PR 101: It's Not As Intimidating As You Think
Public Relations can feel like a black box — a mysterious, intimidating world reserved for celebrities, billion-dollar brands, and people who casually "know someone at The New York Times."
Spoiler alert: It's not. And it’s 100% within reach for your organization.
If you’re serious about building credibility, visibility, and trust (and you should be), PR needs to be part of your strategy. The good news? It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Start with this simple mindset shift: PR is just telling your story, consistently, to the people who need to hear it.
Be Reasonable. Start Small and Stay Consistent
You don’t need a national media tour to make an impact. Honestly, you probably don't even need to leave your city or region. Commit to making one outreach a month — that's it. Contact a few local news outlets, radio stations, or community blogs to pitch a story or an update every month. Most of your donors and stakeholders are local or regional anyway, so showing up consistently in your own backyard is the smartest (and most overlooked) move you can make.
Be Strategic. Build PR Into Your Business Strategy
Think of PR like you think of your program calendar or fundraising goals — something you plan for, not something you do at the last minute when you "have news." Start mapping out the moments you’ll want to amplify:
Launching a new program?
Smashing a fundraising goal?
Reaching a milestone (500 families served, 10 years in operation, 1,000 meals delivered — whatever your metric is)?
Hosting an upcoming event?
These aren’t just internal wins. They’re community wins. They’re your story. Build your PR calendar around them now, and you'll avoid scrambling later.
Be Real. Human Interest Stories are Gold
You won’t have earth-shattering news to share every month. And you don’t need that to secure media attention. You already have incredible stories about the real people your organization impacts. And that’s what your community (and the media) actually wants to hear. Some of the best PR moments are simple, human, and heartwarming.
Think about:
A local family whose life was changed because of your program
A volunteer who’s made an extraordinary commitment
A student who achieved something big after participating in your services
An inspiring behind-the-scenes story about a staff member’s dedication
These stories connect emotionally. They make your mission real. They build loyalty and pride in your community. Local news outlets have plenty of bad news to report on every day… so they love feel-good stories that highlight local impact.
Don’t overthink it. A short pitch about a personal story, a few good photos, and a genuine offer to connect them with the person involved can go a long way.
Be Resourceful. Every Colleague if Part of the PR Team
Here's the deal: You can't pitch great stories if you don't know they’re happening. If only one or two people are "in charge" of PR and the rest of the team isn't thinking about it, you're going to miss some golden opportunities.
Make it everyone's job to keep an eye out for story-worthy moments. New client milestones? Cool behind-the-scenes projects? A program participant absolutely crushing it? You want to hear about it.
Set up an easy way for staff, volunteers, and even board members to flag these moments — whether it's a monthly check-in, a shared Slack channel, or a simple email template. Keep it casual, but keep it consistent.
Amazing things are happening every day. Make sure you’re capturing them before they fly right past you.
Be Prepared. Do Your Homework
Talking to a reporter can feel nerve-wracking. Reporters are always on deadline. They’re busy, they can be terse, and the fear of them rejecting you can be kind of scary. To reduce any anxiety or jitters you may be feeling, do your diligence. Research and preparation is key.
Before you reach out to any reporter, you need to know:
What kinds of stories does this reporter usually cover? (This is called their “beat.”)
What tone does their outlet typically lean into — heartfelt? Investigative? Community highlights?
How can you customize your pitch to fit their style and their audience?
Your goal should be to make it EASY for the reporter to plug your story into their publication. Doing your homework automatically makes you more appealing to work with - both in the short term and in the long run.
Be Flexible. Stay Creative and Present During Pitches
If and when you get a bite, be flexible. Ask them questions to better understand their interests and the bigger picture of their content strategy. Sometimes the reporter’s questions or angles might shift mid-conversation. Instead of panicking, roll with it. Find ways to connect your work back to what they're looking for. Stay conversational, stay genuine, and stay open to helping shape the story together. (No one likes a rigid, pre-scripted interview robot.)
Be Proactive. Find Thought Leadership Opportunities
An underrated aspect of PR is about building thought leadership over time. If you can Google, you can find opportunities for your leaders, board members, or staff to:
Speak at local events
Join panels
Guest on podcasts
Contribute op-eds to local papers
Apply for awards
Every one of these opportunities helps position your organization as a credible, trusted expert — and builds momentum that supports everything from fundraising to volunteer recruitment.
You’ve Got This
Public Relations is about relationships and storytelling, not press releases and media alerts. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a fancy PR firm or have years of experience pitching the Wall Street Journal before getting started. You do need a clear story, the willingness to show up consistently, and flexible thinking to connect the dots and create compelling pitches for the outlets you’re targeting.
Start there — and watch how it changes the way your community sees (and supports) you. Need help getting started? Reach out to our team to set up a consultation here.
