When I joined Acumen as Head of Content and Communications, the venture fund—which invests in social entrepreneurs tackling the problems of poverty—had long relied on its Founder and CEO Jacqueline Novogratz as its chief storyteller. It was not only an unsustainable way of developing content, but it was also creating an incomplete picture of Acumen’s work. Despite being around for more than a decade, Acumen was struggling to build a comprehensive brand narrative and, as a result, the staff was grappling with how to communicate its work.

> I set up a listening tour to understand the gaps in the fund’s communications and unearth its most compelling stories.

> I pieced together a brand narrative grounded in the pillars of the fund’s work, areas of investments, and its story’s main characters, from Jacqueline to the entrepreneurs it supports.

> I built a content strategy that brought clarity and cohesiveness to the brand and put the incredible innovations and entrepreneurs at the center.

> I instituted low-cost, high-yield field visits to collect content and built a network of creatives around the world to scale our storytelling and bring authenticity to Acumen’s communications. 

> I designed an editorial platform, Acumen Ideas, that allowed for more dynamic, ambitious storytelling, and established an editorial calendar and marketing plan to build a steady cadence of content and keep audiences engaged.

Over the next year, I increased content by 200%, resulting in a 65% growth in both audience and engagement, and Acumen became known for its inspiring, innovative storytelling, capturing the attention of the media, investors and other players in the social impact space. With the strategy and systems I put into effect, Acumen’s storytelling became not only an important tool to build an impactful brand narrative but a powerful differentiator that set the fund apart. 

Founded in 1936, the Ford Foundation is one of the most influential institutions in the world with nearly $17 billion in assets. When I joined as Head of Content and Brand Communications, Darren Walker was at the helm. A visionary and vocal leader, he was regularly out in the world, calling attention to the injustices that make philanthropy necessary and pushing institutions to focus on the root causes of inequality.

His efforts were working, but he needed proof to support his argument. I was brought on to help Ford uncover its success stories and reimagine how Ford—and, in many ways, philanthropy—shared its impact. Historically philanthropic institutions have been non-transparent and unaccountable. Although Ford had existed for nearly 85 years, it need to prove it was capable of real, lasting change.

> I determined Women’s Month would be ideal for Ford to start its strategic storytelling. March 2020 marked a big moment for women’s rights—the 25th anniversary of the UN’s Conference for Women in Beijing—and it also marked a big anniversary for Ford: 60 years of advancing gender equality.

> I set out on a listening tour across the organization and did a deep dive into Ford’s archives to understand the foundation’s impact in the fight for gender equality, past and present.

> I developed a meaningful and manageable narrative that translated Ford’s 60 years of tackling gender inequality, complete with a short history of its impact.

> I built a content strategy that supported that narrative and demonstrated Ford’s commitment and efforts to accelerate solutions.

> I produced a multi-story, multi-channel campaign that included a sweeping mix of stories that spotlighted Ford’s incredible changemakers and explored the many ways gender inequality takes shape in society.

> I created a social media and marketing plan to maintain a strategic cadence of content and keep audiences engaged throughout Women’s Month.

The campaign was a success both inside and outside of the foundation. It brought more visibility and credibility to Ford while also bringing more proximity to its work. It inspired colleagues and partners across philanthropy to reach out to learn how to integrate this kind of storytelling into their work. 

During my time at Ford, I replicated this success with more story-driven campaigns and purposeful content strategies that brought together diverse ideas, voices and perspectives to break down the complexities of inequality.

Under my direction, the foundation increased its content by 85%, resulting in 68% growth on social, a 25% rise in site traffic and 10% increase in email subscribers in less than a year. Storytelling became an invaluable vehicle, helping Ford demonstrate the depth and breadth of its work and strengthen its brand position.

Evelyn Lauder founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) because she believed in the power of research. The nonprofit has an incredible history of funding major cancer breakthroughs, yet it had never really told that story when I joined.

A chief part of my role was giving the organization a makeover after 20 years. I knew humanizing the foundation’s work and making its groundbreaking research more accessible was not only critical to its future but essential to strengthen its credibility, grow its audience and drive fundraising.

> As part of BCRF’s rebrand, I made a strategic decision to humanize every part of its brand story, from Evelyn Lauder’s own experience with breast cancer to bringing the women and men positively impacted by its research to the forefront.

> I dug into the foundation’s history to build a timeline of its impact, creating a powerful narrative arc at the center of its brand story. 

> I partnered with its 250+ doctors and researchers to break down the science and translate the complexities of cancer to make their work more accessible.

> I established the foundation’s voice and verbal identity, creating a style that was grounded in humanity and accessibility.

> I developed the organization’s first storytelling strategy and editorial platform, The Progress Report, to create a home to tell these human-centered stories.

By making storytelling an essential part of BCRF’s communications strategy, I helped the foundation attract a larger audience, secure more press in places like TIME and The New York Times, forge new partnerships with brand ambassadors like Amy Robach, and experience a significant uptick in fundraising. BCRF has continued to carry on the work I started, a testament to its power and effectiveness.