Cause Clarity, an initiative of Hershey Cause, makes the power of good communications accessible to all. Our bite-sized courses in communications are fast, fun and make sure you have the skills you need for today’s fast-paced, connected world.
At HCC one of the ways we ensure this is through our commitment to strong design work. Having started out as a creative director, I’m witnessing a full circle return to design thinking as a way to solve problems. For example, infographics and interactive displays are now popular ways to share information. In 1977 the […]
Q: How have the needs of nonprofits changed over the past 35 years, and what are their greatest needs today? While the focus is still on mission, over time there has been an evolution away from the charity model to a more professionalized sector that provides essential services. There is an increased mandate to achieve […]
A crisis is any situation that threatens an organization’s integrity or reputation, a threat magnified by the potential for negative media attention. A crisis is usually unexpected and often escalates, with unpredictable elements increasing the stress and anxiety a nonprofit’s officers will experience as they respond. Today’s media environment, a 24/7 multi-media echo chamber of […]
When our team is working with clients, we take into account universally accepted concepts, but we know how wide-ranging those concepts can be. For example, some people claim that red evokes passion and boldness while others think it’s youthful and carefree. Our approach is to start with the general perceptions of the target audience. From […]
Our founder R. Christine Hershey started the nonprofit arm of our company, Cause Communications (Cause), 16 years ago when she saw the need to educate nonprofits on communications best practices. Since many nonprofits need to focus most of their budgets on program costs and funding requests, they often don’t think they can afford to spend […]
Choosing to do a Webinar Webinars are best when you’re trying to share information with a large group of people who are hard to reach because of their demanding schedules. HCC recently hosted a webinar with L.A. Care Health Plan to inform physician staff about Cal MediConnect and California’s Coordinated Care Initiative. Doctors’ offices often […]
Maria Garay, M.S.W., Ph.D. is CEO of Sojourner Center, one of the nation’s largest domestic violence shelters. She is changing the conversation on domestic violence by promoting understanding of its root causes and strengthening the services shelters provide for victims. Dr. Garay recently received a standing ovation at the CACTIS Foundation Concussions: 2015 Symposium for […]
This TV clip set the tone for the next three years of my career, and gave me the opportunity to learn the PR trade while fighting for a cause I believed would help the abused and neglected children of LA County – the creation of a separate department of Children’s Services (now the Department of […]
Choose wisely Every conference has a value to the right participant. For those in the early stages of their careers, does the conference provide appropriate opportunities for professional development? For executives, is there a high-level, innovative agenda that will recharge and inspire you and therefore your staff? Would you do better to stay at home […]
Strategic communications is a valuable tool that should be on your “mandatory” list. Do you have a Chief Communications Officer (CCO), like Apple or Google or the Gates Foundation? Do you realize the cost benefits when you align marketing, public relations and corporate social responsibility? Do you fully leverage your development and fundraising activities […]
HCC joined client Kaiser Permanente’s table which was front and center as William Caswell, SVP Operations and COO of Kaiser Permanente, was inaugurated as the Chamber’s 2015 Board Chair. “We were honored to celebrate with friends and partners whose civic efforts are driving progress in L.A.,” said Chris Hershey. “Clearly, Los Angeles is being driven […]
What attracted you to work for Hershey Cause Communications? For the past ten years I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to nonprofit organizations large and small, and I am so grateful that these professional experiences have enabled me to play a proactive role in making the world a better place. Working in the social sector […]
As Rancho’s long time strategic communications partner, HCC has helped develop communications and marketing strategies to position the hospital to be competitive in this new era of health reform. In addition to strategy and planning, we have conducted brand-building workshops, created new messaging platforms, and organized a Town Hall to better engage employees. Look for project […]
Chris is honored to be nominated by her longtime friend and colleague, Sheila Kuehl, who recently won a competitive battle to represent the Third District, which covers West Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Supervisor Kuehl, a veteran of the California State Senate and State Assembly, is known for getting more bipartisan bills passed […]
Use it as your desktop background, print it and hang it on your wall, or tweet it! The design has brought more attention to important projects that are transforming our city, many of which are already well-known endeavors that we are honored to be part of, such as AltaSea, L.A. Care, LAUP, and Smart Growth […]
“We were thrilled to hear that organizations in Los Angeles alone were allocated $9.5 million through the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership and Early Head Start Expansion grants,” Chris Hershey said. The summit crystallized the President’s call to expand access to preschool to every child in America, especially those in high-need communities. HCC is honored […]
AltaSea will bring together science, business and education to generate innovative solutions to global sustainability issues while breathing economic vitality into San Pedro and the surrounding harbor communities. Etherington underscored, “AltaSea will prove that economic progress and environmental sustainability can, and must, happen hand in hand.” Discover how AltaSea, a client of HCC, is making […]
The Director of Design at Hershey|Cause Communications manages all creative projects at HCC. This is a hands on position, approximately 50% actually hands on projects and 50% managing others on creative teams. Strong organization skills, the ability to multitask and the ability to build and lead teams is essential. As a creative leader, the Director […]
You can download a full copy of the report at http://www.calwellness.org/pub_ar/ar2013.php
Downloadable worksheets complement each video and let you apply the lessons to your own work. Eight videos are available now and we’ll be adding more over the next few months—visit, view and start learning today!
