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Public Relations: Big Media Splash as Grand River Agency Launches Nonprofit Fundraiser   

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It’s wonderful when things go exactly as planned. Even better when they exceed expectations. By now you’ve likely heard about Grand River Agency launching a $1 Million Fundraising Campaign for one of its nonprofit clients, the Olean Food Pantry. After months of planning and building communications capacity, the announcement required a public relations push to create a BIG MEDIA SPLASH.

And that’s exactly what happened! Simply enough, we wrote and submitted a press release announcing the fundraising campaign – leveraging our decades of media experience and extensive industry contacts. What made that initial press release stand out above thousands of others submitted to local, regional and national media outlets that day?

Expert storytelling, of course.

Within 12 hours, our expert media relations team had orchestrated the PR splash we desired, capturing the attention of local, regional and even national media outlets. 

Every. Single. Media. Outlet. Targeted. What a fantastic kickoff generating widespread buzz and support for Olean Food Pantry’s crucial mission!

BIG Public Relations Campaign Boosts Nonprofit Fundraising Campaign

Here’s how we did it.

Setting the Stage for Success

At Grand River Agency, we understand the power of nonprofit storytelling and the importance of leveraging media relations to amplify our clients’ messages. Having already improved Olean Food Pantry’s digital presence and crafted a compelling case for support document, the stage was set for community engagement.

The launch of the Olean Food Pantry’s $1 Million Fundraising Campaign offered an awesome opportunity to build a narrative around a BIG fundraising goal in a small community. That’s news in itself! Ambitious plans aren’t often hatched here in the impoverished northernmost tip of Appalachia. 

Crafting a Compelling Narrative

The initial press release justified a breakdown of major gifts, individual donations, corporate donations and grants required to meet fundraising goals. It weaved an emotional narrative around evidence of local food insecurity as told by food pantry administrators and volunteers, who routinely see record numbers on distribution days. Told correctly, the story needed no client testimonial to still paint a picture of severe struggle.

This compelling narrative highlighted the urgency of the Olean Food Pantry’s mission and the impact of fundraising efforts, expressing exactly how far every dollar donated can go. We emphasized the staggering rise in food pantry usage in recent years and the critical need for community support to address this pressing issue.

Making Waves in All Levels of Media

With our narrative in hand, we embarked on a strategic media outreach campaign, targeting a diverse array of media outlets to maximize our reach. A strong PR strategy doesn’t emphasize just one – or even a handful of media contacts – but rather a comprehensive list of journalists. 

It’s not enough to just send a PR pitch to the local paper and call it good.

At Grand River Agency, our proprietary list of media contacts include rank-and-file journalists, editors, producers and other decision-makers from local newspapers and radio to regional TV powerhouses and national aggregate sites. In targeting the hierarchy, we stand a greater chance at influencing coverage with reporters looking for “a scoop” that day and newsroom leaders who direct news production.

Within hours of publicly announcing the campaign, our press releases and pitches had captured the attention of news media outlets including:

Additionally, the PR secured a lead story that evening on Buffalo’s NPR station, further extending the campaign’s reach beyond local eyes and ears. Each publication either ran the press release in its entirety or expanded upon food insecurity in Western New York and the importance of community support.

Building Buzz & Momentum

Initial media coverage generated by Grand River Agency’s public relations efforts helped to build buzz and momentum around the Olean Food Pantry’s $1 Million Fundraising Campaign. It quickly drove increased visibility and support for their cause, laying a foundation for future press releases, op-ed pieces and other media outreach to be received favorably. 

The community dialog is now launched with Olean Food Pantry strategically positioned as a thought leader in the War on Hunger. It further solidified the organization’s brand reputation as a trusted and impactful charity.

Expert Public Relations for Nonprofit Clients at Grand River Agency

At Grand River Agency, we’re passionate about using our media relations prowess to benefit nonprofit clients and promote fundraising initiatives that make a difference. Expert public relations are a powerful tool to supplement a well-rounded professional communications strategy.

