Generate Awareness for Your Nonprofit in Big Ways

Maria Satira • January 20, 2023

It’s hard work running a nonprofit and getting the attention that your nonprofit deserves often makes it even harder. There are plenty of ways to raise awareness for your organization and I’m sure you’ve tried many of them. From social media campaigns and press releases to fundraisers and community events. In my opinion, some of the best ways to generate awareness are opportunities to partner with other entities.


Here are some of my favorite awareness campaigns that won’t cost your organization a penny but could get you featured on national news circuits, statewide agency announcements, and/or in your local media.



Ring the New York Stock Exchange Bell

This is the ultimate awareness opportunity for nonprofits! Could you imagine ringing the Opening Bell or Closing Bellat the New York Stock Exchange in the Big Apple to share information about your charity? I get excited just thinking about it – and every year, dozens of nonprofit leaders get to do it! 


Want a shot at visiting the trading floor at this National Historic Landmark on 11 Wall Street and 18 Broad Street to ring the NYSE Bell? Here’s how your nonprofit can be considered:


According to the NYSE’s website, the bell is reserved for its publicly traded companies and is not available for private companies or for personal use. However, there are occasionally some last-minute openings which the NYSE offers to deserving nonprofit organizations. These nonprofits are often notified within just a few weeks or days of the event, so they need to mobilize quickly to fill the bell ringing need – but it’s so worth it! To get on the list for consideration, you can fill out this form on the NYSE website. As you can imagine, this is quite a popular form with probably thousands of applicants... but you don’t know what could happen unless you try! If your organization has a great working relationship with a publicly traded company, you can also contact them about sponsoring your application. 


In just the past few weeks, several nonprofits have had the opportunity to ring the Bell, as displayed on the calendar with recent appearances and videos. I was thrilled to see that Best Friends Animal Society rang the Closing Bell on December 28, 2022. It was livestreamed on YouTube and archived for future viewing too.

Of course, if your nonprofit is offered a date to ring the Opening Bell or Closing Bell, this is a huge opportunity for media coverage and publicity! Send out press releases, share live streaming information, coordinate media interviews before and after the event, go big on social media, and tell everyone you know! 



Request a Proclamation From Your Elected Officials


A great way to generate awareness is to utilize elected officials who are already newsworthy like your state’s governor, congressional representatives, or your community’s mayor. When there is an awareness day, month, or week that is relevant to your charity’s mission, elected officials often make proclamations to acknowledge the cause and its impact on the community. These are great opportunities to not only tie your organization to a national or statewide awareness cause but also showcase the work your group does in your service area. 


These types of proclamation requests can often be submitted online using an online form, or mailed directly to the official’s office. Your organization will likely need to have the proclamation text already drafted and then submitted directly to the office of your elected official. A great example of a nationwide awareness campaign is one done by National Parents Organization. Every year on April 26, the national organization celebrates Shared Parenting Day. However, months prior to the awareness day, proclamation requests are made to governors across the country. The organization has a template that it sends to chapter volunteers and advocates across the country so they can distribute it to their state governors. It’s proven to be a great success as several governors have signed proclamations declaring April 26 as Shared Parenting Day. 


Our Governor’s Office here in North Carolina has an easy-to-use form that can be filled out to make requests. Most Governor’s Offices should have something similar – but be aware that these requests need to be submitted several months in advance. In North Carolina, the office requires the form to be submitted at least 120 days prior to the event. You can also find these forms on other government websites, like a city or town, or the websites of elected officials, such as your state or congressional representatives. Just keep in mind that these are honorary designations and not legally binding.


If your proclamation is made by your elected official, be sure to send out a press release, post about it on social media, schedule an e-newsletter, and include it in donor communications. You could even go a step further by hosting a community event or fundraiser that goes along with the Proclamation month, week, or day.



Partner with a Local Business or Restaurant


If you haven’t already partnered with a local business or restaurant to raise awareness for your organization, give it a try. It’s a great way to stay active in your community and help others learn about your work. A few ideas include a give back day where a restaurant or shop donates a percentage of profits on that day to your organization. They typically advertise it to their clientele and your organization is expected to do the same. Essentially, supporters of your organization will go to that shop or restaurant and bring them business because they also want to support the cause.


If your organization secures a local business partnership, be sure to promote the heck out of it. The small businesses that you’re working with will appreciate it and your supporters and donors will appreciate it too. It’s a win-win arrangement because the fundraiser will bring new customers to the business while also giving back to your organization. This generates awareness because it’s double the promotion and double the reach. Your organization may also end up with new recurring donors, volunteers, or participants.


If the first one is successful, you might want to ask the business to turn it into a monthly or quarterly fundraiser. Another idea is to incorporate an event component. If you’re an organization focused on animal rescue, maybe have adoptable animals on site, or if your organization helps children in need, have a clothing or toy drive as part of the giveback day too. The more components to an event or fundraiser allow more people to be interested in attending or stopping by. 


