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SITUATION: The Allstate Foundation created their $1.2 million Hurricane Recovery Fund to assist non-profit organizations from Beaumont, Texas, to Biloxi, Miss., through a series of grants targeted to resuming or introducing community programs following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Ehrhardt Group worked with the foundation's leadership in Beaumont, Biloxi and New Orleans to implement a two-fold public relations campaign aimed at 1) attracting applicants for the grant program and 2) securing media coverage once the grants were awarded. STRATEGIES: In cooperation with the Allstate Foundation and their local foundation partners, The Ehrhardt Group managed a three-market media relations campaign utilizing local media interviews, special events and feature stories to secure extensive, positive media coverage in each market. The Ehrhardt Group coordinated an "application drive" in each market to generate submissions from non-profit organizations. Establishing a deadline for the "drive" created a sense of urgency and attracted greater media attention and assistance. Once the grants were awarded, The Ehrhardt Group created additional opportunities outside of the traditional check presentation to attract the media's attention, including developing specific feature stories about how the Allstate Foundation's grants were being used in the community. RESULTS: The target-specific media relations campaigns resulted in more than 250 applications from non-profit organizations.
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