Many called it a watershed moment for philanthropy: Just over a year ago, Warren Buffet announced that he would be gifting his enormous fortune to the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation - some $30 billion in assets. The gesture prompted a massive surge of media attention to the philanthropic sector, and it made one point very clear: PR can
have an enormous impact on helping private foundations achieve their goals.
However, the reality didn't settle well with many old-school members of the community, according to Louder Than Words President and Founder Rich Polt, because a number
of myths shrouded the potential benefit: That proactive media outreach invites an IRS audit, for one, and that publicity somehow cheapens altruistic efforts. But what about the
benefits?
A marriage between philanthropy and PR can do wonders for:
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Highlighting grantee successes;
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Inspiring action among constituencies;
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Creating an environment for collaboration among multiple stakeholders;
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Advancing key issues; and,
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Highlighting the foundation's role as a good citizen that leads by example.
Plus, who can argue with the natural increase in foundation assets and grants?
The Buffet-Gates connection, coupled with the positive media coverage that ensued, offered solid proof that PR can strengthen any philanthropic effort by the very nature of the
"business" of the industry.
"As philanthropists, more times than not, the issues you are funding are problems that exceed your capacity to solve as one organization. You want to be a catalyst to get the
word out and to enlist the volunteerism of individuals all the way up the spectrum," Polt says, highlighting the following steps to start thinking like a PR person (and he means
that in a good way).
*Make PR a given. While many old-school do-gooders may think PR and philanthropy don't go hand-in-hand, Polt is quick to compare foundations to their for-profit
brethren. "The tools used in philanthropy are the same as in the for-profit world in terms of pitch letters and forged relationships," he notes. "It's the endgame that tends to
differ, which is about separating the company from the competition as opposed to sharing successes for the benefit of others.
But even if the endgames aren't always compatible, PR is a key strategy to empowering your mission by getting others to join. But the first step, Polt says, is to make sure
that "PR is seen as part of the fabric of how the foundation operates. Whenever they are thinking about their grants and messages, they should be thinking about how PR can
augment what they are doing and further their mission."
*Tell a small story in the context of a bigger issue. The similarities between for-profit and not-for-profit PR do not end with their shared communications vehicles.
"When considering press for a vendor, you know the media wants to talk to the customer - not the vendor," Polt says. "It's the same here. They want to see what the value of
the product is in action. The greatest stories that demonstrate the value of foundations are those of the grantees that are doing great things vis a vis their philanthropy."
With that in mind, hone in on a few grantees whose stories could be compelling to a larger audience. The easiest way to do this is to keep a calendar of upcoming events that
could serve as springboards to one of your causes, or, as Polt says, to "Choose things that dovetail with news, trends or current events, because that's what interests
journalists."
Mobile Vision Marketing lived this best practice by deciding to team up with the Wounded Warrior Project to support the troops overseas. Blake Pollack, President
of Mobile Vision Marketing, says the decision was based on the desire to do something good for the troops, and on the timely discussions of the war in Iraq due to the Presidential
race. While the war is a divisive subject, he says, almost everyone supports the soldiers themselves.
Thus, if you give a journalist a good story with a unique angle for telling it, he/she will be much more inclined to listen.
*You only have a few chances, so use them wisely. Inundating the media with stories and letters about your mission will compel them to tune you out. Instead of pushing
every single initiative that comes across your desk, pick a few well-timed stories and run with those. Don't put all your eggs in one basket - just most of them.
"A few well-timed conversations with the media can put the issues and organizations you care about most on the map," Louder Than Words Senior Account Director Tricia McKenna
wrote for onPhilanthropy. "Sustained visibility requires a more strategic, long-term approach. But that's no reason not to jump in and make your voice heard now."
*Convince skeptics with success stories that speak for themselves. Polt points to Charles Bronfman, founder of Birthright Israel, as a prime example. Birthright
showcases its work through individual stories of the people who have gone on its trips. Because they have effectively communicated the success of the program, the support of
philanthropists has come in droves: In 2005, Sheldon Adelson (owner of the Venetian in Las Vegas), donated $25 million to the organization.
CONTACTS:
Rich Polt, [email protected]; ?Blake Pollack, [email protected]
The Flip Side
Just as philanthropic foundations benefit from public relations initiatives that highlight their good deeds, corporations can reap huge financial gains by teaming up with
nonprofits in cause-related marketing campaigns. Consider these success stories:
Coca-Cola: In 1997, Coca-Cola donated 15 cents to Mothers Against Drunk Driving for every case bought during a 6-week promotion in more than 400 Wal-Mart stores.
Coke sales in these stores increased 490% during the promotion.
TUMS: In 2003, through its "TUMS Helps Put Out More Fires Than You Think" campaign, TUMS pledged to donate 10 cents to the First Responder Institute for every
bottle of TUMS sold. In addition to donating $238,000 to the Institute, which in turn funded 60 fire departments throughout the United States, TUMS saw a 30% increase in the
number of displays shipped to stores and a 16% increase in sales volume.
American Express: In 1983, after American Express pledged to donate a penny to the restoration of the Statue of Liberty for every transaction made by its cardholders,
use of American Express cards increased by 28% and new users increased by 17%.
McDonald's: In 1994, McDonald's sold a CD featuring Garth Brooks, Elton John and Tina Turner to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. In addition
to raising $9 million for the cause, the promotion increased restaurant sales by 5%.
Briggs & Stratton: In 2002, Briggs & Stratton worked with the
National Wildlife Federation to educate the public on the importance
of lawn mower maintenance in cutting pollution emissions. After sponsoring a
Web site, http://www.tuneupmonth.com,
that included information on lawn mower tune-ups, tips for reducing pollution
and energy inefficiency, and educational information, the company tune-up kit
sales tripled.
Calphalon Corporation: The Calphalon Corporation co-branded several of its poorly-selling pans with the Share Our Strength name and logo and donated $5 to the
nonprofit for every such pan sold. Sales of these pans increased 250%.
Bayer Aspirin: Bayer Aspirin partnered with the American Stroke Association (ASA) to create the American Stroke Challenge, an effort to raise money for the ASA
and educate the public about strokes. During the May 2000 Challenge, Bayer sales increased 9% over the same month the previous year.
Dollar-Rent-A-Car: In 1993, Dollar-Rent-A-Car joined forces with the Special Olympics, donating $1 to the nonprofit for every car booked during the six-week
campaign. Bookings by travel agents increased by 25% during the promotion.
Source: Jessica Stannard-Friel, associate director, ?philanthropy division, Changing Our World.