Training Course: "Public Relations for Nonprofit Organizations"

Are you organizing great events or launching important initiatives and wondering how to get the press on board? Public visibility is key—it’s the only way to attract participants, supporters, and allies. And of course, you’re already using social media, handing out flyers, and so on. But to effectively win over the “traditional” media for your cause, you need to understand how newsrooms at newspapers and broadcast stations “work.” And if your press outreach is successful and you’re invited—for example, for an interview—it’s very helpful to be well prepared. But how? In this introductory course on successful public relations, we’ll learn about the inner workings of newsrooms, decision-making processes, and the criteria journalists use. This will help us determine when a press release is appropriate and, above all, how it should be structured. In a hands-on exercise, you’ll experience a newsroom meeting. Preparing for a press conference, including putting together a press kit, is also on the agenda. And finally, we’ll focus on how to best convey the essence of your own projects in a short live interview—you’ll have the chance to try this out for yourself as well.

Contents

Editorial Structures and Decision-Making Criteria

Press Releases: Introduction and Hands-On Exercise

Editorial meeting: Role-play

Press Kit and Press Conference

3-Minute Live Interview: Preparation and Practical Exercise

Notes: Please bring your own laptop, if available, for writing exercises, as well as any old press releases you may have.

Speaker: Bergit Fesenfeld, former WDR editor (retired), specializing in social issues; seminar trainer on public relations for social initiatives, children’s rights, and the rights of people with disabilities (including WDR, ARD, various universities, and children’s organizations); Author of books, including “Press and Public Relations for Children’s Rights”

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 2:30–6:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 20, 2026, from 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Registration deadline: Monday, September 14, 2026

Participation fee: 20 euros / reduced rate 10 euros

Number of participants: min. 8, max. 10