Central West Coast FPRA’s Mission Mavericks Program Takes Flight, Empowering Nonprofits with PR Guidance

April 22, 2024 – Sarasota

The Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA)has completed the first pro-bono project as part of a new community guidance program, Mission Mavericks: Fly Far with PR.

Mission Mavericks took flight in August 2023 by opening up applications to 501(c)(3) nonprofits or for-profit companies in need of public relations guidance that had limited or no PR, communications, and/or marketing staff. At the end of the application period, CWC-FPRA had received interest from more than 30 organizations to participate in the program. The Mission Mavericks committee selected Children’s Guardian Fund as its inaugural recipient and began work in November 2023. Due to the level of interest in the program, CWC-FPRA also invited all applicants to a networking event in December 2023 to receive advice on some of their PR related issues.

“The Mission Mavericks program helped fulfill our chapter’s aspiration and desire to better show up for the communities we serve,” said Hunter Carpenter, President-Elect of CWC-FPRA. “Our inaugural partnership with Children’s Guardian Fund was enriching for everyone involved, and we’re as energized as ever to explore further ways to be a local resource of PR expertise and guidance for organizations in need.”

The Mission Mavericks committee held meetings with Children’s Guardian Fund to understand their PR challenges and opportunities and map out deliverables for the remainder of the program. These deliverables were presented to Children’s Guardian Fund in February and included: drafting press release templates; connecting the client with a CWC-FPRA member for a one-on-one virtual design and website redesign consultation; pulling a media list of relevant local outlets and contacts; and developing a human-interest story pitch around the recipient’s laptop drive initiative.

“Children’s Guardian Fund was honored to have been selected to participate in the inaugural Mission Mavericks program,” said Svetlana Ivashchenko, Executive Director of Children’s Guardian Fund. “The support was incredibly hands-on, and we walked away with tangible deliverables that our organization can apply immediately to better engage the communities we serve and increase the visibility of our programs and all of our wonderful partners who make our vital work possible.”

CWC-FPRA is grateful for the community’s interest in the program and anticipates conducting its second cycle for Mission Mavericks in Fall 2024.

The Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) meets monthly for professional development luncheons and networking. These events are designed to expose attendees to current public relations practices and developments in the communications industry. Visit cwcfpra.com for more information.

CWC-FPRA’s annual corporate sponsors are Achieva Credit Union, First Watch, Joe Curley, APR, CPRC, and Visit Sarasota.