Third annual PR Paid Forward connects nonprofits with local communicators for a day of impact
On April 11, the third annual PR Paid Forward brought together more than 30 communications professionals from PRSA Orlando and FPRA Orlando to provide pro bono public relations support to 19 Central Florida nonprofits. 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.
The event featured two one-hour coaching sessions where PR volunteers, matched with nonprofits prior to the event, collaborated 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 Chauniqua Major, communications manager at Lift Orlando, and a champion of purpose-driven storytelling. She spoke about the importance of communicating with dignity and using language that uplifts the communities we serve, challenging attendees to be intentional, inclusive and human-centered in their messaging.
This year’s participating nonprofits included: Central Florida Diaper Bank, Central Florida Home for Good, Inc., Charity & Love, Children’s Safety Village of Central Florida, Eight Waves, Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda, HAPBWA Foundation, Healthy Meal Pack Inc., IDignity, League of Women Voters Seminole Education Fund, Life Reins, Inc., Mind Your Melon Foundation, Inc., No Limit Counseling and Education, One Purse, Samaritan Resource Center, Inc., SEA WAVES, Shepherd’s Hope, Southern Cross Service Dogs, and The Greatest Investment Foundation, Inc.
“This event is one of the best examples of what happens when passionate professionals come together for a greater purpose,” said Veronica Figueroa, APR, PRSA Orlando president. “You could feel the energy and excitement in the room as ideas took shape. It was such a fulfilling experience to serve our community and help give nonprofits a roadmap to achieve their goals.”
“Our ride home after PR Paid Forward was filled with reflection on all the great ideas and strategic recommendations shared,” said Marshal and Taylor Sewell, co-founders of Mind Your Melon. “In fact, we were so inspired that we immediately began developing a batch of blog posts to leverage SEO! Even more so than the strategic and tactical recommendations, however, we really appreciated the overall kindness and support from our PR coaches. The level of care and detail they showed in understanding our organization and their thoughtful feedback provided meant a great deal to us.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed participating in PR Paid Forward,” said Mike Wacht, VP, Director of Strategic Communications at Global-5. “I used to work for a non-profit and the opportunity to help another mission-driven organization improve its overall communication efforts was very gratifying on a number of levels. I appreciate the mental exercise of learning about an organization and developing a communications plan in a short time period. I also enjoyed the time spent giving to an organization that is giving so much to the community. This was my first experience with PR Paid Forward, but it won’t be my last.”
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.
