22 minute read
TOP LAW FIRMS
Abramson Brown & Dugan
1819 Elm Street Manchester, NH 03104 603-627-1819 arbd.com
Product Liability Litigation — Plaintiffs
Annis & Zellers
2 South State Street Concord, NH 03301 603-224-5800 annisandzellers.com
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Tax Law Trusts and Estates
Ansell & Anderson P.A.
40 South River Road, Bedford Place #32 Bedford, NH 03110 603-644-8211 ansellpa.com
Trusts and Estates Law
Backus, Meyer & Branch
PO Box 516 116 Lowell Street Manchester, NH 03105 603-244-3282/603-668-0730 backusmeyer.com
Appellate Practice Civil Rights Law Employment Law – Individuals First Amendment Law
Baroff & Craven PA
740 Chestnut Street, Manchester, NH 03104 603-647-4200/603-626-0046 baroffpa.com
Commercial Finance Law Real Estate Law
Barradale, O’Connell, Newkirk & Dwyer
Three Executive Park Drive, Suite 107 Bedford, NH 03110 603-644-0275/603-606-4258 bondpa.com
Trusts and Estates Trusts and Estates Litigation
Bernstein Shur
Jefferson Mill Building 670 North Commercial Street, Suite 108 PO Box 1120 Manchester, NH 03105 603-623-8700/603-623-7775 bernsteinshur.com
Commercial Litigation Commercial Transactions/UCC Law Construction Law Construction Litigation Criminal Defense – White Collar Education Law Employment Law – Individuals Employment Law – Management First Amendment Litigation Labor Law – Management Land Use and Zoning Law Litigation Real Estate Litigation Real Estate Law Trade Secrets Law
Bourque & Associates
835 Hanover Street, Suite 301 Manchester, NH 03104 603-623-5111/603-624-1432 nhpatlaw.com
Copyright Law Intellectual Property Litigation Patent Litigation Patent Law Trademark Law
Brennan, Lenehan, Iacopino & Hickey
85 Brook Street Manchester, NH 03104 603-734-5461/603-668-1029 bclilaw.com
Criminal Defense – White Collar
Caldwell Law
367 Route 120, Suite B-6 Lebanon, NH 03766 603-643-7577/603-643-8686 estateandelderlawgroup.com
Trusts and Estates Law
Cleveland, Waters and Bass
Two Capital Plaza PO Box 1137 Concord, NH 03302 603-224-7761/603-224-6457 228 Main Street New London, NH 03257 603-526-2835 40 Mill Street Wolfeboro, NH 03894 603-569-1055 cwbpa.com
Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law Commercial Finance Law Commercial Litigation Commercial Transactions/UCC Law Corporate Law Land Use and Zoning Law Real Estate Law Real Estate Litigation Workers’ Compensation Law — Claimants
Cook Little Rosenblatt & Manson
1000 Elm Street, 20th Floor Manchester, NH 03101 603-621-7100/ 603-621-7111 clrm.com
Banking and Finance Law Banking and Finance Litigation Bet-the-Company Litigation Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law Commercial Finance Law Commercial Litigation Commercial Transactions / UCC Law Copyright Law Corporate Law Employment Law – Management Intellectual Property Litigation Labor and Employment Litigation Mergers and Acquisitions Law Patent Litigation Securities Litigation Securities/Capital Markets Law Securitization and Structured Finance Law Tax Law Technology Law Trademark Law Venture Capital Law
D’Amante Couser Pellerin & Associates
Nine Triangle Park Drive PO Box 2650 Concord, NH 03302 603-224-6777/603-224-6696 damantelaw.com
Land Use and Zoning Law Real Estate Law
Davis & Bujold
112 Pleasant Street Concord, NH 03301 603-226-7490/603-226-7499 davisandbujold.com
Copyright Law Patent Law Intellectual Property Litigation Trademark Law
Devine, Millimet & Branch
111 Amherst Street Manchester, NH 03101 603-669-1000 15 North Main Street, Suite 300 Concord, 03301 30 Penhallow Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-669-1000 devinemillimet.com
Appellate Practice Banking and Finance Law Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law Commercial Finance Law Commercial Litigation Construction Law Construction Litigation Corporate Law Commercial Transactions/UCC Law Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law Employment Law – Management Environmental Law Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law Healthcare Law Healthcare Litigation Insurance Litigation Insurance Law Land Use and Zoning Law Land Use and Zoning Litigation Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants Merger and Acquisitions Law Nonprofit/Charities Law Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants Project Finance Law Public Finance Law Real Estate Law Real Estate Litigation Tax Law Trusts and Estates Law Trusts and Estates Litigation Workers’ Compensation Law –Employers
