news. Focus on the people you’re helping, their stories, the people who volunteer (community leaders?), anything that speaks to community news rather than what editors see as sales pitches. Your organization definitely sounds newsworthy. Dig in and find the stories. Good luck!

3. Lisa Manyon Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 1:47 am

   Unfortunately, getting news coverage, even for non-profits isn’t always easy. Many newspapers only offer a small discount for advertising for non-profits whereas electronic media is more non-profit friendly.

   Have you considered finding an interesting story about how the food has helped a specific family? I understand this can be sensitive and the family would have to agree to be featured. However, if there is a news angle of some sort this may help.

   You might also try a nutritional value “spin”. For example, there is a local food bank in our community who provides food boxes to families in need. Each box contains nutritionally balanced meals that can feed a family for one week. How does poverty affect nutrition? What are you doing to help? Keep brainstorming along these lines.

   The key is to get creative. I’d also like to know if you have any radio stations in your area? Radio stations LOVE good causes and during the slow period (which is first quarter of the year for radio stations) they are looking for promotions and ways to generate both sales and promotions. Think of a promotional idea a local radio station could sell to sponsors to support your cause. Also, most radio stations will run free public service announcements about your services.

   To learn more about ways to increase your non-profit visibility, visit my blog and read this article.
   http://writeoncreative.com/blog/2007/02/01/where%e2%80%99s-the-profit-in-non-profit/

4. John Easton Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 2:11 am

   Cheryl:

   I would consider working with your organization’s board and other business leaders you know to organize a 1-2 hour meeting with the paper’s editors/key reporters. Your team could spin this as a focus group to assist the paper enhancing their appeal to their target audience (every paper wants more readers).

   The editors can explain the paper’s philosophy, planned changes and most importantly get feedback from influential readers. A portion of the session could be dedicated to the papers staff educating the group on how to pitch the paper.

   In this scenario everyone wins. The paper gets valuable feedback/ideas and Cheryl and team get face time with the decision makers. The next time your presss release appears, the editor will know who you are.

   John Easton
   http://www.eastonsweb.wordpress.com

5. Natalie Nathan Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 3:01 am

   Hello Cheryl,

   Two suggestions for getting publicity for your organization and the food pantry. In my town, the public library forgives late fees for donations to the local food pantry. The library publishes a monthly newsletter and informaton about the food pantry and the organization sponsoring the food pantry always featured during the “fee forgiveness” period. Also, many churches have newsletters and supporting your group would be fitting with their mission. Church members of the might also be associated with other publications which could help you.

   All the best,
   Natalie

6. Shel Horowitz, Ethical Marketing Expert Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 6:49 pm

   Make the newspaper a partner in your success by enlisting it as a non-monetary *sponsor* of your next event. Try the recalcitrant editor first, but if you fail there, go to the advertising department.

   The newspaper provides publicity and gets to hang its banner at the event, get publicly thanked, etc. You provide goodwill for the paper within the community. Present this not as helping you but as being in the newspaper’s interest.

   Building these kinds of partnerships is very powerful, and is a key strategy that I discuss at some length in my award-winning sixth book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First

7. Linda Conn Says:
   February 22nd, 2007 at 8:59 am

   This business coach thinks the answer lies in the world of Strategic Alliances. Why don’t all the charities form one organization for publicity and exposure in these papers, then court them as one organization not many. Offer them a column for example that will rotate stories fairly among the charitys. Approach this as Alliances not competitors. Make it easy for the papers to say yes..on a regular promotional basis of course…:)

8. garthgibsondotcom Says:
   February 22nd, 2007 at 9:34 pm

   Cheryl, most papers i’m aware of have a rotating policy about charity sponsorship. I don’t think you’ll be able to change this. Just keep feeding
   the reporters with press releases and they’ll remember you when it comes time for them to change
   charity sponsorship. I would just go with the flow on that one.

   Key is to get creative so the paper would have to cover you because the story is so good.

   Touching on what Natalie Nathan said about waiving late fees at libraries. I thought about who else gets
   bad publicity about LATE FEES.

   Banks!

   Perhaps you can set up a deal where the bank would waive late fees if their bank customers make a certain amount of donations to your charity.

   In a twisted way the bank gets an altruistic argument why they keep gauging us with late fees.
   (We’re actually helping to increase charity donations.)

   Seems the bank gets some good pr from a subject where they’ve got a lot of bad pr in the past.

   You get more donations of course and more pr.

   Press gets a story.

   Everyone seems to win if it works.

9. Virginia B. Elliott Says:
   March 7th, 2007 at 9:38 am

   All of the churches in our town have a huge box in the narthex of the church with brown paper grocery bags with a stapled list of the non perishable items needed to “Feed the 5,000 For a Week.” Parishioners pick of a paper bag as often as they can afford to fill it. The items come to a total of 25.00 aat most supermarkets in the area. The bags are filled and returned to the church and the committee in each church delivers them to St. Mathew’s House, a temporary home for indigent homeless folks. Some of our older and more feeble members just give a check for the $25.00 and the committee members puchase the food and deliver to St. Mathew’s House. This plan might appeal to the churches and even the schools expecially private schools, as a way to teach children how to share with less fortunate folks.

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