Charity Navigator
Situation
Charity Navigator is the world’s largest nonprofit assessment platform. In 2020, Cloud Street was engaged to lead the organization’s public relations activities in support of two major announcements. The first was the rollout of a new nonprofit rating system designed to enable 150,000 smaller, more recently established organizations to receive a rating from Charity Navigator; the second was the acquisition of ImpactMatters, a ratings startup that had developed novel methodology to assess organizations based on impact–that is, the amount of good achieved per dollar spent.* Cloud Street was commissioned to design and execute two related campaigns to publicize the organizational changes. The goal was to raise awareness of Charity Navigator’s new resources among donors and to educate nonprofits about the new opportunities to communicate their impact and build their bases of support.
*ImpactMatters had previously commissioned Cloud Street to lead the public relations efforts for its launch in 2019.
Approach
Cloud Street executed separate media relations campaigns for each announcement. We garnered features in mainstream publications including Fast Company, Forbes and Mashable as well as coverage in outlets critical to reaching our target audience such as the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Cloud Street also secured interviews with Charity Navigator’s President and CEO on numerous podcasts aimed at nonprofit leaders and philanthropic donors.
To further engage nonprofit sector leadership, Cloud Street developed an online event designed to raise awareness of the new measurement system, allay sector concerns and provide practical information on how nonprofits could leverage the new system to showcase their successes and secure donors. The event brought together leaders from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Evidence Action and Charity Navigator. Over 700 organizations participated in the event.
Finally, Cloud Street worked with Charity Navigator President and CEO, Michael Thatcher, to pen an op ed that shared his unique approach to philanthropic giving and guided donors on how to approach end of year giving during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Impact
Positive coverage in both mainstream and audience-specific media outlets
200 media hits, many in outlets reaching nonprofit professionals and philanthropic donors, including in-depth interviews with Charity Navigator leadership on podcasts and radio shows, representing a significant increase from previous Charity Navigator media relations efforts
Over 700 attendees at the online event entitled, The future of giving & nonprofit sustainability: the role of impact & data.