Central Carolina Community Foundation

The Midlands’ Center for Philanthropy | 2014 To 2022

Media relations, messaging, PR strategy

Flock and Rally provided media relations services to Central Carolina Community Foundation, collaborating with the communications and marketing team on campaigns year-round, including the On the Table series, Connected Communities Grants, Midlands Gives and more.

Hosted by Central Carolina Community Foundation, Midlands Gives is a year-round platform and an annual 18-hour online giving event held each May that brings the region together as one community, raising money and awareness for hundreds of local nonprofits in 11 area counties. Flock and Rally managed public relations for the campaign since its second year in 2015 until 2022. Each year, media coverage is a critical driver to encourage the general public to make donations and to give sponsors recognition via earned media. Notably, media outlets often band together to promote Midlands Gives. For example, in 2017, all four TV stations in the market joined forces to create a joint PSA starring top anchors from each station, an initiative that was repeated.

After the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in early 2020, the Foundation was faced with a choice — postpone, cancel or adjust. Knowing that the need for gifts to nonprofits was greater than ever, the Foundation pushed forward with a virtual event. Despite the unique challenges posed by the pandemic, and thanks in large part to the continued support of local media outlets, Midlands Gives had a record-breaking year, raising a total of $3,321,683 via 22,477 individual gifts. In 2021, the event broke records again, raising $3,343,033. Since 2014, Midlands Gives has raised $15,972,182 for hundreds of local nonprofits.

Flock and Rally earned a Mercury Award of Excellence in Community Relations from the S.C. chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for the 2020 Midlands Gives PR campaign.