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Maria Satira Media is passionate about helping nonprofit groups with marketing consulting and coaching. In addition to our services, we offer an exclusive (and free) online community where we discuss digital marketing tips and trends. You can click here to join our group – we’d love to have you! (Just be sure to fill out the membership questions.)


Feel free to reach out to my team if you’d like to discuss more ways that we can work together! Just send us an email at hello@mariasatira.com and we’ll chat with you soon!



Cheers,

Maria

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Why you can't have a first annual event

By Maria Satira • October 30, 2021
My team here at Maria Satira Media works with many nonprofits of all difference sizes. This includes national advocacy organizations, statewide associations, and local nonprofits. Over the years, we’ve helped publicize various fundraisers as these groups look to raise money. However, there is one type of fundraiser we won’t work with... at least, until it gets a name change. Events with the phrase “first annual” are big no-nos. Why, you may ask? Well, it's because you can’t have a first annual anything. As a former local news anchor, I’d see this mistake several times a week through press releases, social media advertisements, and website content. If something is in its first year, it can’t logically be referred to as the first annual. Here's why: The word annual implies the event is yearly. If the event is in its first year, it can’t be yearly because it hasn’t happened prior to this year. For something to become annual, it needs to happen more than once. Alternatives to first annual: Try using the word inaugural if it is the first time your event is happening. Example: Maria Satira’s Inaugural Writing Seminar Or, you could always use the word first, since it is the first. Example: Maria Satira’s First Writing Seminar When to use annual: Once the second year of the event rolls around, then you can start to use annual in the title. Example: Maria Satira’s Second Annual Writing Seminar PS. If you were wondering... there isn't an actual Maria Satira writing seminar event... at least not yet ;) If you need help publicizing an upcoming event or fundraiser, my team here at Maria Satira Media would be honored to help. We can help create messaging that resonates with the general public to make your event a success. Reach out and we can schedule a consultation to discuss our public relations services. Just send us an email at hello@mariasatira.com and we’ll chat with you soon! Cheers, Maria

How to write a powerful press release

By Maria Satira • October 30, 2021
With nearly a decade of experience in print, television, and digital journalism… and I have no shame in admitting my belief in press releases. I think a well-written release is the most effective way to communicate specific details of a topic, issue, event, etc. to the community, newsroom, or publication. Maria Satira Media, LLC is here to help with 9 tips for sending an attention-grabbing press release: 1. Understand the basics of journalism This is the most important point of this post. I could go on and on about this topic, but I’ll keep it simple. The writer should explain the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” of the announcement/event/whatever in the press release. Too often, I’ll receive a release which is missing pertinent information. Cover your bases and answer the “who, what, where, when, why, and how.” 2. Keep it brief Your press release shouldn’t be any longer than a page. You can ensure this by following what I like to call the 3Cs of news writing. Keep your press release clear, concise, and crisp. A reporter can look at a release and know within the first sentence if it is worth their time. 3. Use proper grammar and proofread Nothing will annoy a media outlet more than receiving a press release with poor grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. If you want someone to take your release seriously, you need to take it seriously and present it professionally. 4. Include quotes Interview someone knowledgeable about the topic and include their quotes throughout the release. Using real quotes from real people will allow your release a feeling of authenticity. Adding this type of element will increase your chance of being published because it has more content aside from just paragraphs of text. 5. Add a call to action Decide what action you want followed by the receiver of the release. Do you want a journalist to interview someone from your organization/company about a new and exciting achievement? Do you want people to know about and attend your event? Do you want community members to donate money toward your cause? Tell them. 6. Offer interview opportunities Nothing is worse for a reporter than having someone pitch them a great story idea via press release, yet refuse to do an interview. In your press release, include the contact information of someone who is readily available and prepared to do an interview. Make sure this person is flexible and respectful of a reporter who is likely working on a deadline. 7. Send the release via email The best way (really, the only acceptable way) to deliver a press release is through email. Attach the release in PDF form and also put the text of the release in the body of the email. Locate the newsroom or publication’s preferred email and send it. If you happen to know individual reporters or anchors at a news station or newspaper, send it to them too. 8. Follow up If you don’t hear back from the news outlet about your release, you can follow up. Just make sure you do so professionally and respectfully. Call a newsroom (after 10am), request to speak with the assignment desk manager, and ask if they got the release. If they did, offer to answer any questions they have about the topic and if you can schedule an interview. If they didn’t, ask for their email again, along with the assignment desk manager, and resend it. 9. Be considerate Understand that your release may not get the attention that you believe it deserves. News outlets do not guarantee coverage. For various reasons, assignment desks are particular in what they choose to cover. If the topic of your release doesn’t fit their scope, that’s okay. Don’t take it personally and don’t get discouraged. Try again in the future with another release and topic. --- Here at Maria Satira Media, we know that press release creation and distribution can be overwhelming. As professionals in the industry, we can help you alleviate the pain points of working with journalists in your community. Reach out to my team and we can schedule a consultation to discuss our media relations services. Click here to learn more or send us an email at hello@mariasatira.com Cheers, Maria
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