The Art of the Nonprofit Press Release

There is more to getting your press release into print than just good writing. Let's review the essentials of the press release, and then discuss six tips to getting it noticed.

Format

1. The standard introduction for a press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2. Who to contact for more information. Include address, phone number, and email address.

Rachel Hutchisson
Director of Corporate Communications 
rachel.hutchisson@blackbaud.com
+1 843.216.6200 x3070
+1 843.270.5824 (mobile)
800.443.9441 (in North America)

3. Concise title with sub-title that attracts the reader.

Blackbaud Announces Aquisition of Campagne Associates

Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq:BLKB), the leading provider of software and related services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, today announced that it has acquired the assets of Campagne Associates, Ltd., a privately held provider of fundraising software and services for nonprofit organizations.

4. Begin with your location and date, and follow with an introduction that covers all major points.

Jan. 23, 2006--Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq:BLKB), the leading provider of software and related services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, today announced that it has acquired the assets of Campagne Associates, Ltd., a privately held provider of fundraising software and services for nonprofit organizations.

5. Add a quote from an organization representative or client – it adds credibility.

Marc Chardon, President and CEO of Blackbaud Inc., stated, "We are excited about the acquisition of Campagne Associates, which brings more than 2,000 customers and 18 years of additional domain expertise to Blackbaud. Both companies share a similar goal - an intense focus on customer satisfaction and success. This acquisition allows us to use each firm's extensive market knowledge in a combined effort to ensure we deliver solutions that give our customers the ability to better support their missions."

6. Include information about why the event is newsworthy.

"Blackbaud is well known in the industry for having best-in-class products and great customer support," said Craig Ahlquist, co-founder of Campagne Associates. "Our combined experience and access to Blackbaud's broad suite of products will allow us to better serve our GiftMaker Pro customers for years to come. Ric Pratte and I are both pleased to be joining Blackbaud and are looking forward to playing a key role in directing this exciting new venture."

7. Conclude with a blurb about your organization and further contact information.

Blackbaud is the leading global provider of software and related services designed specifically for nonprofit organizations. Approximately 13,000 organizations - including the American Red Cross, Bowdoin College, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, the Detroit Zoological Society, Episcopal High School, Help the Aged, the New York Philharmonic and United Way of America - use Blackbaud products and consulting services for fundraising, financial management, business intelligence, and school administration.

CONTACT:
Media
Blackbaud, Inc.
Rachel Hutchisson, 843-216-6200 x3070
rachel.hutchisson@blackbaud.com
or
Investors
Integrated Corporate Relations
Kori Doherty, 617-217-2084
kdoherty@icrinc.com

Get noticed!

1. Target your audience and your media.

Before you write a single word, decide for whom you are writing, and in what forum. You may end up writing several different press releases for the same news item.

Who do you want to read this news item? Where are they likely to be reading, listening or watching? What things are likely to interest those people? What's the emotional hook you can use to get them reading?

Now think about the medium you use to reach them. Television will reach a mass audience. And radio goes after a tightly focused, and demographically similar group of people. Magazines and journals specialize – regionally or nationally – and often times by interest area. The local paper will always go for the local angle. Because media is so segmented, each little group will be highly focused at their particular target audience. They know this audience well. If you are looking to target the same audience, pay close attention to how they do this and adapt their approach to suit your organization.

2. Avoid inflating the truth.

News folks can smell the tiniest stretch of the truth from ten miles away. And they don't like the odor. Press releases should help the writer transmit your information to the public. So, make sure you have the facts covered. Answer the who, what, where, when, and why questions. You do have to interest the writer in your story at the same time you stick to the facts. It is a fine line, but if you stay true to the heart of your story, you should be okay.

3. Be selective about when you issue press releases.

Don't issue a press release just for the sake of issuing a press release. Avoid the temptation to 'create news' about your organization or recycle previously released information. This is a quick way to discredit you, your organization and future news items. If you keep this kind of practice up, you will just become white noise.

4. Put the juicy stuff up front.

Give the reader something to sink her teeth into in the first paragraph. Don't bury the heart of your story in a lot of unnecessary language. Cut to the chase and give them everything they need right up front. Your headline and sub-headline should also deliver this same message that is in the first paragraph. You should expect to get two sentences out of the reader. If you don't convey why your story is newsworthy in those first two sentences, they usually won't keep reading.

5. Make friends with the gatekeeper at each news outlet.

Just like development, getting your press release into print is all about building relationships. At each outlet, there is one person who screens all of the incoming press releases etc.
Cultivate this person just as you would a major donor. Call and meet with this person to introduce yourself, and tell her about your organization, briefly. These are extremely busy people who have a lot of people trying to get to know them. Respect their time.

With that in mind, it is okay for these people to get to know your organization better. Invite them to an event in which you think they may be interested.

Remember that it is perfectly okay to call your gatekeeper friends to make sure they saw the press release you sent.

Another way to make friends with the gatekeeper is to make her job as easy as possible. Keep press releases simple (an email press releases too). Make sure that any attachments are in the correct format and are easy to work with.

6. When you can, ride the coattails of a pre-existing story.

Read and listen to the stories that your targeted press outlets cover. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for stories on which you can piggyback. Many times, editors will look for local comments or reactions to national stories. Your organization can provide the 'authoritative' word that your gatekeeper has been desperately looking. Once you do this for them on a number of occasions, they will start to think of you first when looking for quotes or follow-up stories.

Just like development work, there is a real art to getting the word out about your important news items. These foundational elements should help you get started toward developing long-term relationships with the right people who will help you tell the world about your work and events.