Charities do tremendous work across the country supporting thousands of people in need - often where these needs are not being met by public services.
Every charity has a story to tell, whether its an inspirational tale of how it was formed or stories on its ongoing work and successes.
Positive charity stories can be a breath of fresh air among the bad news of the day, showing readers there are people out there dedicated to making the world a better place.
Here Adam Howlett, Media Relations Lead at Prominent, looks at the relationship between the press and charities, and the ways in which they help each other.
Almost every local newspaper you look in will have charity stories – from interesting and quirky fundraising events to stories shining a light on the crucial work they do.
The growing need for foodbanks frequently hits the front pages of local newspapers across the UK and charities are often the subject of newspaper campaigns to highlight their work and raise donations.
Sadly, some charities only end up in the press once they close, when people realise the amazing work they were doing that has now been lost.
Although the press like stories about charities, gone are the days where a simple photo of a cheque presentation was guaranteed a place on a page.
As the media landscape has become more competitive, charities must also compete for column inches, providing compelling or creative stories that show off their hard work.
That can be difficult – and requires them to think outside of the box, or turn to the support of a PR agency like Prominent.
Charities often don’t make any income from the work they do – they rely on donations, legacies or grants from public funding to provide their services.
As the cost of living rises it becomes more difficult to raise money from donations as people find they just don’t have money to spare to donate.
Publicising a charity is a great way of spreading awareness of the work they do and their continuing need for funding.
As invaluable community organisations, it is important their successes are celebrated and their stories told to ensure they have the resources to achieve their goals.
Many newspapers did a great job of highlighting charities’ amazing work during the pandemic in response to a public desire for good news stories – and much of that demand still remains.
While doom and gloom might make for a big-selling splash, no-one wants to read 48 pages of woe – and so editors appreciate how a positive charity story can provide some much-needed respite for readers.
At Prominent, we are proud of the work we do to support our amazing charity clients, letting the public know who they are and the incredible work they do.
Seeing a charity campaign or event grace the pages of the local newspaper is a great feeling as we know the more people see how important their work is, the more compelled they will be to make a donation or support the cause.
It is vital newspapers continue to support their local charities, highlighting the wonderful work they do while providing their readers with something a little more joyful to read.
Looking to get your charity’s name in the press? For more on our work in the third sector, see here.
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