Community involvement, registration, & fundraising - now you’re ready for the final part of the Ferst Foundation program, public relations. It is last but certainly not least; good public relations will grease the wheel and make all of the other parts easier to implement. So you’ve never handled public relations before? Don’t worry; all it takes is a little planning.

Keep in mind that the goal of your public relations campaign is always to further educate your community. In the end, an educated community will support you both financially and through registrations. It is the job of the CAT to keep the Ferst Foundation program in the forefront of residents’ minds. You want people talking about the program, telling people who are new to the community about the program, and registering all of their newborns. You also want to keep the business community educated in the same way. Not only are local business owners family members who will register their own children, but the more a business or corporation knows about you and your organization, the easier it will be for those companies to give money to your program.

In a community oriented program such as the Ferst Foundation program, your public relations campaign will generally be composed of two elements: press releases and presentations. Both are simple to develop and far reaching in their effectiveness, and both are essential to your program.

Press Releases

If you have a strong relationship with your local newspaper, that can be an invaluable asset as you work to develop the Ferst Foundation program in your community. (If you don’t have a strong relationship with your local paper, get one!) Probably the paper will want to do a story on your new program, so be as cooperative as possible. Ask if the paper will do a follow up story in a month or six weeks, describing the growth of the program in its early days. If you give the paper a compelling story or a new angle on your program, they are more likely to want to write about you.

One of the best ways to maintain a strong relationship with your local paper is to be considerate and professional in your dealings. Do not submit weekly articles that are pages long and detail the minutiae of your organization unless your editor asks for such detail. Instead, develop a plan within your CAT for submitting a press release or letter to the editor approximately every six weeks. Talk about different aspects of your program. Describe the benefit bake sale held by area churches one time, the number of children who have registered with the program the next. Write a short piece highlighting the work of one of your particularly energetic CAT members, or poll a few participating families and write a piece on their children’s reactions to receiving their books in the mail each month. Your press releases should never exceed more than one page. Include “art” (photograph, logo, or other graphic) with your submissions whenever possible. If your newspaper editor seems amenable, approach the paper about the possibility of sponsoring a “Reader of the Month.” You can supply the newspaper each month with a photograph of a local child reading one of his or her “Ferst” books, and the paper may run the photograph with a short blurb or program registration form beneath. “Reader of the Month” is a great way to get your name in front of the public regularly, but don’t fail to submit more formal press releases regularly as well.

Cultivate your relationship with the local newspaper in these ways, but do not neglect other local media outlets. If there is more than one paper serving your area, submit your press releases to each of them. Be sure to send press releases to local radio stations or cable channels as well, especially if you are promoting an upcoming registration drive or event. Frequently radio stations will produce brief public service messages with your short submissions, free of charge. If you have a local radio morning talk show, contact the station owner about being a guest on the program before your next event or membership drive. Ask your local school superintendent if he or she will read an Imagination Library book on the air and give registration information. Be creative and work with the owners of your local media outlets to come up with the arrangement or promotion that works best for your community.

As with media registration efforts, don’t forget local newsletters. The Chamber of Commerce newsletter may run a paragraph or two on your local registration efforts or the PTO may include some information in their next message to parents.

Finally, create a media plan, just as you created a registration plan. List the weeks that you plan to make submissions to local media outlets and plan your communications for a full year. Measured, continued exposure in a local newspaper or on a local radio station will result in a more informed community.

Presentations

The other key component of your public relations plan is likely to be a series of presentations that your CAT members will deliver at local civic club meetings. Again, talk with your CAT and find out to which other local organizations your team members belong. Designate one or two CAT members who are willing to visit those organizations and give a short program on the Imagination Library. CAT members should plan to talk for five to ten minutes unless the group advises you otherwise and should always take a handout of some kind to distribute to the membership of the group—registration forms are always a great idea, and a Fact Sheet might also be appropriate. If you have a sample locomotive bookend and a sample set of the Imagination Library, you will be well on your way to making a positive impact on the members of the groups that you visit. Please call Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy if you would like to purchase a set of books and bookends.

Here is a sampling of some of the groups that you may wish to visit in your community:

• Kiwanis Club
• Rotary Club
• Lions Club
• Pilots Club
• Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
• City Councils in your community
• County Commissioners
• Downtown Business Councils or similar groups
• Garden Clubs
• Women’s Clubs
• Ministerial groups/churches
• PTO/PTAs
• Board of Education
• Retired Teachers Association

Make initial presentations to all of these groups if possible and again, plan to revisit each of them annually to update them on the progress the program is enjoying in your community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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