Douglas, Leonard & Garvey
14 South Street Concord, NH 03301 603-224-1988/603-229-1988 36 Maplewood Avenue Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-610-8274 nhlawoffice.com
Employment Law – Individuals Workers’ Compensation Law –Claimants
Downs Rachlin Martin
67 Etna Road, Suite 300 Lebanon, NH 03766 603-448-2211/603-448-9967 drm.com
Employment Law – Management Labor and Employment – Litigation Trusts and Estates Law Trusts and Estates Litigation
Drummond Woodsum
501 Islington Street, Suite 2C Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-433-3317/603-433-5384 1001 Elm Street, Suite 303 Manchester, NH 01845 603-716-2895/603-716-2899 78 Bank Street Lebanon, NH 03766 603-448-2221/603-448-5949 dwmlaw.com
Education Law Employment Law – Management Immigration Law Insurance Law Insurance Law – Litigation Labor Law – Management Municipal Litigation
Ducharme Resolutions
20 Market Street, Suite 206 Manchester, NH 03101 603-935-7292/603-347-8218 ducharmeresolutions.com
Mediation Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Ferro Law & Mediation Group PLLC
57 Market Street Manchester, NH 03101 603-836-5400 ferrolawgroup.com
Flood, Sheehan & Tobin, PLLC
Two Delta Drive, Suite 303 Concord, NH 03301 603-415-4200/603-415-4201 fstlaw.com
Trusts and Estates Law
Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell PC
214 North Main Street PO Box 1415 Concord, NH 03302 603-228-1181/603-224-7588 gcglaw.com
Administrative/Regulatory Law Arbitration Banking and Finance Law Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Commercial Finance Law Commercial Litigation Commercial Transactions/UCC Law Corporate Law Energy Law Financial Services Regulation Law Government Relations Practice Insurance Law Land Use and Zoning Law Land Use and Zoning Litigation Mediation Mergers and Acquisitions Law Real Estate Law Tax Law Trusts and Estates Law
GoffWilson
1000 Elm Street, 20th Floor Manchester, NH 03101 603-228-1277/603-226-0791 goffwilson.com
Immigration Law
Gottesman & Hollis, P.A.
39 East Pearl Street Nashua, NH 03060 603-506-4600 nh-lawyers.com
Land Use and Zoning Law Land Use and Zoning Litigation Real Estate Law
Hage Hodes, P.A.
1855 Elm Street Manchester, NH 03104 603-668-2222/603-641-6333 hagehodes.com
Commercial Litigation Corporate Law Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law Intellectual Property Litigation Patent Litigation
Hamblett & Kerrigan
20 Trafalgar Square, Suite 505 Nashua, NH 03063 603-883-5501/603-880-0458 nashualaw.com
Corporate Law Real Estate Law
William S. Gannon PLLC
889 Elm Street, Fourth Floor Manchester, NH 03101 603-621-0833/603-621-0830 wgannon.com
Hoefle, Phoenix, Gormley & Roberts PLLC
127 Parrot Avenue Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-436-0666/603-431-0879 hpgrlaw.com
Environmental Law Insurance Law
Bankruptcy Litigation Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Hess Gehris Solutions
95 North State Street Concord, NH 03301 603-225-0477/603-227-0745 hessgehris.com
Mediation
Hinckley Allen
650 Elm Street Manchester, NH 03101 603-225-4334/603-224-8350 hinckleyallen.com
Commercial Litigation Construction Law Construction Litigation Corporate Law Healthcare Law Land Use and Zoning Law Land Use and Zoning Litigation Real Estate Law
Integral Business Counsel PLLC
155 Fleet Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-766-0408/866-612-3037 integralcounsel.com
Corporate Law
Jackson Lewis
100 International Drive, Suite 363 Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-559-2700/603-559-2701 jacksonlewis.com
Employment Law – Management Labor Law – Management Labor and Employment Litigation
John Kitchen’s Law Offices
55 Church Street Laconia, NH 03246 603-524-5765/603-524-5766 johnskitchen.org
FOUNDED IN 1919
TRUSTED LEGAL ADVISORS
CLIENT BY CLIENT, CASE BY CASE
Trusts and Estates Law
CORPORATE / TAX / TRUSTS & ESTATES / LITIGATION EDUCATION / EMPLOYMENT / HEALTH CARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY / PRIVACY & DATA SECURITY ENERGY / ENVIRONMENT / REAL ESTATE & LAND USE PERSONAL REPRESENTATION / BANKRUPTCY GOVERNMENT & CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS & REGULATION
Serving our clients in New Hampshire and nationwide since 1899
The firm’s practice encompasses a full range of legal services.
