social media management at charity: water | brand awareness

charity: water is a nonprofit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries, known for revolutionary storytelling and innovative marketing approaches in the nonprofit sector.

I inherited 2,410,000+ followers across channels with a specific emphasis on Instagram. Under my tenure we adding a new channel in Threads & reactivating LinkedIn, TikTok, & Pinterest to a consistent syndication process. 

I left the organization with about 2,435,000 followers in my departure, increasing the overall community by 1.4% under my tenure & increasing brand awareness by 5.5M+ that year, organically.

Responsibility: Develop and lead social media strategy for charity: water

Achieved 3.7x higher reach than nonprofit benchmarks

Maintained 7.2% average engagement rate (4.2x industry standard)

Delivered 20.7 weekly content pieces (4.1x industry standard)

Dedicated 1-3 hours weekly to research industry best practices

Created comprehensive FAQ documentation for stakeholders

Responsibility: Own social media roadmap and maintain daily calendar

Transformed content management by implementing advanced Notion database

Maintained minimum two weeks of planned content consistently

Streamlined content planning and approval processes

Developed sustainable content creation workflows

Led end-to-end organic social strategy for major campaigns (EOYG '23, WWD '24) & heat moments (Dear Anonymous, Tiny Heros, etc.)

Responsibility: Partner with Brand Partnerships team

Collaborated with Brand Partnerships team to develop and execute social media strategies supporting key relationships with brands like Whoop, Vuori, VaynerX, Aveda & more, while maintaining authentic storytelling.

Attended & facilitated meetings to work on strategically supporting relationships with partners while maintaining brand aesthetic & voice

Responsibility: Collaborate on inspiring and engaging content

Combed through the DAM for photography of over 15 years of content to create compelling, engaging carousels that tell story's well using SCRL.

Led content strategy for evergreen and major campaigns including EOYG '23, WWD '24 & EOYG '24

Recorded voiceovers for paid & organic content including their narrative ad placements & Aveda campaign video

Initiated "Did You Know" video series with help of the creative/brand & content team

Developed self-sufficient video production workflow using CapCut, shared music license through Music Bed & HQ select files shared by the creative team.

Ideated compelling content to support various "heat moments"

Assisted in establishing Jira project management for repurposing paid content into organic optimized content in collaboration with the creative team (film makers).

Responsibility: Work with Creative Team on copy and videos

Established bi-weekly meetings with Copy Lead

Created streamlined content request system

Developed optimization guidelines for social content

Built efficient feedback loops with creative stakeholders

Maintained consistent brand voice across channels

Responsibility: Set KPIs and report to stakeholders

Implemented comprehensive weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting

Delivered regular presentations at the Marketing and Growth Monthly Share Out

Maintained consistent 100K+ weekly reach (peaks of 229K+)

Tracked and reported on campaign performance, with the most recent being EOYG '24 campaign:

Transitioned from Google Sheet to my custom advanced Notion template database

This content map enabled as charity: water's social media content strategy BUILDER, content PLANNER, and a TASK MANAGER for streamlined content creation. Which enabled:

Pioneered two successful video series:

Created efficient video production workflows

Established guidelines for platform optimization

Developed systematic repurposing approach

Met regularly with MarComms team to align consumer email, major email, SMS & product (website) updates with organic social, when appropriate

Created efficient content review processes though conversations with the brand & content team & the project managers who managed requests

Led bi-weekly meetings with Copy Lead(s)

Created content briefs and guidelines

Maintained consistent brand voice

Established efficient review process

Developed systematic video request process

Built relationships with filmmakers and editors

Streamlined asset sharing and feedback

Created clear briefs for content needs

Established monthly trend analysis meetings

Shared social media insights and performance data

Gathered community feedback and common questions

Integrated supporter insights into content strategy

Coordinated responses across all platforms (social, email, phone)

Created consistent messaging for supporter inquiries

Developed shared understanding of community needs

Built feedback loop for content optimization

Created comprehensive FAQ Notion document covering:

This document was included into the request templates to reduce confusion and standardized content specifications across teams

Integrated Loom video walkthroughs in content requests

During my tenure at charity: water, I had the privilege of not just managing social media, but helping transform how a globally recognized nonprofit connects with its community. By focusing on sustainable processes and cross-team collaboration, we didn't just hit metrics – we created lasting systems that elevated our storytelling capabilities.

Key Learnings:

Building efficient systems enables creativity to flourish

Strong cross-team relationships are the foundation of successful content

Video content, when approached strategically, can scale without straining resources

A balance of planned content and real-time engagement drives authentic community growth

Beyond the numbers and strategies, what stands out is how we made social media more human – whether through educational "Did You Know" videos that sparked curiosity, transparent behind-the-scenes content that built trust, or partnership stories that amplified our impact. We proved that with the right systems and storytelling, social media can be both efficient and deeply engaging.

Pioneered two transformative video series:

Transformed video content delivery, producing an overall 20.7 pieces weekly (4.1x industry standard)

Maintained 7.2% average engagement rate while scaling reach to 100K+ weekly