Public Relations in Non-Profit Organizations

This course will cover several universal principles that underpin successful marketing and public relations for organizations that focus on the unique strategies that apply to non - profits. These organizations must sell themselves to target audiences, just as commercial organizations do, in order to, for instance, attract employees and volunteers, get favorable publicity and compete for scarce donor dollars. Non - profit organizations have to work within budget, manage internal and external relationships, lead, and, ultimately, deliver an important service. From the large, international non - profits to the small, local ones, success today requires the integration of marketing and public relations strategies. Guest lecturers and case studies, from the arts, education and corporate philanthropy, will help students understand the particular marketing and public relations strategies, such as niche marketing, employed by each. Recent scandals will be analyzed for their genesis, their lasting effects and lessons to be learned about measuring, monitoring and managing organizational reputation as an asset. Other subjects include governance, transparency and regulations. A semester - long project will have students working in teams to produce a full - fledged communications campaign for an actual non - profit, including a situation analysis, objectives, strategies, tactics and an evaluation mechanism.