Situation:
Comics at the Corner, a grassroots agency founded by author and community organizer Dawn Arrington to increase literacy in Cleveland’s culturally unrepresented neighborhoods, made it through the preliminary rounds and was selected for the annual Accelerate competition, where people pitch ideas to win seed money for nascent nonprofits in the area.
Challenge:
An opportunity like this could give Comics at the Corner a welcome financial boost and a significant platform, but there would be stiff competition for the limited dollars.
Solution:
Joy Partain Communications provided storytelling/public speaking training for Arrington, helping her balance local stats with the heartstring-tugging story behind the nonprofit’s origins. They refined her pitch. rehearsed possible Q&A inquiries, and practiced media interviews as well, since reporters routinely attend Accelerate.
Results:
Though a different cause won, a reporter interviewed Arrington for that evening’s newscast, which was followed by additional coverage. And a local funder who was at the competition asked Arrington to apply for grant funding. Subsequently, a local official contacted Arrington to address the Cuyahoga County Council about Comics at the Corner, resulting in a $30,000 grant for the organization, which is 6x the Accelerate top prize.