After more than a decade of working with lawyers who do wonderful things for the not-for-profit sector, I found myself in a support role for many attorneys who volunteered their time and talent to charitable causes in which they believed. As a Marketing Director with Community Relations as a substantial part of my role, I witnessed the donor side of the decision-making process. There are many grassroots organizations on Long Island, championed by people with a good heart and a good story to tell. Our not-for-profit sector must get their voices heard because they represent people who need a voice one and don't have one. Not-for-profits must master the art and science of public relations because it is the most cost-effective way to market messages. Especially in times of economic downturn, it's important for non-profits to maximize their resources. Here are some FREE web sites you must know: wwww. pnnonline.org The Non-Profit News Information Resource. Register and submit stories. www.guidestar.org 850,000 IRS recognized non-profits are in this database accessed by media. www.newsday.com/webbook On-line help book; submit your organization under one of the various categories. Www.longisland.com Become a member and post your press releases. Check out experts in marketing and public relations. Www.longisland.com/charities Post your volunteer opportunities on this board. Www.volunteermatch.org Connects your organization to interested volunteers. Www.pointsoflight.org Links for free to the Long Island Volunteer Center which posts Long Island organizations' volunteer needs. Www.suffolkjournal.com Contact news@suffolkjournal.com. Post your news releases. Www.publicityhound.com Subscribe to this e-zine and read monthly public relations tips. If you have some money you can spare, consider the following services: www.prnewswire.com Great paid way to circulate your press releases to media outlets. Contact: information@prnewswire.com or call 888-776-0942. www.profnet.com A collaborative of news and information officers that gives reporters free and convenient access to expert sources. Www.philanthropy.com The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the Newspaper of the Non-Profit World. The key to getting your voice heard in cyberspace is to help donors help you. In other words, the more links you have and the more keywords picked up by search engines like www.google.com, the more credibility not-for-profits will gain. More credibility means more donations. When approached by a not-for-profit, one of the first things I do is to run a search on www.google.com. By implementing some of the above-mentioned sites, our not-for-profit sector will begin to build a web presence-a great public relations strategy. May you get your voices heard.