News

An innovative deal comprised of four nonprofits, two local foundations, and Clear Channel - one of Bay Area's largest media conglomerate -  was scrapped just weeks before the scheduled start.  The nonprofits and the foundations pulled out when they felt the media company had changed the financial terms of the original agreement.

The campaign would have pooled philanthropic funds, the nonprofits' willigness to create a common message, and the marketing expertise of Consulting Within Reach (a leading firm serving nonprofits). Together, the partnership planned to stage a summer long media campaign on multiple radio stations owned by Clear Channel, with additional exposure on the company's Mountain Winery concert series and a joint online campaign. 

The impetus for the effort was the Capacity Collaborative's call to experiment with ways that nonprofits can collaborate to build name awareness at a scale that individual agencies cannot achieve on their own (see here for more details on the concept). Marc Spencer, CEO of  the nonprofit Juma Ventures, had set the groundwork for the deal with Clear Channel, only to be disappointed at the last minute changes.  The other nonprofits in the partnership were: Girls for a Change, Fresh Lifelines for Youth, and InnVision the Way Home.  The participating foundations preferred to be unnamed.

"We think the idea is sound, but we just need to find the right media partner who is in it for the right reasons," said Curtis Chang, CEO of Consulting Within Reach. One of the participating foundations is currently approaching other media companies in a search for more suitable candidates.