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By Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell, The Sun – San Bernardino and The Inland Empire Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/09/2008 08:03:27 PM PDT

Nonprofits struggle in the best of times, so it has been tough for many of the help organizations in the current economic climate.

To help them stay afloat and to provide advice on how to draw attention to their organizations, San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Paul Biane hosted the seventh annual Nonprofit Resource Seminar on Wednesday in Rancho Cucamonga.

“The supervisor has always believed if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach him to fish, you feed him for a lifetime,” said Melissa Boyd, field representative for the supervisor. “It is applicable to nonprofits, because a lot of them want to keep growing but are just trying to pay the electricity bill.”

The event started out small and has since grown into an event attended by hundreds seeking advice from public relations and marketing professionals and Internet experts.

On Wednesday, the sessions at the Central Park Community Center in Rancho Cucamonga included mastering the media, building financial stability, community collaboration and e-Strategy for nonprofits.

David Hamlin of Weisman Hamlin Public Relations said he was glad to be part of an event that supported nonprofits, because they are looking down the barrel of some very difficult times.

“I see it as important to help them, because if there is a problem out there, there is a nonprofit trying to fix it,” he said in the sessions he hosted.

The advice he and wife Sydney Weisman gave included the importance of a timely media advisory, calling reporters at designated hours and not holding a news conference unless you have a monster story.

To save money in tough financial times, he suggested visiting journalism or public relations classes to get interns.

“We want you to get coverage. That is why we do these workshops,” he said.

Attendees were also encouraged to share information about their nonprofits with Weisman, who walked from table to table with a microphone.

Everyone in the room was then encouraged to brainstorm for story ideas based on what the nonprofit does.

The best ideas dealt with controversy or focused on people, trends, changes and patterns.

For example, when one man discussed La Verne/San Dimas Meals on Wheels, Weisman suggested a trends story on how Meals on Wheels volunteers are coping with high gas prices.

A woman speaking about her nonprofit, which supports pregnant women with diabetes, was told to pitch a trend story because the number of women dealing with diabetes during pregnancy is on the rise.

Meanwhile, Allan Pressel, founder and CEO of CharityFinders, which helps nonprofits use the Internet to further their mission, discussed such issues as how to have a Web site that has a lot to see and do.

Pressel said the event was extremely useful to nonprofit representatives, because they are hungry for information on how they can raise more money.

deborah.pfeiffer@inlandnewspapers.com

(909) 386-3879