We’re committed to helping our clients achieve their goals through strategic storytelling and media outreach. OFP’s fundraiser is just one case study on what we can do for your organization. Whether you’re launching a new initiative, raising awareness about an important cause, or seeking to engage the community in your mission, Grand River Agency is here to help. 

Contact us here and let’s get to know each other.

Olean Food Pantry million dollar fundraising campaign

Grand River Agency Builds $1 Million Fundraising Campaign for Nonprofit Client

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Let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at the strategic maneuvers powering a $1 Million Fundraising Campaign for one of Grand River Agency’s nonprofit fundraising clients. 

Raising large sums of money for great missions of charity is one of our hallmark services. But, contrary to popular practice in the charity industry, we’re not spending all day churning out grant proposals and praying they stick. To be sure, grant writing is part of the strategy, but we prefer a well-rounded approach that diversifies funding sources and leverages multiple channels for BIG and small wins.

Here’s how we’re doing it. 

Olean Food Pantry’s $1 Million Fundraising Campaign Managed By Grand River Agency

The Olean Food Pantry’s groundbreaking $1 million fundraising campaign, masterminded by Grand River Agency, actually began MONTHS before the formal announcement. In my initial consultation with their Board of Directors, my first question was this: “What do you think of your organization’s digital presence?” 

Their answer? Crickets. 

Obviously, that was the place to start. Nonprofit storytelling these days takes place almost entirely in the digital realm, so why not supercharge the mechanisms for those communications? Activities included:

  • Building a new website
  • Creating new & optimizing current social media accounts
  • Writing blogs for SEO
  • Designing graphics & short-form videos for cross-channel promotion

The next question during that initial discussion was, “Who’s your nonprofit’s target audience?” Naturally, one Board member answered, “The people we serve.” To which I responded, “Absolutely not.”

And here’s why.

The Importance of a Donor-Centric Nonprofit Communications Strategy

The people your charity serves DON’T have money. Donors, funders, grantors and philanthropists are every nonprofit’s target audience.  

That’s not to say your communications strategies mustn’t address and help the people and causes you serve. They absolutely do! Consider it this way: your communications must appeal to donors and funders BY showcasing the superheroic capacity to influence people, whether it’s your nonprofit’s website, social media presence or media relations. 

With the proper mechanisms in place, you can then focus on communicating directly with the people and organizations with the financial power to bankroll your nonprofit mission.  

Writing & Designing a Strong Nonprofit Case for Support

Also known as a case statement, the nonprofit case for support is a comprehensive document that details the who, what, when, where, why and how of your charity’s mission. It’s basically a blanket proposal.

Expertly written and designed, it can be sent in its entirety to BIG MONEY funders or used to copy-and-paste (or at least inform) all future grant proposals, marketing materials and media outreach. Why reinvent the wheel each time you craft new communications?

For the Olean Food Pantry’s $1 Million Fundraising Campaign, we developed and designed a case for support in e-book/magazine format. It clearly and compellingly expresses:

  • Organizational history
  • Mission & vision
  • Community need
  • Current programs & demonstrated impact
  • Future vision
  • Financial realities
  • Justification & plans for funding
  • Decision-makers, staff & volunteers

Just as importantly, it details a well-rounded fundraising strategy noting exactly what’s expected of supporters, grant funders and big money donors to make it work.

Diversifying Revenue Sources in a Strong Nonprofit Fundraising Campaign

So many nonprofits launch fundraising strategies emphasizing just one main activity – whether it be grant writing (often before they’ve built the capacity to contend for competitive grants) or some annual fundraising gala (which often costs more to host than it brings in).

What’s the best way to eat a whale? One bite at a time! So for the OFP $1 Million Fundraising Campaign, Grand River Agency broke down fundraising tactics into four easy revenue streams. 

