Most of the time, your advocacy group should be able to handle its own public relations (PR) work. But there are situations when professional PR assistance would be valuable. For example, if your group is very small and survives on all-volunteer labor, you may have extremely limited time for PR activites. It's also possible that your group's PR expertise may be limited.

When to Get a Pro

Here are some situations when your advocacy group might want to call on a PR professional.

You have a labor shortage. A PR professional can be a great solution if you have a small volunteer group or just one staff member. A PR professional can also serve as an interim solution while you secure funds for additional staff or PR training for your current staff. Your small group may also find itself completely overwhelmed by a significant event (like a flood) that is taking up everyone's time.

You are forming a new nonprofit organization. A PR professional can be extremely helpful during the process of forming a new nonprofit organization from scratch. It takes time and energy to make contacts and create a press list. As your organization builds relationships with members of the press, you will be able to slowly wean yourself from using professional PR services. If you really like your PR professional, you could ask that person to join your board. That person's PR services could then be treated as in-kind board dues.

Your group needs guidance in the art of effective public relations. A PR professional can help members of your group develop basic PR skills, such as writing a press release or press advisory, building a press list, or developing messaging strategies. A PR professional can complement generic PR tools and templates that you find online by creating unique samples and  showing your group how to promote its work.

Your group needs to strategize for a big campaign. When your group decides to refresh its outreach efforts or launch a new membership or advocacy campaign, a PR professional can help your group identify its best ideas and shape talking points for the upcoming campaign. A good PR professional can even take on a leadership role in your group, much like an ad hoc member of your board. Once your PR person gets to know your issues well enough to help you strategize media campaigns, that person might even become a board member.

Where to Find a Pro

If the idea of hiring a PR professional sounds appealing but too expensive, consider looking for pro bono professional PR assistance. Anne Katz, executive director of Arts Wisconsin, says that her arts advocacy organization has benefited from a partnership with a Madison-based marketing firm and from complementary help from talented board members. Katz says:

As a non-visual artist kind of person, I am always on the lookout for someone/some firm who can put more of a visual/design "stamp" on our work with a logo and/or a look. I'm pleased to say that we have gotten most of this assistance on an in-kind basis, since we haven't ever really had any money to pay for these kinds of services.

Arts Wisconsin was able to develop a partnership with a marketing firm simply because the firm liked the organization's work. An Arts Wisconsin board member with graphic design experience also helps the organization move its message forward. Your advocacy group might be able to find similar assistance in your community. You have nothing to lose by asking.

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