Amplifying Reach: Engaging Donors After a Natural Disaster
How can an organization break through a crowded media landscape to reach a new audience and engage first-time donors in the aftermath of a natural disaster?
The Challenge
When Hurricane Helene devastated a large portion of the east coast, many disaster-relief organizations deployed recovery teams, as cities flooded and thousands were left stranded.
However, as Americans sought ways to help, they found it challenging to identify organizations that could turn their donations into immediate relief and recovery efforts.
If an organization wanted to help, they needed to demonstrate relevancy, instill trust and stand out.
The PROCESS
To help our client garner support and build stakeholder confidence, our team focused on highlighting their unique mission and how they were actively meeting needs in the affected region. We then developed a targeted media relations strategy customized for both local regions that were hit hardest, as well as a wider national audience, showcasing the organization’s faith-driven approach to relief.
We informed national Christian publications about what the organization was doing to assist hurricane survivors and where people could receive on-the-ground help. Once a handful of stories were published about the recovery efforts in these targeted outlets, it drew the interest of national news outlets, with many picking up the story. The organization was subsequently included in lists of trusted organizations to which people could send donations in outlets like The New York Times, Marie Claire and NBC News, significantly amplifying reach.
The results
Our strategic media relations efforts resulted in 249 articles and features, reaching an audience that exceeded 1 billion people across print, digital, broadcast and social platforms. The best news of all: The organization experienced a massive increase in donations to provide relief to hurricane survivors, with more than 5,700 donations in the four weeks following Hurricane Helene. Of those donations, 80% were gifts from donors engaging with the ministry for the first time, with an average gift size of $655, empowering the organization to provide direct aid to those in need.