Grant Writing: Securing $450,000 in Funding

Don’t get us wrong. Grant writing is great – as PART of a well-rounded fundraising campaign. (And that’s only if your organization is grant-ready.) Olean Food Pantry is grant-ready, having already demonstrated success in securing local and regional grants through the years. We’re now aiming to secure a whopping $450,000 in grant funding by researching applicable funding opportunities on a national scale and submitting a volume of proposals to various foundations, charitable trusts and government resources.

Major Gift Donor Cultivation: Unlocking $450,000 in Major Gifts

The next big chunk of the pie requires cultivating major gift donors. Through personalized outreach, relationship-building and targeted stewardship of a list of prospective millionaire donors, we will secure $450,000 in major gifts from philanthropists, community leaders and other high-net-worth individuals with specific interest in the War on Hunger. 

Corporate Giving: Mobilizing $50,000 from Business Leaders

Corporate giving is yet another fundraising avenue we’re mobilizing for Olean Food Pantry. By engaging local businesses and corporations, we’re eyeing a smaller sum of $50,000 in donations. We recognize the area’s business climate makes money tight – and such businesses are already doing their part to combat food insecurity via employment.

By asking businesses for a smaller total contribution, we’re forging strategic partnerships that make a buzz and raise community awareness.   

Individual Donors: Rallying Community Support

Last, but certainly not least, individual donors are playing a crucial role in raising the final $50,000 to support the Olean Food Pantry’s $1 Million Fundraising Campaign. By improving the organization’s digital presence (mentioned earlier), we can now engage the community in ways never before possible.

In general, community members may have comparatively limited means. But compelling smaller contributions – a few dollars here and there add up quickly – empowers individuals to help their family, friends and neighbors.

A Holistic Approach to Fundraising Guides OFP’s $1 Million Fundraising Campaign

The Olean Food Pantry’s $1 million fundraising campaign is a testament to the power of strategic communications – a range of tactics building upon each other to create a POWERHOUSE nonprofit fundraising strategy. But before we could even think about the fundraising aspect, we had to shore up and create numerous avenues for communications. 

Grand River Agency will achieve this ambitious fundraising goal and make a tangible difference for a nonprofit client in the Olean community.

Join Us in Making a Difference in YOUR Community

Ready to harness the power of strategic communications and fundraising to drive meaningful change in your community? We’re here to help your organization unlock your fundraising potential and make a lasting impact.

Kelsey Boudin Grand River Agency President

OTH Column: PR Crisis Lessons from Another Bona Hoops Fiasco

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(Editor’s note: The following op-ed piece appeared in the March 26, 2024 editions of the Olean Times Herald and The Bradford Era. Read the original article here.)

By Kelsey Boudin
Special to the Olean Times Herald

Public relations can sometimes be a cushy job. Not easy, mind you, but generally stable. Write a fluff piece here, hype up an event there and then hop on a podcast interview. 

But when PR crises arise, they test the skills and backbone of any professional communicator. 

The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team’s obscure refusal of a potential NIT bid became an avoidable PR crisis. A series of communications oversights snowballed into an unwelcome ongoing narrative that bleeds beyond campus to cast a shadow yet again on the program. What can PR professionals learn?

OTH readers might recall my coverage of numerous PR crises in our communities as a former reporter and city editor for the Olean Times Herald. Today, I use those insider media insights at my business to inform PR strategies for client organizations. 

Leaving the expert sports commentary to former OTH colleagues, the handling of this communications issue shows us the sheer difficulty of navigating PR crises. The athletic department and university failed to control – or even guide – the narrative from the start. 

Several public relations lessons developed before our eyes:

  • Timing is everything. 
  • Semi-honest answers draw community scorn. 
  • Followers easily see through padding blame and deflection.

This Bona hoops situation shows us that public relations battles sometimes can’t be won. They can be avoided. They can be de-escalated. But we often can’t unring that bell. 

