Public & Media Relations Toolkit
Building Community Awareness and Support
As a Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter member, you play a vital role in sharing our mission of ensuring NO KID SLEEPS ON THE FLOOR IN OUR TOWN! Public Relations (PR) and media relations are powerful tools that help us tell our story, build community support, and ultimately help more children in need.
Public Relations encompasses all the ways we communicate with and build relationships with our community. This includes:
- Working with local media
- Managing social media presence
- Building partnerships with local businesses and organizations
- Engaging with community leaders
- Organizing and promoting bed builds
- Sharing impact stories
- Developing outreach with community programs
Media relations, a subset of PR, focuses specifically on working with journalists, news outlets, and other media channels. Strong media relationships can:
- Help spread awareness about bed builds and volunteer opportunities
- Share success stories that inspire community action
- Highlight the need for beds in your local area
- Showcase the impact of corporate and community partnerships
- Drive donations and support for your chapter
Marketing and PR work hand in hand. While marketing often focuses on promoting specific events or calls to action (like recruiting volunteers for a bed build), PR builds the foundation of trust and credibility that makes marketing efforts more effective. For example, a news story about your chapter’s impact can make future volunteer recruitment much easier.
When thinking about PR for your chapter, remember that authenticity is key. Our mission naturally resonates with people – we just need to help them understand the need in their community and show them how they can help. The resources in this section will provide you with templates, best practices, and tools to effectively share your chapter’s story and engage your community in our mission.
Whether you’re new to PR or have years of experience, these materials will help you amplify your chapter’s impact and reach more children in need.
PR Templates and Resources:
- Public Relations Best Practices
- Letter to local builders associations
- Letter to local service clubs
- Letter to local churches and places of worship
- Letter to local K-12 schools
- Letter to local colleges’ student affairs departments
- Letter to local businesses
- SHP Talking Points
- Core Team Development Toolbox
- Social Media Kit
- Marketing & Design