| Quick answer: Local press coverage puts your giving list in front of thousands at no cost. To earn it: find a genuinely newsworthy angle (a deadline, a milestone, a local need, a human story), pitch the right reporter with a short personalized email, make their job easy with facts and a photo, and always include your giving list link so coverage converts to donations. A free MyRegistry giving list is the destination that turns a news story into gifts. |
A single local news story can reach more people than months of your own posting, and it costs nothing but the effort to earn it. But reporters get pitched constantly, and ‘please cover our fundraiser’ goes straight to the trash. The difference is a newsworthy angle and an easy pitch. Here’s how to get your giving list campaign covered.
Coverage only converts if it points somewhere, so every pitch includes your branded MyRegistry giving list link.
Reporters Need News, Not Requests
A reporter’s job is a story their audience cares about, not a favor for your organization. ‘We have a giving list’ isn’t news. ‘Local shelter races to equip 100 families before winter, and the community is stepping up’ is. Reframe your campaign as a story with stakes, and you become useful to them rather than another ask.
‘We have a giving list’ isn’t news. A deadline, a milestone, or a person is.
Find Your Angle
| Not newsworthy | Newsworthy angle |
|---|---|
| ‘We launched a giving list’ | ‘Race to equip 100 families by winter’ |
| ‘We need donations’ | ‘Local need surges 40% this year’ |
| ‘Please support us’ | ‘One volunteer’s mission to fill 500 backpacks’ |
| ‘Our annual drive’ | ‘Community rallies after local crisis’ |
| Give reporters a link that converts — set up a MyRegistry giving list . |
Pitch the Right Way
1. Find the Right Reporter
One who covers community, local causes, or your specific issue, not a generic newsroom inbox.
2. Write a Short, Personal Email
Reference their work, lead with the angle, three sentences. Reporters are busy.
3. Make Their Job Easy
Offer facts, a photo, a person to interview, and your giving list link, do the legwork for them.
4. Respect Their Deadline
Respond fast, be available, and never waste their time. It’s how you get covered again.
Turn Coverage Into Donations
Press reach is wasted if there’s nowhere to give. Always ensure the story includes (or points readers to) your giving list link, and be ready: when coverage runs, share it everywhere, and make sure your branded list is current and prominent. A story that moves people needs a one-click way to act, or the goodwill evaporates.
| Feature | MyRegistry Giving List | Single-store list |
|---|---|---|
| Add items from any store | Yes | No — one retailer |
| Cash gift funds | Yes | Rarely |
| Your logo & branding | Yes | Minimal |
| Embed on your website | Yes | Limited |
| Real-time tracking | Yes | Within that store |
| Cost | Free | Free |
A Real-World Scenario
A nonprofit emailed the local paper ‘please cover our donation drive’ and heard nothing. They tried again with an angle: ‘With local need up 40%, one shelter is racing to equip 100 families before the first freeze.’ They pitched the specific community reporter, offered a family to interview and a photo, and included their giving list link. The reporter ran it. The story reached thousands, the branded list was ready and current, and donations came from people who’d never heard of the organization the week before.
| ✔ Pros — Earning Local Press Coverage | ✘ Cons — Earning Local Press Coverage |
|---|---|
| • Reaches thousands at no cost | • Requires a genuine news angle |
| • A newsworthy angle gets you covered | • Coverage isn’t guaranteed — pitch several |
| • Easy pitches get reporters’ attention | |
| • The list link converts readers to donors | |
| • Builds a reusable media relationship |
| ★ Expert recommendation: Reframe your campaign as news — a deadline, a surge, a person — pitch the specific reporter who covers your beat with a three-sentence personal email, make their job easy with facts and a photo, and always include your giving list link. Then be ready to convert the reach when it runs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get local press to cover our campaign?
Lead with a newsworthy angle, a deadline, a milestone, a surge in need, or a human story, and pitch the specific reporter who covers your beat, briefly and personally.
What makes a campaign newsworthy?
Stakes and specifics: a deadline, a dramatic local need, a milestone, or one person’s story, not ‘we launched a giving list.’
How do we turn coverage into donations?
Always include your giving list link, keep the list current and branded, and share the coverage everywhere the moment it runs.
The Bottom Line
Local press can send thousands to your list for free, if you give them news and a link that converts. Ready your list at MyRegistry for Nonprofits.
