Non-Profit – Case Study

Harnessing the News Cycle

Houston, Texas

The Assignment

United Way of Greater Houston: A leader in community disaster recovery
Hurricane Harvey: Hit the Texas Gulf Coast August 2017, dropping 52 inches of rain on Houston over three days as it slowly moved over the city
Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund
- Created by United Way of Greater Houston after understanding the devastating effects the storm could pose to Houston’s most vulnerable families
- Used to help area nonprofits and community organizations assist Houstonians in their recovery efforts

Implementing a public relations strategy that would raise awareness of:
- United Way of Greater Houston’s fund nationally
- Their role in recovery and the availability of the 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE, the most up-to-date disaster resource before, during and after a storm

The Friday before the storm hit, we pitched the 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE to local media, asking them publicize the helpline as a go-to resource for basic and ongoing recovery needs.
Prepared a full suite of news material in anticipation of the launch of United Way’s Relief Fund, ensuring we were ready to engage in outreach and distribution when the moment was right.
Our team worked closely with United Way’s executive staff, monitoring the progress of the storm during daily briefings to determine best time to announce the fund. It was launched as the devastating effects of the storm came clear, even as the rain continued to come down.
Carbonara Group had team members pitching and monitoring coverage closely to ensure that every national outlet covering Harvey relief funds had materials and sources to interview for United Way’s fund and the 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE.
As major donations came in from area corporations and philanthropists, Carbonara Group distributed updated news releases, including via national newswire, to maintain visibility of the fund.
United Way CEO was positioned as an expert source on disaster recovery and the role of area nonprofits in recovery efforts of this devastating storm.

8,300+ mentions of United Way’s Flood Relief Fund and the 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE, including many national stories in top tier outlets:
- Total circulation of 3.8 billion
- Total earned media value of $38.2 million
United Way CEO conducted 15 interviews highlighting the fund and United Way’s role in disaster recovery.
United Way of Greater Houston was the organization most frequently mentioned in local news coverage of disaster recovery efforts.