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Establishing Positive Public Relations
Updated June 21, 2005; July 27, 2013
Written by Jim Hanson and Abby St. Lawrence for the CEDA
Cost Committee
Your input and comments are much appreciated. Write to jim@wcdebate.com
1.
WORK
WITH YOUR SCHOOL'S FINANCE DEPARTMENTS
Know the fee allocation and
other relevant financial procedures of your college. Refer to your
development office for specific information about your institution. Build up
good relations so the people who are handling money speak positively of you.
2. NETWORK WITH YOUR SCHOOL'S
ADMINISTRATORS
Get to know your Principal,
Vice Principal, the academic division heads and administration
officials--whoever is in charge. Attend staff functions in order to establish
working relations with those who have power over fee allocations, donations,
and development.
3. KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR
ALUMNI
Keep your
own debate/speech alumni informed of the activities of the team and
department. This information to alumni really helps when it comes to fund raising because alumni are much more likely to give when
they know where their money is going.
4. PR AND PROMOTE YOUR TEAM
Be sure to submit major team
accomplishments throughout the year to any college publications that go out
to alumni, parents, staff, faculty, etc. Also, try to get
beginning-of-the-year and year-end summaries to such publications to pique
interest about the team within the college community.
5. KEEP GOOD BUDGET RECORDS
Keep
careful records of your own team's budget in order to have adequate
documentation to submit to budgetary committees. Such documentation makes
fund disbursement easier for the committee and makes your chances of getting
adequate funding greater.
6. LOOK INTO ENDOWING YOUR
PROGRAM
Do your own
research on how to apply for endowments (See the Cost Committee Endowment
Sheet). When you know the details of those processes, you'll have a better
shot of getting something going on an endowment.
7. KEEP YOUR TEAM VISIBLE AND
ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
Host open
houses for incoming students, consider an intramural debate tournament, put
on public debate and speaking performances, keep other faculty, staff, and
administration abreast of the team's performance. Make sure your students
pre-arrange absences with their professors.
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