This research paper uses exiting literature to develop a historical comparison of public relations practitioners to define which roles they performed and how involved they were in the decision-making processes of nonprofit organizations in 1994.Broom and Dozier's four public relations role models (expert prescriber, communication facilitator, problem-solving process facilitator, and communication technician) are used to define the roles performed by practitioners in nonprofit organizations.Fryman found that public relations practitioners in associations do not play any one role primarily, but perform all four roles to varying degrees. He also found that all of the practitioners, regardless of gender, were equally involved in the decision-making processes of their associations. These differences can be attributed to several reasons. First, the lack of departmentalism and smaller staff sizes cause association public relations practitioners to perform each of the roles to varying degrees. It is because of the multiple roles they perform that association public relations practitioners are allowed to be more involved in the decision-making process as opposed to other practitioners who perform a certain role a majority of the time.The participation of public relations practitioners in the decision-making processes of nonprofit organizations through 1994 was essentially based in their relationships with other communications functions in the organization. In essence, public relations and marketing in nonprofit organizations are two-way processes leading to adjustments in organizational policies and actions, as well as changes in publics' knowledge, opinions, attitudes, and behaviors. Both public relations and marketing involve research, decision-making, and communicating that information to the public. The bottom line for both is organizational survival and growth.