social media management at charity: water | brand awareness

Maia Anderson

0

Social Media Manager

Content Creator

Social Media Strategist

Jira

Notion

Sprout Social

About charity: water

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.

Core Responsibilities & Achievements

1. Strategic Leadership

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

2. Content Management & Planning

Responsibility: Own social media roadmap and maintain daily calendar
Achievements:
Transformed content management by implementing advanced Notion database
Created the collaborative space for all organic social activities that aided in collaborating with copy, design, video, email, and brand partnerships.
Created the collaborative space for all organic social activities that aided in collaborating with copy, design, video, email, and brand partnerships.
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.)

3. Cross-Team Collaboration

Responsibility: Partner with Brand Partnerships team
Achievements:
Collaborated with Brand Partnerships team to develop and execute social media strategies supporting key relationships with brands like Whoop, Vuori, and Aveda, while maintaining authentic storytelling.
Attended & facilitated meetings to work on strategically supporting relationships with partners while maintaining brand aesthetic & voice

4. Story-Driven Content Development

Responsibility: Collaborate on inspiring and engaging content
Achievements:
Led content strategy for major campaigns including EOYG '23
Recorded voiceovers for paid & organic content including their narrative ad placements & Aveda campaign video
Initiated "Did You Know" video series with Brand team
Produced 14 "Did You Know" videos generating 128K+ reach
Developed self-sufficient video production workflow
Ideated compelling content to support various "heat moments"
Dear Anonymous
Tiny Heros
Assisted in establishing Jira request cycle for repurposing paid content

5. Creative Team Collaboration

Responsibility: Work with Creative Team on copy and videos
Achievements:
- 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

6. Performance Tracking & Reporting

Responsibility: Set KPIs and report to stakeholders
Achievements:
- Implemented comprehensive weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting
- Delivered regular presentations at 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:
Giving Tuesday engagement: +56% YoY
Launch Day engagement: +286% YoY
EOYG '24 overall campaign (not social specific): $4.9M raised with the goal of $2.5M

Implementation Highlights

Content Management Innovation

- Transitioned from Excel to advanced Notion database
- Created sustainable content planning system
- Established clear workflows and processes
- Built scalable approval frameworks

Video Strategy Development

Pioneered two successful video series:
"Did You Know" Series: Educational series reaching 128K+ through strategic use of existing footage and voiceover production [View Full Case Study →]
"Transparency Tuesday" Series: Weekly series building trust through behind-the-scenes content and impact stories [View Full Case Study →]
Created efficient video production workflows
Established guidelines for platform optimization
Developed systematic repurposing approach

Cross-Team Collaboration Framework

Marketing Communications Integration
- 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
- Developed clear communication channels
- Built sustainable feedback loops
Brand & Content Team Collaboration
Copywriter Partnership:
- Led bi-weekly meetings with Copy Lead
- Created content briefs and guidelines
- Maintained consistent brand voice
- Established efficient review process
Creative Team Workflow:
- Developed systematic video request process
- Built relationships with filmmakers and editors
- Streamlined asset sharing and feedback
- Created clear briefs for content needs
Supporter Experience Partnership
Community Insights Exchange:
- Established monthly trend analysis meetings
- Shared social media insights and performance data
- Gathered community feedback and common questions
- Integrated supporter insights into content strategy
Communication Alignment:
- 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
Process Optimization:
Documentation & Guidelines:
Created comprehensive FAQ Notion document covering:
Platform-specific aspect ratios
Best practices for all social channels
Publishing guidelines for Instagram, Twitter/X, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, and Facebook
This document was included into the request templates to reduce confusion and standardized content specifications across teams
Request Enhancement:
Integrated Loom video walkthroughs in content requests
Efficiency Gains:
Saved 1-5 hours weekly in meeting time
Enabled asynchronous project management for caption approvals
Reduced back-and-forth Slack communications
Minimized revision requests through clearer initial briefs
Streamlined cross-team collaboration workflow
Provided visual context for complex requests
Enabled clearer communication of creative vision
Reduced misinterpretation and revision cycles

Looking Back & Moving Forward

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.
Performance Highlights:
Pioneered two transformative video series:
"Did You Know" Series Evolution:
February: Series launch
March: World Water Day integration reaching 25K accounts
May-December: Scaled to weekly content
Consistent top performer: #1 reach driver in July, November, and December
July highlight: 50% week-over-week engagement increase
Transparency Tuesday Performance:
July Debut: Top reach driver with 50 shares, 49 saves, increasing weekly engagement by 8-10%
August: Consistently top performer with 41-55 shares, 50-54 saves per post
September: Drove 26% week-over-week Instagram engagement increase, maintaining top reach position
Transformed video content delivery, producing 20.7 pieces weekly (4.1x industry standard)
Maintained 7.2% average engagement rate while scaling reach to 100K+ weekly
EOYG '24 campaign success: +286% YoY on launch day, contributing to $4.9M total raised
Giving Tuesday performance: +56% YoY through strategic content planning
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Drove organic social reach growth at charity: water through strategic content, reaching an avg of 100K+ reach weekly with 7.2% avg engagement rate.

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charity: water

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Social Media Manager

Content Creator

Social Media Strategist

Jira

Notion

Sprout Social

Maia Anderson

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