Yet PR is a necessary function of any organization’s communications strategy, whether you’re a small business or a mid-major conference athletics department – which itself is a business that makes its men’s basketball coach one of the area’s wealthiest individuals.   

It’s not just sports. It’s not just a game. It’s news. Let’s examine the community optics. 

FIRST, THE TIMING issue. At several key moments, the SBU athletic department left community minds and, worse, social media accounts to spiral. First, the Bona faithful waited some 16 hours for an explanation why their team – whose postseason hopes hung on generosity and a prayer – would refuse a chance to extend its season. Why turn down such a gift? Turns out, the team may have pre-emptively opted out, but just enough evidence came out (and didn’t come out) for reasonable skepticism.

In public relations, it’s common before releasing a statement to wait for all the facts, or at least enough to present a credible, cohesive story. In this case, the SBU athletic department knew. It just didn’t know it would be an issue – until it was absolutely forced to explain it. If it weren’t for an ESPN graphic, they thought, it would’ve never seen the light of day. 

Valuable lesson: in news media, EVERYTHING leaks … eventually. 

Waiting to provide an answer gave the impression that the team or athletic department had something to hide. It inadvertently swept saying “no, thanks” to the NIT under the rug. Ask a longtime season-ticket holder how that tastes when they’re asked to renew.

Then the athletic director “resigned” Friday night, leaving the narrative to fester once again on social media until the next morning. But the official press release Saturday was no better than a brief series of platitudes for solid staffing choices and such.  

Admittedly, it’s sometimes best to say nothing or very little, to let the story run its course and fade away after a few news cycles. But PR pros must never assume they’re smarter than fans and news consumers, despite short attention spans and average intelligence. 

That’s exactly what Bona did, though. Now this story won’t settle until after the 2024 NIT champ is crowned. Then it’ll poke its head when a new AD is chosen, when the new season begins, and likely every time the Bonnies sniff an NCAA or NIT bid for the next 10 years.

That’s a dramatic lack of foresight given the monumental stage of the college basketball postseason. Millions of eyes watch every play, every move, every administrative decision. 

NEXT, HONESTY IS THE best policy, right? Well, “selective honesty,” that is to PR professionals who must present the facts in the best possible light. As Bonaventure’s delayed NIT release told us, a host of reasons allegedly prevented the team from continuing its season: the prospect of road games, injuries and players entering the transfer portal.

Each of them held elements of truth. 

Yes, the team would have to travel to away games. But Bona fans’ memories aren’t so short as to not remember road games just two years ago en route to a heroic NIT Final Four run. 

Yes, some players were injured. But how many players in the postseason now are pushing sprained ankles and stress fractures to the limit for a shot at glory? 

Yes, a handful of players entered the transfer portal. But what’s preventing them from finishing the season? With a mutual agreement to continue playing, a strong performance only bodes well for their future prospects elsewhere.

From a PR standpoint, these truths were likely the best the athletic department had in its arsenal. They came across as poor excuses. Sometimes there’s no right answer – no silver bullet to make it go away. 

A day after the initial release, the actual reason was even more damning.

WHAT ELSE CAN BE done, short of appropriately assigning blame? Of course, the university, AD and coaching staff would deflect attention from the student-athletes themselves. That’s a common PR move. Sports journalists who regularly cover the team connected the dots anyway. It’s easy to infer some team members didn’t care to go any further. 

The unintended resulting image? A hush-hush athletic department that won’t proactively address the reality of players overly empowered by NIL. SBU men’s basketball – a treasured D1 program in an area that doesn’t often afford nice things – should be prepared to acknowledge the players’ decisions as the adults they are. Fans and donors now bankroll a player-centric world of virtually limitless opportunity. 

The PR lessons here are wide-ranging. In a roundabout way, comms professionals can thank this team for so frequently providing case studies on what not to do. 

(Kelsey Boudin, a former Olean Times Herald city editor, is president and founder of the communications consulting firm Grand River Agency. He can be reached at kelsey@grandriveragency.org.)