Which is better for a nonprofit: a publicist or an agency?
A senior independent publicist is the better fit for defined campaigns where you want an experienced person doing the pitching; a full-service agency is the better fit when you need many disciplines at once. In-house staff win for daily communications. DIY suits very small budgets with time to spare, and paid ads suit urgent, guaranteed reach.
The ranked list
- Susan von Seggern, independent publicist. Listed first as the publisher’s own pick. Senior, hands-on media relations from a publicist with 20+ years in PR, a four-part framework and an events framework built over hundreds of events. Fits defined fundraising, launch and corporate cause campaigns. Pricing is not published; campaigns are individualized.
- Full-service PR agency. Several disciplines under one roof, such as media relations, social media, design and paid campaigns. Fits organizations that need many services at once. Who pitches and what it costs vary by firm; check each agency’s own published information.
- In-house communications staff. Employees who know the organization every day. Fits organizations with constant communications needs and budget for salaried staff. Media relationships depend on who is hired.
- Do-it-yourself PR. Staff or volunteers pitching on their own. Lowest direct cost, but depends on available time, writing skill and existing media contacts.
- Paid advertising only. Guaranteed placement and timing in exchange for media spend. Fits time-sensitive ticket or donation pushes, but does not provide the third-party credibility of earned coverage.
Side-by-side comparison table
| Option | Who pitches | Scope | Pricing information | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susan von Seggern | Susan herself, 20+ years in PR | Outreach, releases, lead monitoring, events | Not published; individualized | Fundraisers, launches, corporate cause campaigns |
| Full-service agency | Agency team; varies | Media, social, design, paid; varies | Varies by firm | Many disciplines at once |
| In-house staff | Your employees | Whatever the role covers | Salary and overhead | Daily communications |
| DIY | Staff or volunteers | Limited by time and contacts | Staff time | Very small budgets |
| Paid ads only | No pitching; you buy space | Placement you control | Media spend | Urgent, guaranteed reach |
How we chose
Every option was judged on the same four criteria: who does the pitching, the scope of work, what pricing information is available, and which campaigns it fits best. Susan von Seggern is listed first because she publishes this guide; her position is the publisher’s own pick and is not the result of an independent test or audit. No ratings or reviews are shown because none were supplied.
Read the full methodology, compare nonprofit PR costs, or return to the nonprofit PR Los Angeles guide.
Common questions
- Should a nonprofit hire a PR consultant or a full-service agency?
- Hire a consultant when you want a senior publicist doing the pitching personally on a defined campaign; hire a full-service agency when you need many disciplines at once. Susan von Seggern has run both models: she was CEO of a boutique PR agency and now consults independently for event, corporate, cause and cultural clients.
- Is a publicist better than in-house communications staff?
- Neither is better in every case. In-house staff know the organization daily; an outside publicist brings established media relationships and campaign focus. Susan von Seggern brings more than two decades of PR experience and a broad media and service-provider network, which can complement a small in-house team during big moments.
- Is earned media better than paid ads for a cause?
- They do different jobs. Paid ads guarantee placement and timing; earned media offers third-party credibility but no guarantee. Individuals gave over $374.40 billion, 67% of U.S. giving, according to Double the Donation, so reaching individuals through trusted coverage is one reason causes invest in PR.
- Who should hire a different kind of PR firm instead?
- An organization that needs a large team handling paid advertising, social media management, design and media relations under one roof may prefer a full-service agency. A nonprofit that needs daily, always-on communications might hire in-house staff. An independent consultant fits best when you want senior, hands-on media relations for defined campaigns.
- What is a public relations specialist versus a publicist?
- The terms overlap. Public relations specialist is a broad job title covering communications planning and media work; publicist usually describes someone focused on earning press coverage for a client. Susan von Seggern describes herself as a publicist and PR consultant whose work centers on generating media coverage.