Catholic Charities Fort Worth (CCFW), a more than 113-year-old organization that helps thousands of poor and vulnerable people in its target communities each year, reached out for help with brand awareness and recognition related to its programs/services, volunteer opportunities and donation needs. 

The Challenge

In addition to not having an internal media relations department, CCFW was dealing with confusion related to its name, as there were other Fort Worth charitable entities it was being mistaken for and associated with. It was also going through a series of executive turnovers, an influx of refugees to its Refugee Services department, and negative press about its Gabriel Project program in the wake of Roe vs. Wade being overturned.

The Solution

HCK2 worked closely with CCFW to identify and media train its designated spokespeople and established strategic messaging and responses for them when communicating with the media, donors and community partners. The process got the staff more comfortable with fielding delicate questions. HCK2 also drafted official statements, coordinated and oversaw sensitive interviews, and built relationships with local and national media in order to provide clarification on CCFW’s mission and purpose in comparison to similar organizations. In addition, HCK2 looked for interesting media angles to get media presence at CCFW’s events throughout the year.

The Results

Through HCK2’s efforts, CCFW was able to positively raise its community profile by getting the word out about the may services, programs, and events the organization offers. HCK2 helped CCFW expertly navigate and field media inquiries related to controversial staffing changes and other matters so they would not reflect negatively on the organization or impact fundraising efforts. HCK2 coordinated and placed positive news stories about CCFW in the Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Report, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, ABC News Live, World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and many many more. Over the course of one year, HCK2 secured 54 pieces of local, regional and national placements, resulting in more than of 112.38 million impressions.