McLane.com
MANCHESTER, NH / CONCORD, NH / PORTSMOUTH, NH WOBURN, MA / BOSTON, MA Ranked in Chambers USA and US News Best Law Firms
Law Office of Peter J. Loughlin
Leonard Cotton House Strawbery Banke 144 Washington Street Portsmouth, NH 03802 603-431-6466/603-436-4079 pjllaw.com
Land Use and Zoning Law Municipal Law
McDonald & Kanyuk PLLC
7 Hills Avenue Concord, NH 03301 603-228-9900/603-228-2802 mckan.com
Tax Law Trusts and Estates Law
Mark Dean PLLC
49 Franklin Street Concord, NH 03301 603-230-9955/603-230-9669 mdeanlaw.net
Energy Law
McLane Middleton
City Hall Plaza 900 Elm Street, 10th Floor Manchester, NH 03101 603-625-6464/603-625-5650 100 Arboretum Drive, Suite 140 Newington, NH 03801 603-436-2818/603-436-5672 11 South Main Street, Suite 500 Concord, NH 03301 603-226-0400/603-230-4448 mclane.com
Administrative/Regulatory Law Appellate Practice Banking and Finance Law Banking and Finance Litigation Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law Bet-the-Company Litigation Commercial Litigation Construction Litigation Copyright Law Corporate Compliance Law Corporate Law Criminal Defense – White Collar Education Law Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law Employment Law – Management Energy Law Energy Regulatory Law Environmental Law Environmental Litigation Financial Services Regulation Law First Amendment Law Government Relations Practice Immigration Law Labor Law – Management Intellectual Property Litigation Labor and Employment Ligitation Land Use and Zoning Litigation Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs Mergers and Acquisitions Law Nonprofit/Charities Law Real Estate Law Securities/Capital Markets Law Securities Regulation Tax Law Tax Litigation and Controversy Trademark Law Trusts and Estates Law Trusts and Estates Litigation
Molan Law Office PLLC
85 Sheffield Road Manchester, NH 03103 603-206-5470 molanlaw.com
Employment Law — Individuals Labor Law — Union
Mulhern & Scott PLLC
381 Middle Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-436-1211/603-436-1242 mulhernlaw.com
Trusts and Estates Law
Mulvey Cornell & Mulvey
378 Islington Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 888-879-4109 mulveymediation.com
Arbitration & Mediation
Myskowski & Matthews PLLC
15 Main Street, Suite 204 Concord, NH 03301 603-227-6342 mmlawnh.com
Trusts and Estates Law
Nicholson Law Firm
58 North State Street, PO Box 4137 Concord, NH 03302 603-856-8441/603-856-7425 mcnich.com
Nonprofit/Charities Law
Nixon Peabody LLP
900 Elm Street Manchester, NH 03101 603-628-4000/603-628-4040 nixonpeabody.com
Appelate Practice Banking and Finance Litigation Bankruptcy Litigation Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law Bet-the-Company Litigation Commercial Litigation Corporate Law Government Relations Practice Insurance Law Banking and Finance Litigation Bankruptcy Litigation Healthcare Law
An innovative approach to harnessing legal, legislative and public policy expertise.
