International Transformation Foundation Strategic Communications Plan

Case Study: Strengthening Global Impact Through Strategic Communications — ITF’s 2025 Engagement Campaign
Project: 2025 Strategic Communications Plan
“Bringing Clean Water to Every African Community”
Client: International Transformation Foundation (ITF-US)
Website: https://www.itf-us.org/
Project Lead: Maya M. Parkins, Communications Director
Project Timeline: 2/2025 - 3/2025

Background:
The International Transformation Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to clean water across African communities, particularly in Kenya and Rwanda. By building water kiosks and fountains, ITF empowers local communities with sustainable, self-managed water solutions.

In early 2025, ITF-US recognized the need to increase both volunteer participation—especially among American students—and donor engagement. Communications Director Maya Parkins led the development of a comprehensive communications strategy to address these challenges and elevate ITF’s global presence.

Challenge:
Despite ITF’s impactful work, it faced several communication-related challenges:

Low public awareness of volunteer opportunities.

Limited digital outreach and donor engagement strategies.

Heavy reliance on a small donor base, leading to funding instability.

ITF needed a strategy that would increase visibility, attract younger audiences, and deepen trust with donors—all while maintaining transparency and authenticity.

Strategy:
I designed a phased communications plan aligned with the psychological stages of public buy-in: Awareness → Understanding → Agreement → Commitment.

Key components included:

1. Clear Objectives

Boost student volunteer participation by 25% within a year.

Increase overall donations by 40%, with a 20% rise in recurring donors.

2. Targeted Messaging

Themes: Empowerment, Global Connection, Transparency, and Impact.

Example: “Be a part of the solution—your participation empowers communities in Africa to achieve self-sufficiency in clean water access.”

3. Multi-Channel Outreach

Website Revamp: Improve storytelling, testimonials, and donation flow.

Social Media: Regular posts tailored to both youth and philanthropic stakeholders, including impact visuals and donor spotlights.

Email Newsletters: Quarterly updates segmented by audience interest.

Community Events: In-person engagement through fairs and university partnerships.

Blogs: Twice-monthly posts exploring volunteer stories and water justice insights.

4. Metrics for Success

Volunteer sign-ups, trip participation, and retention.

Donation volume, frequency, and new donor acquisition.

Engagement rates on digital channels and qualitative feedback via surveys.

Results (Projected & Early Indicators):
Though the plan was launched in Q1 2025, early feedback and engagement trends indicated growing momentum:

A 15% rise in student inquiries within the first two months.

Increased social media shares and higher click-through rates on newsletters.

Initial corporate interest sparked by new transparency-driven messaging.

Lessons & Takeaways:
Buy-in is a process: Segmenting communications by where people are in their engagement journey fostered deeper, more lasting involvement.

Authentic storytelling matters: Personal success stories resonated far more than data alone.

Segmented strategy drives results: Tailoring content by audience (students, corporate, donors) improved resonance and responsiveness.

Conclusion:
Maya Parkins’ strategic communications plan set a foundation for sustained growth and global engagement for ITF. By focusing on trust, clarity, and multi-channel outreach, ITF-US positioned itself not just as a nonprofit, but as a movement—one clean water project, one empowered volunteer at a time.