Raising money to fund your nonprofit organization is always a challenge. Whether you seek donations, write grants or teach about estate planning, nonprofit executives are constantly searching for ways to bring in additional money to fund programs and services. Nonprofit public relations can help your organization’s fundraising efforts by raising awareness, explaining how you utilize your donations and establishing your executives as thought leaders.

Here are five ways to raise donations with nonprofit public relations:

1. Promote existing programs: You probably already have a variety of programs in place, but while you and your staff might talk about these programs daily, do potential donors know about these programs? Make sure your existing programs are clearly explained on your website, and highlight all of your programs on your blog, social media and talk to journalists about them. You’ll probably be surprised that many possible donors don’t know about some of your existing programs and may be persuaded to help fund those services after learning about them.

2. Blog about new hires: Added an employee or board member? Let potential donors know. Write a bio, take a clear headshot of the person and post on social media and the web. A lot of local newspapers will also publish information about new hires, so make sure to let the print media know about the new member(s) of your team.

3. Speak to potential donors: Public speaking is an excellent way to promote your nonprofit organization. Find groups in your local area that might include potential donors, such as neighborhood organizations, networking groups and professional organizations. Offer to give a 30 to 45-minute presentation about your organization, and be sure to discuss your nonprofit’s mission, services and funding sources. Remember not to ask directly for funds at the end of a presentation but provide attendees with your website and contact information so they can donate if and when they choose. While it may seem counterproductive not to solicit money during your speech, a hard sell can turn off donors. Present your nonprofit clearly and concisely, and you will be surprised at the number of people who share your message and donate.

4. Share pictures on social media: Photos are a great way to share your nonprofit’s mission, programs and services. Share pictures of clients you serve (with their permission of course) with a link to more information on your website. Make sure a donate call-to-action button linking to your donation webpage is displayed on every page of your site.

5. Discuss a heartfelt story: Nothing solicits donations like stories that affect emotions. Share a story demonstrating how your nonprofit has met a need in your community using information about a person, animal or neighborhood you’ve helped. Show how your services have affected the community as a whole and use compelling words such as “suffering,” “struggling,”  “life-saving” or “much-needed” in copy written for donors. Remember to leave these emotional words out of pitches to the media as communications with journalists should be editorial in nature.

Point Taken Communications is a Jacksonville public relations and marketing firm specializing in nonprofit public relations, nonprofit marketing, business public relations and business marketing. Need help with nonprofit public relations? Contact Point Taken Communications today to discuss how we can help you drive more donations through nonprofit public relations and marketing.