Training Course - Developing PR Strategy for NGOs - Turkey

Training Course: Developing PR Strategy for NGOs

Location: alacati/Izmir, Turkey

Dates: 24-30 May 2017

Number of participants: 28

Participating countries: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom

Organizer: Dinamik Gelisim Dernegi

Apply here: Application form

Deadline to apply: 1 April 2017

Date of selection: 7 April 2017

Inquiries about this training course: Huriye Yildiz at: projects@dd.org.tr

Costs: This project is financed by the Erasmus+: Youth in Action Programme.

1 – We will reimburse travel cost after the training course via bank transfer once we collect all travel documents.

2 – All economic class tickets and public transport are eligible for reimbursement.

3 – We need official receipt for the reimbursement not electronic tickets.

4 – Tickets purchased without confirmation of the coordinator will not be reimbursed.

5 – Limit for project countries per person is: (EUR)
Cyprus: 275 / 3 Participants
Czech Republic: 275 / 4 Participants
Estonia: 360 / 3 Participants
Latvia: 360 / 3 Participants
Norway: 360 / 3 Participants
Portugal: 530 / 3 Participants
United Kingdom: 360 / 3 Participants

6 – Accommodation and food is covered by the program during the project.

7 – There is no participation fee

8 – Visa cost is covered. Please check handbook for the details. Participants from Cyprus can get their visa at airport on their arrival.

Developing PR Strategy for NGOs

Developing PR Strategy for NGOs” aims to discover the Public Relations sphere, to learn the process of building communication between NGO and its target groups in order to build up a positive image and reputation of an organisation

According to different articles, journalistic investigations (including the Guardian and BBC) and interviews with organisations many European NGOs do not pay attention on their work on image and as a result have a lack of positive attitudes toward them among different audiences and a lack of good reputation. A negative image and reputation as a result of undeveloped and unstable communication strategy influences on the impact what NGOs make on local, regional and/or international levels. Public Relations is one of the most effective instruments in resolving image, reputational and communication problems of NGOs. Unfortunately, not many NGOs can afford a professional PR-‐specialist who fully or partly works in their teams.

The training course “Developing PR Strategy for NGOs” aims to discover the Public Relations sphere, to learn the process of building communication between NGO and its target groups in order to build up a positive image and reputation of an organisation and to find out the most effective ways for promotion of NGOs and their activities. The project is developed for youth NGOs’ workers and activists and youth workers in order to equip them with the practical PR tools that they can use for their organisation if there is no possibility to employ a PR-‐specialist.

Objectives
1) To get participants familiar with the meaning, development and the main components of Public Relations.
2) To provide participants with the opportunity to exchange experience in the fields of PR.
3) To provide participants with practical tools and methods on how to develop and sustain PR strategy.
4) To develop the essential PR skills at participants needed for effective communication with target audiences and sustainability of their PR-‐strategies.
5) To explore PR ways of reaching young people with fewer opportunities.
6) To promote diversity, intercultural and inter-‐religious dialogue, common values of freedom, tolerance and respect of human rights among the participants.

The participants of the training course “PR for NGOs” are youth NGOs’ workers, volunteers, youth leaders and youth workers from 8 Programme countries, who want to develop the skills in PR for using them to improve NGOs’ image and reaching their target groups including young people with fewer opportunities.

The training course will help participants to understand and learn deeper Public Relations and it will give a space to exchange experience in this field. They will learn the main components, methods and tools of Public Relations what they can implement straight after the training. The participants will go through all steps of PR strategy, so the timetable will include the next blocks:
1) Understanding of PR and PR at NGOs.
2) Environment and Situation Analysis, Aims and Objectives.
3) SWOT analysis, Target audiences and key messages.
4) Media relations.
5) PR texts.
6) PR tools and instruments.
7) Social media.
8) Corporate Social Responsibility and Sponsorship.
9) PR Tactics and Efficiency.
10) Resources for PR.

Among working methods what will be used are brainstorming techniques, elevator pitch, work in small groups, World Café, SWOT, Open space, innovative presentations, simulation games, getting to know each other activities, energizers, ice-‐breakers, team-‐building activities, innovative presentations, group work, debates, discussions, sharing experience, roll-‐play activities, feedback and self-‐ assessment sessions, SMART, mind maps, photo and video making, inspirational visit, etc.

By the end of the project we expect a group of NGOs’ workers, volunteers, youth leaders and youth workers with knowledge of PR and the drafts of developed PR-‐ strategies for their organisations.

Potential longer term benefits are:
1) Improved reputation of participating NGOs and other NGOs from their countries.
2) Increased amount of activities and trainings on PR for NGOs.
3) Improved level and amount of work of small and average size NGOs due to positive attitudes to their work from the target audiences.