PR is a powerful trust-building tool. It helps nonprofits demonstrate integrity, establish credibility, and build long and loyal relationships with their markets. Through PR, nonprofits gain a voice that allows them to share an authentic, accessible, and attractive brand narrative.
For nonprofits, PR’s ability to build trust serves a critical need. These organizations can’t thrive without trust. They must develop strong bonds with donors, volunteers, and the groups they seek to serve. PR fosters the connections nonprofits need to gain support for their mission and expand their reach.
The following are some proven strategies nonprofits can use to optimize the impact of their PR efforts.
Make a long-term investment in PR
Successful nonprofits know that fundraising and recruiting efforts can’t be reactive, revving up only when a sudden need arises. They take proactive steps to establish ongoing communication with current and prospective supporters. It’s an approach that allows them to build momentum and avoid the dry seasons of support that can disrupt the service they provide.
PR must be approached with the same attitude. The temptation is to turn to PR only when an urgent fundraising need or a key event is scheduled. However, if the organization has not invested in regular PR to build trust through ongoing and consistent messaging, it should not expect to gain any new support from reactive efforts.
Seek to achieve year-round visibility
The goal should be to build year-round visibility with PR. Seasonal storytelling and periodic impact updates help keep a nonprofit’s efforts constantly in front of the public and show that it is committed to serving the community daily. Organizational milestones, upcoming events, and advocacy days can also serve as media touchpoints that increase visibility and encourage new interactions.
Establishing a PR calendar can help organize efforts and avoid overloading messaging in any channel. Too much PR can be just as bad as not enough, causing the market to become fatigued with the message. Scheduling messages for various channels, such as social media, local media, podcasts, or participation in live events, can allow nonprofits to keep up the volume of PR without risking it becoming a turn-off to consumers.
Commit to compelling storytelling
Leveraging the full force of PR requires more than presenting nonprofit facts and figures. Although a nonprofit’s metrics are crucial for showing how many people it reaches, how many support its efforts, and how many programs are implemented, it takes more than that to attract the attention of prospective supporters.
Compelling storytelling wraps stats in a framework the average person can understand and appreciate. It gives numbers a name. Knowing that an organization served more than 100 people experiencing homelessness last month can capture someone’s attention. But knowing the names and stories of a few of those people can capture someone’s heart.
PR provides nonprofits with various platforms for compelling storytelling. It opens the doors to long-form interviews on podcasts, feature articles that highlight key recipients of the organization’s efforts, and live events where spokespersons can look an audience in the eye and share their passion.
Craft stories with relatable protagonists
As nonprofits craft their stories for PR opportunities, they should present a relatable protagonist. Highlighting a volunteer who is making a difference and having a great time doing it can accomplish this. It helps a reader who comes across a media article or a viewer who sees a TV interview to get excited about stepping into a similar role.
A February 2025 media report that talked about school children getting involved with the work of the nonprofit Charity: Water provides an example of the power of a relatable protagonist. In addition to sharing statements from the nonprofit’s representative, the report also quoted a sixth-grade student at the school who shared her response to learning about the impact of dirty water. The student said she was “super excited to be involved” in the project.
Someone benefitting from the nonprofit’s work can also serve as a relatable protagonist. Before-and-after stories that show the problems the nonprofit is addressing and how impactful its work is can help the audience understand how their involvement would help real people and provide real solutions.
Focus on community building
Whereas advertising is optimal for presenting carefully curated company snapshots or features, PR goes deeper. It allows the market to really get to know a company and what it stands for. For nonprofits, it fosters community around the mission.
To build community, nonprofits should focus on consistent messaging that is authentic, transparent, and inviting. In addition to sharing victories, nonprofits should also share their challenges, communicating the full breadth of their work. Becoming a source of information and inspiration on what needs to be done and how it can be accomplished invites people to help carry the burden.
PR does not more than spread awareness. It amplifies an organization’s voice, leveraging media to increase credibility. For nonprofits, it is a tool that empowers broader reach, deeper engagement, and the ability to build a growing community committed to the mission.
Court Walker is a Public Relations Specialist at Otter PR.
