Outright Entrepreneurs: Sonia Wilson, Two for the Price of One PR and Fundraising Consultant

When an organization needs fundraising, they hire a fundraiser. When they need publicity, they hire a public relations consultant. Rarely do they get two for the price of one – until they meet Sonia Wilson. The New York City-based fundraising and PR consultant has made a career out of combining two disciplines that have much in common, but do not traditionally go together.

Wilson’s passion is for publicizing and empowering brands she believes in. She got her love of public relations from her mother, a registered nurse, who imparted to her the values she runs her business by – integrity, common-decency, character and education. Wilson realized she would base her business on those values after her daughter came home one day from her internship at a PR firm with a startling admission, “I don’t like working for these people because they lie too much.” Said Wilson, “It was like a light bulb went off in my head. She was right. Many PR people try to project, at any cost, the ‘proper’ image. My focus is to make sure that I can be held to my word. So if I say that my client serves its food in biodegradable products, I mean it. I won’t put my reputation or that of my client on the line just to get some kind of publicity.”

The fact that Wilson’s services fill a unique niche has helped her succeed in her business. For example, when planning a fundraising event, she can call on a PR contact to book a newsworthy keynote speaker, thus ensuring her client donations and media attention. Also, the fundraising aspect of Wilson’s business ensures that she is able to work with non-profits that share her goals. Her clients include Medgar Evers College, and GirlsBlossom.org, a Brooklyn based non-profit that helps at-risk girls succeed. She also represents professional organizations such as the National Bar Association.

But, says Wilson, it’s easy for a consultant or sole-proprietor who publicizes her client list to get pigeonholed. For now, the social and community non-profits she works with are related to minorities, but in the future plans to market her services to non-profits of all stripes in order to diversify. “Like an actress, I want to go mainstream,” Wilson says.

For aspiring publicists, Wilson says this, “You have to really care to be a publicist. You can’t be in it for the money. Money is a byproduct of quality work or service delivered. The minute your focus becomes the money, that’s when you fall short. Your focus needs to be on creating value and making yourself indispensible to this client.” She adds, “And don’t do something just because someone else is doing it. Find your passion. Work hard.”

Sonia is a tenacious and compelling publicist and fundraiser representing: Youth Empowerment Mission, Metropolitan Black Bar Association, National Bar Association, Medgar Evers College, New York Association of Black Journalists, United States Tennis Association Eastern Section and The Network Journal. She has handled fundraising for Legal Services of New York and publicity-community education for NYC Department of Health Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. She executes publicity, fundraising, corporate sponsorship sales for clients’ awards events; while securing media coverage, gift bag items, keynote speakers, event hosts, honorees, celebrity appearances and entertainment.