“Land of Dreams” captures the story of CCF’s impact in Los Angeles through the candid first-person stories and unflinching portraits of the donors and program teams who make CCF’s work possible, and the individuals they serve. Our concept was inspired by a popular photoblog, Humans of New York (HumansOfNewYork.com). The award-winning blog, which has been turned into […]
The day-and-a-half event will bring together policymakers, foundation executives and thought leaders from across the country to discuss the current state of place-based initiatives while sharing crucial insights on philanthropic and public sector initiatives that address geographically-concentrated poverty. View the complete program and register here.
Hershey Cause Communications is seeking an Account Director. A seasoned communication and marketing professional, the Director is responsible for leading account management of clients and the development and implementation of strategic communication projects. Critical Job Responsibilities Strategic Marketing/Communications Manage and lead strategy development and execution of a full range of marketing and communications projects and […]
Over the past 10 months, Hershey Cause Communications has led Sojourner Center through a strategic planning and rebranding process, including a new visual identity, collateral and website, to more effectively communicate their expanded view of services. Sojourner Center provides a continuum of services for women and children impacted by domestic violence, as well as prevention and […]
Mary Lou Fulton, Senior Program Manager at The California Endowment and Martha Davis, Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, discussed how their support of innovative communications campaigns is effectively shifting policy and opinion on issues like school discipline reform and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). A group of nonprofit and foundation communicators eager to […]
Presented by The Center on Philanthropy & Public Policy and the Sol Price Center for Social Innovation, this day-and-a-half event is the culmination of a year-long inquiry into philanthropic and public sector initiatives that address geographically-concentrated poverty. Attendees will join policymakers, foundation executives and thought leaders from across the country as they take a step back, analyze these […]
Over the course of six months, executive directors and 1-2 staff members from 10 Dwight Stuart grantee organizations will learn the basics of strategic communications, through three half-day group sessions and three one-on-one coaching sessions. Organizations create their own core messages, targeted messages for key audiences, and complete the program with a strategic communication plan […]
Sojourner Center, one of the largest domestic violence shelters in the Southwestern United States, provides direct and community services to more than 8,750 women and children fleeing domestic violence each year. Fresh out of her media training session with the Hershey Cause team, Dr. Maria Garay, Executive Director of Sojourner Center, appeared on the local CBS […]
LASIF combines multi-year scholarships with support programs tailored to the unique needs of low-income students, to help them get through college. With 2.3 million California jobs projected to go unfilled by 2025 due to a lack of workers with college degrees, it’s a vital issue to our region’s economic vitality. This year, the investment fund […]
Seeing the clear need to demonstrate how communications can contribute to real social change and provide others in our field a tool they can use when developing their own strategies, we created Communications Strategies that Fast Track Policy Change. By identifying eight communications campaigns that moved the needle for positive policy change and make up the […]
I’ve been debating for awhile about unveiling my own struggle with depression to the social media masses. Those who are close to me are aware of my battle with the thoughts that can torment me at times. It’s something that I’ve been working to conquer for the past 10 years, and I’m a lot better […]
But did you know that California’s nonprofits also rank as the fourth largest industry in California by employment, providing jobs for nearly one million Californians? Or that they are responsible for 15 percent of California’s Gross State Product? Hershey Cause Founder R. Christine Hershey and General Manager Marie Condron were on hand at CalNonprofits 2014 […]
Our series of eight case studies, Communications Strategies that Fast Track Policy Change, identifies 10 Elements of Success from high-impact communications campaigns that create a more receptive environment for dialogue about potential solutions, build public momentum and generate political will for policy change. The series, supported by a grant from The California Endowment and in […]
Based on the principles of our Communications Toolkit and Communicating for Results training, the session took participants through activities to define their organization’s key audiences and targeted messages. On the following day, Marie led a workshop on using targeted messaging and storytelling to drive policy change at the Forum’s PolicyWorks for Philanthropy institute, using our […]
“Appointing Judy Belk was a bold move by TCWF’s board,” said Hershey. “Judy brings a fresh voice and innovative ideas about extending health care for all. I’m a fan and look forward to supporting her work. She is greatly respected in philanthropic circles nationally.” Before joining TCWF in April, Belk served at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, […]
CCI is attempting to integrate and coordinate Medicare and Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) benefits through approved managed care health plans, in order to make care processes and payments more efficient, and to improve the way care is being delivered. Hershey Cause Communications client, L.A. Care Health Plan, is one of the five health plans participating […]
What led you to Hershey Cause Communications? I moved to Los Angeles from New York City in late 2012 and was inspired by the connection that Hershey Cause Communications has to its community. This is apparent in both the clients it serves and its commitment to sharing best practices in nonprofit communications. I sought a […]
Hershey Cause Communications partnered with The California Endowment to identify how strategic communications has recently driven policy change—as illustrated through nine case studies—to inspire funders to apply innovative strategic communications to their work. Over the past year, we’ve researched examples of real policy outcomes for social issues that had largely been overlooked. Through the research, we’ve identified […]
Here are a few tips for writing an op-ed that will get noticed: Make it newsworthy Editors want to provide content that their readers will find interesting and relevant. So, make sure your op-ed is about a topic that is currently in the news. For example, an op-ed advocating for a shift in thinking around […]