I completed my internship at Baptistcare’s Welshpool Support Services Office as a member of the Public Relations and Marketing team over the course of Semester One, 2012. Baptistcare is a not for profit provider of Aged Care,
disability, mental health and counselling services in Western Australia. As a third year student based in Bentley, Western Australia, I have decided begin my reflection by documenting
my perception of Public Relations from a not for profit perspective.
Not for profits typically exist to make a difference,
usually achieved through the employment of a social mission.
“Reaching
out with the love of Jesus we work with individuals, families and communities
to achieve their spiritual, emotional and physical wellbeing.”
Baptistcare’s Christian mission, above, is heavily emphasised in Public
Relations activities and has a strong link with work performed right across the
organisation. Weaved into Baptistcare’s articles, letters, speeches,
promotional material and press releases was information about how Baptistcare
was fulfilling its mission.
Public Relations in a not for profit context is extremely
broad and involves a variety of roles and diversification, primarily due to the
sector’s limited resources. Baptistcare’s PR & Marketing Officer needed to
be proficient in Graphic Design, Websites, Social Media, Events, Fundraising,
Press Releases, Marketing Collateral and Promotional Material – to name a few!
This means that graduates taking up positions in not for profits need to be hardworking, efficient, organised, diverse, experienced and flexible.
Limited funding is a common issue dealt with by not for profit organisations, which has the potential to inhibit operations. Marketing activities at Baptistcare either had to meet limited budgets, find sponsorship, or both. Not a lot of people are willing to provide assistance and marketing people should allow weeks, sometimes even months in order to obtain finance which can be a frustrating task.
I would summate that not for profits tend to attract people
who are driven to make a difference, given that the sector is not the best
place for ambitious people seeking career opportunities such as salary and status. Although this means
that not for profits aren’t always able to attract the best people in the profession, the people who they do attract are quality, friendly, supportive people
due to the aforementioned reasons. Not for profit also presents fantastic
learning opportunities for interns like myself, given that help is always
needed and appreciated.
