No one has been a stronger advocate or more vital partner to not for profits (NFPs) then the media.  They shine in community engagement and typically step-up far beyond that for example, which the CRTC in Canada requires of the Broadcast sector.  They have increasingly been supporting and embracing the NFP’s capacity-building and service provision needs along with updating, enhancing and expanding their own capacity, redefining their relevancy.   They publicize NFPs by publishing or broadcasting public service announcements of activities; by recognizing benefactors; by profiling agencies’ missions and by providing on-air personalities as M.C.s and/or hosts of events; by signing on as committee members, etc.  Although strictly speaking, the old adage of ‘as long as they spell your name correctly’ is not completely true – a NFP definitely benefits by this greater community awareness

Regardless of which medium is partnered with to create awareness for an agency, NFPs face an onerous undertaking, ensuring they maximize publicity opportunities, by providing consistently fresh, unique and interesting stories; pictures; photo opportunities and sound bites about their services to alleviate any community’s fatigue regarding their message. No small task if their mission is fairly static and if they are to avoid repetition of platitudes and recitation of mission statements!  Who has it helped recently?  What new projects is it undertaking?  What do the agencies constituents currently say about the agency?

And further to this – NFPs need to consistently scan their environment to ensure that the mission is still relevant and in keeping with society’s needs.  What people wanted and/or needed ten or twenty years or more ago may not be important or relevant to them today.  As such NFPs must often undergo a process of self-evaluation to determine if their services should be modified to keep abreast of needs.  Failing to do so can cause the agency to become redundant, or another agency created to service the missed niche. Should program offerings be expanded, modified or even eliminated?  Could similar small agencies combine forces to streamline costs?  The community has a keen and vested interest in viewing, reading and hearing about best value for their time and/or financial investments.  NFPs work diligently to devise and adhere to best practices, ensuring they have both success stories and community-rallying projects to share with their media partners!

To the all too often unsung heroes in the media sector….you may never know about the lives you alter but like the maxim about  it ‘taking a village to raise a child’, how could so few advocates reach so many without the media to shares the stories which frequently begin the healing or growth processes?   As the information medium continues to evolve, let’s applaud the men and woman within it who are working harder and more passionately than ever to write the stories, take the photos or videos or audio recordings and broadcast or print them so that the NFPs can connect with and engage others in building a safe, stimulating, happy and healthy community.

“The media’s power is frail. Without the people’s support, it can be shut off with the ease of turning a light switch.”

 Corazon Aquino, Political leader and president (1986-92) of the Philippines, b.1933

Submitted by:

Susan Laycock, cfre, cae

Special Events and Public Relations Manager

United Way of GreaterSimcoeCounty