Media Magic: Turning Awareness into Donor Action

Situation:

The Bucket Ministry, a nonprofit sharing God's love through the gift of clean, safe drinking water, had independently secured a media interview with CBN News and was eager to find additional opportunities to share about the work it was doing, specifically in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The ministry contacted KC Communications to develop a media relations plan that would drive awareness and ultimately increase donors to fund its water filter distribution campaigns.

Strategy:

Armed with personal stories of impact, data highlighting the ministry’s effectiveness and incredible visuals, KC Communications developed a media relations plan centered on news outlets where potential donors live. Our team utilized the powerful story of the Founder and Chief Storyteller Christopher Beth in approaching media and securing interviews as well as highlighting news, ministry partnerships and campaign milestones through news releases and personalized pitches. We also tied into key cultural moments such as World Water Day, Thanksgiving and the Paris 2024 Olympics to draft op-ed pieces highlighting the world water crisis and The Bucket Ministry’s solutions.

Success:

KCC stepped in to act as a liaison with CBN News ahead of its interview airing on The 700 Club. We also quickly began media outreach to secure additional media. Within the first month, KCC secured an interview with Christopher Beth on TBN Huckabee for the segment, Huck’s Heroes. Within hours of the interview airing, The Bucket Ministry saw an increase in donations that continued for months to come. Over the next several months, Christopher shared his personal story and the work of The Bucket Ministry with outlets such as First Person with Wayne Shepherd, Snapshot Testimony, Point of View, Missions Today and Ken and Deb in the Morning, to name a few. His thought leadership articles ran on outlets including The Christian Post, Crosswalk and The Washington Times. KCC also facilitated an Associated Press story about the water crisis and The Bucket Ministry’s work in Athey River.

At the end of the year, with the help of a media relations strategy to complement its existing marketing and donor relations campaigns, The Bucket Ministry not only increased its annual donations but also its donor database.