Not For Profit?

I made a dramatic move to the Not For Profit sector two years ago after several years in a commercial PR companies. Working for a small development charity has been a hugely rewarding experience allowing me to put to use skills which were honed in highly competitive agencies into improving the world rather than selling some dull product.

Contrary to public perception the NGO sector is a dynamic and fast moving. Charities are not the dinosaurs of the work environment – charities are highly competitive businesses. In my role as a PR Manager I work across the whole organisation and consequently I work with every department. Working across the organisation give me a unique overview of the impact of the work of our charity upon the lives of some of the poorest people on the planet.

No two days are the same. Every day brings fresh challenges whether it’s commenting on the latest news story, contacting a celebrity supporter or writing press releases about the epic efforts of individuals to help improve the lives of rural African farmers.

Charities, like any organisation are all very different but staff who work for this sector are often seeking a job that challenges and satisfies but also are potentially looking for rewards for their work which aren’t driven simply by financial recognition.

So what have I done today? Well today started with meetings with our fundraising team about ways to bring attention to our forthcoming campaigns. After discussing some great ideas I start putting together a campaign document trying to work out the best way to get the media and public interested in our work. I check through the stories in the national media and consequently contact a celebrity’s agent after his talking about his love of African charity work.

In the afternoon I write a press release for a fundraising event that our charity is holding and speak to a number of journalists about a feature idea that I have had.