Is it Indeed Mainly a Matter of Budget? Strategic Pitfalls in Nonprofits Serving At-Risk Youth in Israel

While a substantial body of scholarship underscores the importance of strategic thinking in public relations, the persistent gap between academic recognition and practical implementation warrants deeper and more comprehensive investigation. This study focuses on nonprofit organizations (NPOs), illuminating a critical disparity between the strategic public relations approaches advocated in the literature and their actual application in practice. Drawing on multiple case studies of Israeli NPOs serving children and youth at risk and informed by semi-structured interviews with NPO directors and public relations practitioners, the findings reveal a notable absence of strategic elements in the public relations operations of these organizations. More significantly, the study identifies two interrelated explanations for this gap: (a) the prevailing organizational attitude toward public relations substantially shapes its practice; and (b) a frequent misalignment exists between PR activities and the professional needs and expectations of the organization. The findings suggest that both scholars and practitioners would benefit from more integrated, interdisciplinary frameworks that link public relations with other fields. Such approaches may help reduce organizational resistance and enhance the effectiveness of public relations within the nonprofit sector.