# PR & External Communication

Effective public relations and external communications are critical for maintaining credibility, building partnerships, and expanding the reach of your psychedelic society. Whether working with media, managing social platforms, or engaging in affiliate marketing, transparency and compliance should remain a top priority.

## Website Components

#### **Website Disclaimer**

To avoid liability and maintain clarity, include a disclaimer on your website stating that medicine endorsement is not permitted at your events. This helps establish boundaries and ensures compliance with platform policies and legal frameworks.\
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Here is a sample disclaimer…

“DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this website is for general information purposes only. This group is designed as a sober space to reduce harms and maximize benefits for those who choose to use psychedelics on their own accord. We do not in any way encourage or condone the use, purchase, sale or transfer of any illegal substances. Our goal is to support a harm reduction approach for the purpose of education and promotion of individual and public safety. During our events, we require that individuals do not share illegal drug dealers, illegal gatherings, or underground therapies. This is not the place to do that. This community is built on authentic relationships. Conduct yourselves with sincerity, openness, and respect with each other and while representing the Illinois Psychedelic Society.”

#### **Trusted Media Partners Section**

Instead of recreating existing resources, leverage trusted media organizations by sharing their content. These sources provide valuable, up-to-date information on psychedelic science, policy, and community engagement:

* Lucid News
* DoubleBlind Magazine
* Psychedelic Spotlight
* Psychedelics Today

These media partners can also assist in promoting events, fundraising, and raising awareness for your society. Prioritizing local media can have a stronger impact by engaging directly with your community.\\

### Social Media Best Practices

Managing a presence on social media comes with risks, including potential suspension or account deletion. To prevent issues:

* Avoid direct references to substances: Misspell words like "psychedelic" or "mushrooms" to avoid algorithmic flags.
* Do not list ticket prices in posts: Instead, put the link in the comments or a Linktree in your bio.
* Be prepared to appeal bans: If an account is suspended, submit an appeal with a clear statement of compliance. Add screen shots to report an instagram page being shut down&#x20;

Example Appeal Message:

“We can't find the account @psychedelicsocietysf. We believe that our account was mistakenly taken down and we would like to reactivate us. Please let us know what we can do to reactivate our account. San Francisco Psychedelic Society is a legal entity in the United States and we rely on the consistency and fairness of your platform. Closure to our audience, largely students, researchers and scientists, inhibits our mission unjustly. From Instagram's community guidelines: "Instagram is not a place to support or praise terrorism, organized crime, or hate groups. Offering sexual services, buying or selling firearms, alcohol, and tobacco products between private individuals, and buying or selling illegal or prescription drugs (even if legal in your region) are also not allowed." We agree completely and have always abided by these guidelines. Anything we share is purely to inform with the intent to reduce potential harm and educate the public. We do not and have never sold or intended to sell any illegal substances. We believe education on the organisms that are part of our ecosystem is essential to bringing humanity closer to nature. We do all of these while following the law. We never bought or sold any illegal substances. Thank you kindly for your continued effort in regulating this vital tool, ensuring the quality and lawfulness of the  content. If you need any more information or proof, don't hesitate to contact us.”

### Affiliate Marketing & Partnerships

Affiliate marketing can be a powerful tool for outreach and revenue generation. This involves partnering with organizations to share offerings and receive a commission for signups or sales. This arrangement allows businesses to outsource part of the sales process. Partnering with other organizations to share the offering and the resources that are generated from that offering.&#x20;

Generally, you can think of affiliate partnerships as going two ways:

1. **Promoting Other People’s Offerings:** This direction involves utilizing your community network to help promote products or services of other organizations in exchange for some sort of commission
   1. Example: Partner with Lucid News as an affiliate for an event, offering them 25% of ticket sales via Eventbrite tracking.
   2. Benefits:
   3. Expands community reach.
   4. Generates financial support for your society.
   5. Strengthens relationships with media partners.
2. **Asking Others to Promote Your Community:** This direction would involve setting up other organizations with a code they can share to promote your membership or community offering.
   1. Example: If you have a paid membership, you might be able to have other organizations join your own affiliate program so that they can earn a percentage of referrals.&#x20;

Note that if you're doing marketing for an external company and you receive 25% of the profits, a 501c3 might have to pay taxes, because its considered unrelated business income.

### Compliance Considerations

* For 501(c)(3) organizations: Income from affiliate marketing may be subject to taxation if considered "unrelated business income."
* Partnering with Local Nonprofits: Collaborating with harm reduction organizations or community support groups can broaden your society’s impact and foster mutual growth.

By implementing these PR and communication strategies, your psychedelic society can amplify its voice, protect its online presence, and foster meaningful partnerships that benefit the broader community.

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