Engaging Angelenos to Build a Better Los Angeles
California Community Foundation Celebrates its Centennial by Pledging $1 Billion to Los Angeles County Nonprofits Over 10 Years
California Community Foundation Celebrates its Centennial by Pledging $1 Billion to Los Angeles County Nonprofits Over 10 Years
California Community Foundation (CCF)
We knew a major announcement was needed to break into Los Angeles’ competitive news cycle to raise awareness of CCF and opportunities to partner.
Fenton supported CCF in the announcement of their pledge of $1 billion in grant-making over the next decade to L.A. nonprofits. This announcement gained media coverage in every major local print outlet including the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Daily News and La Opinión, and ultimately the launch laid a strong foundation for CCF to continue engaging key stakeholders with its slate of upcoming centennial activities.
In a city as large as Los Angeles, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. Fenton knew that we needed a major announcement to break into Los Angeles’ competitive news cycle, and supported CCF in the development of an overall campaign strategy designed to raise awareness in earned media and digital spaces, and engage Angelenos at various events throughout the city.
We sparked dialogue among L.A. County residents by brokering a partnership between CCF, the Los Angeles Times and the USC Dornsife School to conduct the “Vision for a Better L.A” poll where residents shared their concerns and hopes for the region. The LA Times ran three stories about the poll, which had revealed that Angelenos want to make a difference in their communities but did not know how to do so, a finding that greatly informed our awareness and engagement strategy.
Fenton supported CCF in the development of a digital strategy to accompany the Centennial activities. The launch activities also resulted in a significant growth (42 percent) in CCF’s social media audiences and huge jump (599 percent) in total mentions on Facebook and Twitter.
Fenton and CCF organized a Town Hall event bringing together close to 500 civic and community leaders and local luminaries including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. The Associated Press picked up our story about CCF’s Town Hall event, leading to coverage throughout the state including the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News.
To elevate CCF’s thought leadership profile, Fenton supported the Foundation in building their executive visibility presence at 18 conferences and events, and in hosting two roundtables, one on civic engagement and the other with labor leaders.
Fenton consulted on a public art exhibition, titled We Are Los Angeles, that allowed CCF to demonstrate their connection to the public and Los Angeles County. The exhibition featured 30 angel sculptures painted by Fellowship for Visual Artists recipients and local artists, as part of the “We Are Los Angeles” theme, inspired by CCF’s priority areas and investments.