The most successful nonprofits and NGOs are those that communicate regularly with other organizations, businesses, office holders and the media. If others know what an organization is doing, they will refer potential supporters, resources and clients to that organization. This allows more and more people to know of the impact an organization has on the community. Online volunteers can help by researching contact information for similarly-focused organizations, government office holders, local business owners, and the like.
Volunteers should not contact these organizations without the consent of the organization he or she is assisting. If you have not been authorized to contact other organizations, or you aren't sure if you are supposed to, don't. Most organizations ask that volunteers gather the contact information, with a staff member making the actual contacts.
There are many online resources you can use to help an organization identify others that should receive press releases, program updates, event invitations or other materials. Among them:
- NewsLink
Provides links for newspapers, TV and radio outlets, magazines, by subject area. This is a great way to identify news outlets that might be interested in providing your organization with coverage. - Internet Yellow and White Pages
Another great way to identify regional media outlets, similarly focused organizations, and web sites and e-mail addresses for city, county and state office holders who should know about what an organization is up to. Some of these resources include: - Databases of U.S. Nonprofit Organizations
- U.S. States and Local Governments
- U.S. Federal Government Offices and Departments
- International Government Sites
