Making a Smaller Story BIG

September 20, 2022

Anat Gerstein

Founder and President

Last December a client was describing the problems they faced in delivering food to homebound seniors. Traffic was costing them—time and money. Traffic was a hot topic in December 2021 as people, still worried about taking mass transit during COVID, were getting around by car, causing huge traffic jams.

We recognized that media could be interested in this nonprofit’s plight, and their experience would be a way for them to discuss the importance of their work. But alone, the challenge of this one nonprofit would at best result in a small story.

So, we started to ask around: were other clients also impacted by traffic? It turns out they were. After identifying four organizations whose mission-driven work was impacted, we pitched a larger trend story. The result: a front-page New York Times story.

We turn to this strategy of making a small story big time and time again. Most recently, we placed a story about the impact of inflation on nonprofits, featuring several of our clients.

This is a tactic that nonprofit organizations across the board can employ. Many of the challenges and much of the impact of nonprofits have a common thread. And, because nonprofits do some of the most valuable work in our communities and across the nation, their issues are often of interest to media.

By partnering on pitches to media, nonprofits can amplify their individual stories. Just a handful—three or four—organizations working together can result in big coverage that benefits not only their organizations – but the people they serve.