Dear Readers:
Welcome to The Phil, an online publication dedicated to shining a deserving spotlight on Virginia’s nonprofit community. We hope you will enjoy reading about the inspirational work that these organizations carry out day in and day out, organizations that improve the lives of our neighbors, create opportunities for growth and learning and provide uplifting experiences in many ways.
We have three objectives in establishing The Phil. First and foremost is to create an accessible platform that gives voice to the many stories within the nonprofit arena. These stories are too often overlooked by mainstream media outlets, given their many constraints these days, and we thought it was important to provide a platform that amplifies the heroic and critical work of nonprofits. Our second objective is to help these organizations reach new audiences – donors and volunteers, board members and public policymakers – people who may be moved to more fully engage with these organizations. Our expertise in both brand journalism and in leveraging our social media experience should go a long way toward helping raise the visibility of these nonprofit groups. And lastly, we are using The Phil as a practical laboratory of sorts to give experience to up-and-coming public relations professionals. While The Phil has a professional editorial team, it also will rely on the talents and energy of a successive group of college interns.
We hope you will dig in to The Phil and return often for a range of stories on human services agencies, educational groups and the arts and culture scene. You’ll find new stories posted each week. We’d also encourage you to like our Facebook page and Twitter account, where links to stories will be posted regularly. And if you have ideas for stories about an organization or the people that make them work, drop us a line at thephil@hodgespart.com.
