ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses public relations (PR) in the non-profit organization (NPO) sector in South Africa from a partnership perspective as found in relationship management theory. Non-profit organizations in South Africa are defined and described according to their function and sources of funding. The development of NPOs in South Africa is closely related to the historical development of the country. The concepts of branding and brand management are well known subfields of marketing management but although being addressed in the NPO sector in South Africa these are still emerging areas of practice. Building relationships to obtain and strengthen the support of stakeholders and, in the case of NPOs, support for their causes, are some of the key functions of public relations practitioners and have been the centre of many organization–public relationship studies. Relationship management, especially within the NPO context indicates how the organization and its stakeholders should interact with one another.