Does your organization have challenges when it comes to aligning public relations, marketing, and fundraising? You would think these three related functions have so much in common, and yet it can be a struggle.

Here are three of the most common problems that I see and hear about in this area:

  • A lack of time or internal will to strategize and coordinate across departments.

  • Weak messaging or inadequate content to support your efforts.

  • Small staffs with limited budgets.

The consequences of these problems can be painful and even costly: missed opportunities for brand awareness and collaboration with partners; declining revenues; and weakening support from your board, members, and donors.

Our experience in supporting NENA-The 9-1-1 Association and its #ThankYou911 campaign illustrates three keys to getting it right at the intersection of public relations, marketing, and fundraising. Read on to learn more and click here to see our #ThankYou911 case study in the broader context.

NENA CEO Brian Fontes brought DCC on board almost 10 years to back up a one-person internal communications department. For a few years, we did mostly press releases and content around their policy advocacy work.

The problems being addressed. But it began to dawn on us that public support for 9-1-1 and its workforce is very low. People only hear about the problems in 9-1-1 and rarely about the selfless, heroic public servants who assist thousands of callers in their time of need. The lack of positive awareness and appreciation results in chronic underfunding of the 9-1-1 workforce and technology infrastructure, and it’s hard on the 9-11 professionals themselves, who suffer high rates of burnout and stress-related health problems.  

Working with NENA and our fundraising/development consultant Laura J. Tucker, we developed and implemented the #ThankYou911 campaign as an effort to raise public awareness of 9-1-1 professionals and generate financial support for scholarship and wellness programs for them.

Here are three of the keys to our success in this effort.

Break down internal silos. One of the first things we learned is the need to break down internal silos. The PR, marketing, and fundraising/development teams need to meet at least bimonthly and have strategy sessions at least biannually. Develop common messaging and branding. Create one planning calendar that involves the entire team. Get help from volunteers, fellow employees, or consultants, but put a priority on forging a team effort.

To cite just one example of what can be accomplished when everyone comes together, check out this amazing video we produced.

Screen legend Angela Bassett was the star of new TV show on FOX called “9-1-1.” From the moment we heard about the show, we started reaching out to explore how we might collaborate with them on some mutually beneficial PR, and this video was one of the results.

We pitched the idea of an Angela Bassett shout-out to the 9-1-1 community to her publicity team, and we secured her pro bono participation. We wrote the script and arranged the logistics of the shoot. Meanwhile, our fundraiser cultivated partnerships with Screen Vision Media and a corporate sponsor, and ultimately this video was shown to 2.5 million moviegoers in theaters nationwide, plus thousands more online.  

Appeal to emotions. Another key to success is appealing to your audiences’ emotions. In most settings, people remember how you made them feel more than what you said. Emotion is what leads people to take action. Thus, play up how your organization will help “real people,” and tell their authentic, heartfelt stories.

As a key element of the #ThankYou911 campaign, we feature the stories of grateful scholarship recipients and heroic call takers who saved the day. In one poignant example, we highlighted the story of a 9-1-1 dispatcher who died after weeks of working overtime.

Leverage the influence of VIPs. This one is not rocket science; it’s applied common sense with a little chutzpah. Big names draw crowds and eyeballs. They convey instant credibility. They can help you reach thousands or even millions of people at a time.

Thus, one of our signature activities is engaging VIPs in our public education efforts: from TV and film stars like Angela Bassett, Sean Astin and Ice-T; to athletes and teams in the NHL, NBA, and MLB; and to senators, representatives, and regulators with a say in public safety policy. Through the social media posts, “9-1-1 Days,” and other activities that we’ve spurred them to undertake, we’ve reached thousands of people with our message. Click through to this PowerPoint deck to browse photos and screenshots of our VIP partners.

Leverage your funders’ interests. Your funders want benefits like visibility in your community, positive brand associations with your cause, and tangible mission impacts. For example, some of the sponsors of the #ThankYou911 campaign are companies that sell hardware and software to the 9-1-1 community. Giving these companies a chance to show their support for the 9-1-1 community creates powerful good feelings and brand equity for them.

Results: By the numbers, our results have been very gratifying. To date, we’ve reached more than 2.5 million movie goers, 2 million radio listeners, and tens of thousands of TV, sports, and music fans. We’ve raised more than $350,000 for training scholarships for 9-1-1 professionals, and more than $65,000 for diversity and inclusion efforts. We have plenty of room for more sponsors and more mission impacts.

But the intangible benefits are even more impressive. NENA members love the recognition and benefits that their association is providing for them, leading to membership growth and increased revenues. Long-sought government policies such as reclassifying 9-1-1 dispatchers as public safety personnel and upgrading 9-1-1 technology are gaining support in the halls of government.

As you can see, when PR, marketing, and fundraising are combined in a bold, creative way, the results can be amazing!