Advocacy Through Action
www.rathlaw.com Concord, NH (603) 226-2600 Nashua, NH (603) 889-9952 Boston, MA (617) 523-8080 Montpelier, VT (802) 229-8050
View of Mt. Washington Observatory Photograph by ecophotography
Healthcare Law Healthcare Litigation Mergers and Acquisitions Law Mergers and Acquisitions Litigation Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants Municipal Litigation Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Project Finance Law Securities Litigation
Nixon, Vogelman, Slawsky & Simoneau
77 Central Street Manchester, NH 03101 603-669-7070 davenixonlaw.com
Civil Rights Law
Notinger Law
7A Taggart Drive Nashua, NH 03060 603-417-2158 notingerlaw.com
Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law Bankruptcy Litigation
Orr & Reno
PO Box 3550 45 S. Main Street Concord, NH 03302 603-224-2381/603-224-2318 orr-reno.com
Administrative/Regulatory Law Appellate Practice Arbitration Commercial Finance Law Corporate Law Energy Law First Amendment Law First Amendment Litigation Government Relations Insurance Law Real Estate Litigation Real Estate Law
Pierce Atwood
One New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 350 Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-433-6300/603-433-6372 pierceatwood.com
Corporate Law Environmental Law Land Use and Zoning Law Land Use and Zoning Litigation Mergers and Acquisitions Law Real Estate Law Securities/Capital Markets Law Trusts and Estates Law
Preti Flaherty
PO Box 1318 57 North Main Street Concord, NH 03302 603-410-1500/603-410-1501 preti.com
Insolvency and Reorganization Law Commercial Litigation Construction Law Corporate Law Energy Law Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants Municipal Law Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants Real Estate Law
Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer P.C.
PO Box 3600 900 Elm Street, 19th Floor Manchester, NH 03105 603-626-3300/603-626-0997 Two International Drive, Suite 330 Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-427-8565/603-427-8566 PO Box 349 106 Main Street Littleton, NH 03561 603-444-4008/603-444-6040 primmer.com
Appellate Practice Banking and Finance Law Bet-the-Company Litigation Commercial Litigation Construction Law Corporate Law Financial Services Regulation Law Insurance Litigation Mediation Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Real Estate Law
Ransmeier & Spellman P.C.
One Capitol Street, Fourth Floor Concord, NH 03301 603-290-5104/603-224-2780 2 Continental Blvd. Rochester, NH 03867 603-290-5104/603-224-2780 ranspell.com
Trusts and Estates Law
Rath, Young and Pignatelli
PO Box 1500 One Capital Plaza Concord, NH 03302 603-226-2600/603-226-2700 20 Trafalgar Square, #307 Nashua, NH 03063 603-889-9952/603-595-7489 rathlaw.com
Commercial Litigation Energy Law Energy Regulatory Law Environmental Law Environmental Litigation Government Relations Practice Insurance Law Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Tax Litigation and Controversy Tax Law
Robinson, Boesch, Sennott & Daly P.A.
195 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 255 Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-427-5380/603-427-5381 nhprobatelaw.com
Trusts and Estates Law Trusts and Estates Litigation
Shaheen & Gordon P.A.
PO Box 2703 107 Storrs Street Concord, NH 03302 603-819-4231 353 Central Avenue, Suite 200 Dover, NH 03820 603-871-4144 180 Bridge Street Manchester, NH 03104 603-635-4099 11 Concord Street Nashua, NH 03060 603-546-0004 shaheengordon.com
Bet-the-Company Litigation Civil Rights Law Consumer Protection Law Criminal Defense – White-Collar Employment Law – Individuals First Amendment Litigation Healthcare Law Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs Trusts and Estates Litigation Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants
Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green
PO Box 3701 1000 Elm Street, 17th Floor Manchester, NH 03101 603-668-0300/603-627-8121 Two Eagle Square, Third Floor Concord, NH 03301 603-223-2020/603-224-8899 75 Portsmouth Blvd., Suite 110 Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-431-1222 sheehan.com
Bet-the-Company Litigation Commercial Litigation Corporate Law Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law Employment Law – Individuals Employment Law – Management Energy Law Environmental Law Healthcare Law Labor Law – Management Intellectual Property Litigation Labor and Employment Litigation Land Use and Zoning Litigation Mergers & Acquisitions Law Nonprofit/Charities Law Patent Law Real Estate Law Trusts and Estates Law Tax Litigation and Controversy Tax Law
Sisti Law Offices
387 Dover Road Chichester, NH 03258 603-224-4220/603-226-2025 78 Fleet Street Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-433-7117/603-427-2938 16 Park Street Lancaster, NH 03584 603-788-3018/603-226-2025 sistilawoffices.com
Criminal Defense – White Collar
Stebbins Bradley, PA
41 South Park Street Hanover, NH 03755 603-643-3737/603-643-9634 stebbinsbradley.com
Trusts and Estates Law
Stebbins, Lazos & Van Der Beken P.A.
