Building on a lifetime of public service, President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation on the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to create a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities. For nearly two decades, that belief has energized the Foundation's commitment to empowering people and improving lives across the U.S. and around the world.
A recent study from Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society confirmed something that the Clinton Foundation Communications team experienced at length during the 2016 presidential campaign cycle – that it was the target of "disinformation and propaganda." Daniel Borochoff, the president of CharityWatch, said: "If Hillary Clinton wasn't running for president, the Clinton Foundation would be seen as one of the great humanitarian charities of our generation."
While the Foundation worked to respond to these campaign-driven attacks rapidly and in real-time, we sought to give real voice to the Foundation's mission, beliefs, and impact.
In addition, the Foundation's work has been recognized by charity watchdogs as outstanding, garnering top ratings among major evaluators: Charity Navigator: Four stars; CharityWatch: A; and GuideStar: Platinum; Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance: Accredited.
In 2016, as attacks continued, our strategy to amplify the mission and impact of the Clinton Foundation was multi-dimensional. We leveraged the substantive spotlight of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting, and included the following elements:
- Humanize the Clinton Foundation and arm supporters with the facts through a robust surrogate program – op-eds; print, radio, podcast, and television interviews in both national and niche outlets; video vignettes; blogs; and quick-fire statements on Facebook and Twitter.
- Ramped up fact-checking efforts to dispel false narratives and arm supporters with third-party validated facts – with organizations like Politifact, Washington Post Fact Checker, and Media Matters.
- Strategic and substantive media partnerships – focused on the actual work of the Clinton Foundation and CGI.
- Deploy stronger, more engaging rapid response digital content – video, graphics, photography, Livestream, blogs, op-eds, earned media to respond to attacks and that supporters could use to amplify quickly.
- Creative content and editorial strategy taking people "behind the numbers" – including the production of two films played at CGI and shared across social channels that aimed to take people "behind the scenes" of the real Clinton Foundation – putting a human face on the organization so staff could tell the story instead of know-nothing critics.
- Strategic use of Clinton Foundation leadership and staff voices to defend the Foundation – including interviews with Foundation President Donna E. Shalala, and Foundation Chief Communications Officer Craig Minassian.
- Maximize reach final CGI Annual Meeting – through video and Facebook LIVE, where President Clinton spoke directly to viewers and supporters about the impact of his Foundation.
As Hillary Clinton noted in a letter to supporters recently, "But in spite of the attacks, which incredibly still continue today, the Foundation continues doing what it has done best for sixteen years – launching innovative initiatives such as the Clinton Health Access Initiative and Clinton Health Matters Initiative, forging groundbreaking partnerships such as the Alliance for a Healthier Generation with the American Heart Association, and making a meaningful, tangible difference in people's lives in everything they do."
The work of the Foundation is far-reaching, data intensive, and driven by leading experts in their fields.
Results include:
- More than
11.6 million patients
have access to
lower cost medication and diagnostics for HIV/AIDS.
- More than
22 million students
in more than 38,000
U.S. schools have benefited from improved physical education, health education,
and healthier food.
- All U.S.
high-schools have access to naloxone
– a life-saving
tool that can reverse an opioid overdose and get the person breathing again in
seconds.
- More than
40,000 doses of
naloxone being made available
to U.S. universities combatting
the opioid crisis.
- 150,000 African farmers can better
afford housing
, education and access to health care
as a result of higher incomes earned through improved agricultural
productivity.
- More than 840,000 books have been
distributed
to parents and caregivers in
underserved communities.
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