1. Public Relations & Non-Profit Organizations
Public relation is the face of any organization whether it is for profits making or a non-profit making organization. Public relation shapes the organization to what it is expected to be and for this reason, public relation is very important to any organization (Bowen, Rawlins & Martin, 2010). Non-profit organizations are also supposed to have a strong public relation because it assists the organization in very many ways. Taking for example the American Red Cross, it cannot exist on its own since it needs quite a number of facilities that will enable it to perform.
Public relation in this case helps the American Red Cross in the following ways; it helps it to receive funds to run the organization, if the organization has a bad public relation, it will hardly get people to fund it (Weger, 2011). The government and other groups that fund the non-profit making organizations have to keenly look at the image of the organization that is contained in the public relation in order to fund it Public relation also helps the Red Cross to receive volunteers. There are very many non-profit organizations that hardly receive any volunteer not because of the task they perform but because of the negative image that the public has towards such organizations.
Were it not for its good public relation, the organization would be seeking for volunteers but this is not the case with the American Red Cross because, many people volunteer to work with it but it has limited chances due to the strong Relations among other benefits (Bowen, Rawlins & Martin, 2010). Both profit and non-profit organization must have something to keep them running, revenue must be generated to ensure the running for both organizations. However, the difference comes in the ownership of the two organizations whereby profit making organizations are owned by specific individuals while non-profit organizations are owned by the public.
2. Public Relations in the 21st Century
Still looking at the American Red Cross as one of the organizations in the United States, it has made good use of the communication instruments like, for example, the awareness made through television and newspapers that make the public aware of its operation among other instruments of communication. It has also used traditional forms in advertisement like, for instance, very many advertisements related to the American Red cross have are heard in Radio (Weger, 2011). The organization has also used billboards over a long period of time, and it is still using them to pass some very important information to people. The American Red Cross has as well incorporated newer media into its public relations strategy in a sense that, it has developed accounts in the social media in order to reach the young especially because of the time they spend on social media.
The American Red Cross has used the social media to develop a relationship with a variety of publics including volunteers; they do not have to physically come to check for the organization’s need for the volunteers (Bowen, Rawlins & Martin, 2010). They have been able to give very important communication of serious calamities in places faster than any other form of media could and saved situations. The social media two way dialogues have also enabled information to reach places where none could think of. This strategy has been able to meet a good number of youths who have donated in various ways.
Reference
Bowen, S. A., Rawlins, B., & Martin, T. R. (2010). An overview of the public relations function. New York: Business Expert Press.
Weger, B. (2011). Inspire good: Nonprofit marketing for a better world. S.l.: Trafford On Demand Pub.