889 Elm Sreet, 6th Floor Manchester, NH 03101 603-627-3700/603-641-8900 slvlaw.com
Banking and Finance Law Corporate Law Financial Services Regulation Law Land Use and Zoning Litigation Mergers and Acquisition Law Real Estate Law
The Stein Law Firm PLLC
One Barberry Lane Concord, NH 03301 603-228-1109/603-228-5326 steinlawpllc.com
Commercial Litigation Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs Trusts and Estates Litigation
Steiner Law Office PLLC
PO Box 3722 Concord, NH 03302 603-345-6440/603-715-1998 jimsteinerlaw.com
Trusts and Estates Litigation
Sulloway & Hollis
PO Box 1256 9 Capitol Street & 29 School Street Concord, NH 03301 603-223-2341/603-226-2404 30 Exchange Street Gorham, NH 03581 603-466-5946 sulloway.com
Employment Law – Individuals Employment Law – Management Energy Law Insurance Law Insurance – Litigation Labor Law – Management Labor and Employment Litigation
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Real Estate Law Tax Law Trusts and Estates Law Trusts and Estates Litigation
Trombley & Kfoury
166 South River Road, Suite 250 Bedford, NH 03110 603-935-7566/603-935-7649 47 Old Concord Turnpike, PO Box 860 Barrington, NH 03825 603-868-6155/603-868-6156 trombleykfoury.com
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
Upton & Hatfield LLP
PO Box 1090 10 Centre Street Concord, NH 03302 603-716-9777/603-224-0320 8 School Street, PO Box 13 Hillsborough, NH 03244 603-605-1552/603-464-3269 20 Grove Street, #130 Peterborough, NH 03458 603-954-5911/603-924-8730 159 Middle Street, 1st Floor Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-605-0755/603-369-4645 upton-hatfield.com
Banking and Finance Law Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) Commercial Litigation Education Law Employment Law – Individuals Employment Law – Management Insurance Law Insurance Litigation Labor and Employment Litigation Mediation Municipal Law Municipal Litigation Real Estate Law
Wadleigh, Starr & Peters PLLC
95 Market Street Manchester, NH 03101 603-669-4140/603-669-6018 wadleighlaw.com
Bet-the-Company Litigation Commercial Litigation Commercial Transactions/UCC Law Construction Law Construction Litigation Criminal Defense – White Collar Education Law Employment Law – Management Labor Law – Management Land Use and Zoning Law Land Use and Zoning Litigation Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants Municipal Law Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants Real Estate Law
Do you want to be a more inclusive business?
New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation is proud to offer free disability and inclusion training to businessess in New Hampshire. The Windmills disability awarenes training program equips business leaders and their teams with the knowledge, skills, and tools to create an inclusive workplace where all employees have the ability to thrive. • Recognize the benefits of diverse experiences and abilities • Improve communication with and about people with disabilities • Learn how to implement low cost accomodations • Understand the basics of disability employment
To schedule a virtual training or to learn more about the services available that help NH businesses hire, retain and advance qualified employees with disabilities, contact:
Tracey Frye
Wescott Law, PA
Bowman Street School 28 Bowman Street Laconia, NH 03246 603-524-2166/ 603-528-2122 272 Daniel Webster Highway Meredith, NH 03253 14 Hancock Street The Jones House Strawbery Banke Museum Portsmouth, NH 03801 603-433-5385 1 Bridge St., Suite 203 Plymouth, NH 03264 wescottlawnh.com
Real Estate Law
Winer & Bennett LLP
PO Box 488 111 Concord Street Nashua, NH 03064 603-882-5157/603-882-2694 winerbennett.com
Real Estate Law
List of leading law firms that practice in New Hampshire, including their top specialties, was compiled by New Hampshire Business Review based on results found in “The Best Lawyers in America® 2020,” a list of the country’s top attorneys, published by the national polling firm Woodward-White.
