PR Paid Forward Helps Local Organizations Share Stories and Strengthen Impacts
The fourth annual PR Paid Forward brought together more than 25 communication professionals from PRSA Orlando and FPRA Orlando to provide pro bono public relations support to 15 Central Florida community organizations.
Held at the Rice Family Pavilion at Rollins College, the half-day event focused on helping nonprofit organizations strengthen their messaging, visibility, and outreach efforts through personalized coaching and collaboration.
“PR Paid Forward has become a beloved annual event for our community,” said Mike Piacentino, APR, PRSA Orlando president. “Our chapter members leave this program feeling fulfilled and proud to have lent their insights and expertise to community organizations that are continuing to make meaningful impacts in our community.”
The event featured two one-hour coaching sessions where PR volunteers collaborated with community leaders to address specific communications challenges and goals. Conversations ranged from messaging and media relations to branding, social media strategy, and more.
Participants also heard from keynote speaker Erika Spence, storytelling and communications manager at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. She spoke about the importance of identifying your organization’s story and empowering staff, board members and volunteers to share that story in conversations with friends, on social media, in newsletters and more.
This year’s participating nonprofits included:
- ALW C.A.R.E.S. INC.
- Blue Bamboo
- CAAIRE
- Center for Independent Living in Central Florida
- Central Florida Chapter – Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
- Christian Service Center for the Homeless
- Downtown Arts District, Inc.
- Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras
- L.O.V.E. Our Youth
- Mead Botanical Garden, Inc.
- Neighbors Network
- Per Scholas, Inc.
- Primrose Center, Inc.
- Unique Abilities School Fair
- Village of Love, Inc.
“Our PR professionals created an entire PR plan for our organization and gave us so many helpful suggestions and insights on how we can reach a larger audience and pitch properly to the media,” said Logan Faulkner, marketing coordinator for Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras.
This year’s event was co-hosted by PRSA Orlando and FPRA Orlando. Special thanks to Rollins College, a PRSA Orlando Platinum Partner, for their generous donation of the Rice Family Pavilion. We appreciate their continued partnership and commitment to supporting meaningful community impact.
