Networking your Communications Budget
Just about every organization regardless of business structure (i.e., non-profit, for-profit) suffers from either a lack of communication staff time, or an insufficient outreach budget, or (likely) both. So how can organizations overcome these communication hurdles?
They tap in to their self-interested stakeholders.
First, you must recognize that customers/members/suppliers are motivated by self interest. They will happily spread your word so long as it benefits them. Benefits fall across the spectrum of self-interest from free press to association with credible organizations to agenda promotion. While it's difficult to anticipate every possible motivator, it's relatively easy to develop the tools and templates necessary for stakeholders to start talking. 
Hospitals for a Healthy Environment recently completed its Environmental Excellence Summit and awards program. In total, H2E recognized 128 organizations across multiple categories. Awards programs usually are not newsworthy; however, H2E developed sample media kits for award winners including press release templates with quotes, logos, and instructions. By making it easy for winners to publicize their awards, H2E garnered significant press from local and regional publications happy to write about the good deeds of their hospitals.
It was as easy for some small hospitals as filling in blanks and sending off to their local paper! For others, the template with approved language/quotes eliminated the need for H2E's approval for every new press release, reducing the burden on H2E's limited staff!
Keeping it simple and providing the tools necessary to enable others to talk about your services helps spread your message effectively.