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BY RICHARD PECK AND LAURA RAUSCHER
Richard Peck is vice president of development and philanthropy services at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. He can be reached at Richard.Peck@nhcf. org or 1-800-464-6641, ext. 265.
Laura Rauscher is director of development and philanthropy services at the Foundation, and can be reached at Laura.Rauscher@nhcf. org or 1-800-464-6641, ext. 274.
Giving improves our communities — and makes your company a better place to work
Here are some ideas for starting or building on your philanthropic practice
New Hampshire businesses do a huge amount of good in our communities: sponsoring on-site mentoring programs, feeding neighbors who are hungry, helping young people afford college — and so much more.
Philanthropy has obvious positive effects for our communities — and, studies consistently show, positive effects for businesses too. Corporate giving has been shown to make the employees happier, more productive and more fulfilled — and more likely to stay with that company over the long term.
Increasingly, employees (particularly millennials) are seeking out companies that incorporate philanthropy and community engagement into their culture, and are gravitating to companies that provide benefits like volunteer time and matches for charitable giving. People want to know that they, and the companies they work for, are doing good while doing well.
Nonprofit organizations have responded heroically to the challenges of the past year, continuing to meet their critical missions and help our communities weather the Covid-19 pandemic and accompanying economic fallout. They will be a critical part of our shared recovery from this challenging time.
Here are some ideas for how your business can support New Hampshire nonprofits now, and create a lasting culture of philanthropy that engages your employees and helps make New Hampshire better for everyone who calls New Hampshire home:
GIVE DIRECTLY TO NEW HAMPSHIRE NONPROFITS, AND PROVIDE MATCH-
ING GIFTS FOR EMPLOYEES. Company gifts are philanthropic leadership-byexample and any amount of a company match encourages employee giving. Some companies match a percentage, some put a cap on total dollar amount per employee, but all boost generosity and amplify your employees’ giving power.
OFFER PAID VOLUNTEER TIME. Most people want to volunteer, and volunteering connects them more deeply with their communities. But many people — juggling demands of career, home and family — simply do not have time. Give them, and give New Hampshire communities, the gift of that time. Some companies offer their employees one day a year of paid volunteer time, others more. Some companies organize structured volunteer opportunities (like teams of people serving meals together at a soup kitchen or helping build a community playground). Paid volunteer time encourages employees to roll up their sleeves and give back to their communities — and volunteering together builds relationships and camaraderie at work.
OPEN A SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR STUDENTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
Countless New Hampshire companies have scholarship funds that help kids in their communities afford college. Some are managed by the companies themselves. Others — from Dunkin’ Donuts to St. Mary’s Bank
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, New Hampshire’s statewide community foundation, works with generous individuals, families and businesses to maximize the power of their giving, supports great work happening in our communities, and leads and collaborates on high-impact initiatives.
to Portsmouth Regional Hospital and more — are administered through the Charitable Foundation. Thanks to the generosity of New Hampshire individuals, families and businesses, the Foundation’s student aid program is the largest source of publicly available scholarships in the state.
START A UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN.
United Way chapters around the state provide all the tools you need to run an employee campaign in your company. This payroll-deduction plan allows employees to choose where their donations go, and is a time-tested way of incorporating philanthropy into the workplace. United Ways are a critical source of support for New Hampshire nonprofits, distributing $14 million each year to nonprofits around the state. Many businesses also participate in the United Way Day of Caring, which mobilizes teams of volunteers to do projects for nonprofits, from painting and landscaping to sorting food for food pantries.
GIVE TO A COVID-RELIEF FUND.
United Way chapters around the state have established relief funds specific to the Covid crisis. One hundred percent of donations to these funds go directly to help those in need. And the Charitable Foundation has established the Community Crisis Action Fund to support New Hampshire communities during this challenging time — and as we rebuild from its effects.
