Milford, MI — Many nonprofits are working hard, but still struggling to grow support. The problem is often not the mission. The problem is that too few people know what the organization does. This usually comes down to public relations, also called PR, according to Milford fundraising expert and consultant, Kirt Manecke.

PR is how a nonprofit shares its story with the public, the media, and the community. But many groups do not do PR at all. Others do it only once in a while or only during events or emergencies.

That is not enough, according to Manecke.

“To build strong support, nonprofits need to be seen and heard often. One press release or social media post will not do it. Results come from showing up again and again. Advertising experts call this “frequency.” It means people need to hear your message many times before they remember it,” said Manecke.

According to Manecke, when people see your message often, something important happens:
They start to trust you.
Trust builds credibility.
Credibility leads to funding and support.

Manecke adds, “Many nonprofits miss this chance. Some let untrained people handle PR. Some use confusing language and jargon. Some only focus on urgent news and forget everyday storytelling.”

At the same time, newspapers, TV stations, and online media are looking for good stories. Many never hear from nonprofits that could use this attention.

Strong PR can lead to:

• More donors
• More volunteers
• More community support
• More business partnerships
• More trust