SUPPORT NH GIVES. NH Gives is New Hampshire’s 24-hour, online statewide giving event created by the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits. Hundreds of nonprofits participate, with matching gifts and prizes throughout the 24-hour period and leaderboards displayed throughout. Promote the event with your employees, sponsor the event or provide a match. Visit nhgives.org to learn more about how to become involved in NH Gives.
EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS.
Maybe your IT department could offer tech expertise to a small nonprofit, or you could organize a company food drive for your local food pantry. One New Hampshire company, CCA Global Partners, has created a partnership with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of New Hampshire. “Little” brothers and sisters come to the Manchester headquarters directly from school every other Monday to spend time with their “bigs” right there at the office, eat a nutritious meal, and not only benefit from time spent with caring adults, but get to see what is possible in the world of work. Opportunities for creative partnerships abound!
CREATE A PHILANTHROPIC FUND FOR COMMUNITY NONPROFITS, AND INVOLVE EMPLOYEES IN GIVING DECI-
SIONS. As many business owners are aware, requests for donations can seem constant and can be hard to keep organized. Increasingly, companies use donor-advised funds to organize their giving and recommend grants to community nonprofits. Companies create the funds, and then employee committees — from all levels of the organization — get together to discuss requests from nonprofits and recommend grants. Some companies match employee contributions into the company’s giving fund, and invite nonprofits in to tell employees about their work, further connecting the team with the nonprofits that provide critical services and improve the quality of life in our communities.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Like every other part of a company’s culture, great leadership in the area of giving, volunteering and connecting with community have a profound effect on your team — no matter what your business does, or if you have five employees or 500. Examples of generosity inspire.
BY MATT COOKSON
A solid public relations campaign involves delivering relevant content that piques the interest of potential customers and partners, and in some cases, a call to action.
Matt Cookson is president and CEO of Cookson Communications in Manchester.
Communicate effectively by identifying your audience
Customized content delivered through the appropriate channels can have a lasting effect
Sharing information has never been so easy. Just post it, right? Not so fast.
The receiver may not be the right person. With an online attention span per message of just six seconds, if they are not instantly engaged, they are gone. Have you looked at that last Facebook post?
Today, communications require a strategy to create compelling content, identify your target audience, select the delivery channel and customize the content so receivers react positively to the message or a call to action. Understanding how each channel is used by your target audiences is critical when you are targeting your messaging to inform them and get them to take some form of action.
On more than one occasion we have had public relations clients ask us if we can get them into The Wall Street Journal. Our answer is, “Yes, if you would like to buy an ad.” While this might sound a bit flippant, the bottom line is that most news items are not going to receive national attention because the news does not necessarily appeal to a national audience. That attention needs to be garnered in other creative ways that could lead to greater engagement.
Part of our job is to use our experience to help clients understand what items are likely to pique the interest of the media (and which media), what content might be better suited for their Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter followers, for example, and what might work best for a blog post or other distribution.
Geography is another significant factor in media relations. If a company in Nashua is announcing that it is expanding, that piece is not going to run in the Portsmouth Herald or Concord Monitor. It’s not relevant to the readership and publications that focus specifically on their target area (i.e., Portsmouth or Concord). And with reporters receiving hundreds of press releases in their inbox daily and many now using Twitter for pitches, they don’t have the time to find a local angle if it is not obvious at first glance. Flooding a reporter’s inbox with media releases that don’t align with their market or beat is a sure way to help them tune out and possibly miss a release that could be better aligned.
One test we often use is the “would you read this?” test. If the piece was picked up in the media, would you take time to read it? If not, perhaps it is better suited for a different channel. This goes back to knowing your audience and the call to action you want the messaging to trigger, and aligning your content and delivery method to that audience to trigger the call to action.
If it is about a winter coat drive, for example, it might be best served on community calendars and on social media where you can tap your employees, your followers and community partners to help spread the word.
Today’s content lives online. It might be presented in print, but it is then repurposed through a media outlet’s digital service and then shared by the organization online through its website and social channels. In short, it has a digital life that can be perpetuated for some time.
There are also ways to blend your distribution channels, extending the reach of a story and allowing your content to work for you.
Solid, relevant content is the starting point. If you have good messaging that you believe people will care about, focus on connecting the dots with them and delivering it through customized messaging that gives them a true call to action beyond a view and a like.
