To Reach Millions, Nonprofits Hand the Mic to Influencers

Maven Collaborative had a problem. The nonprofit, which works to reduce racial and gender wealth inequality, wanted to spread the word on an arcane topic with a terrible academic name but one that it sees as vital to its mission: “occupational segregation.”

At its core, occupational segregation refers to the way nonwhite workers — especially Black and brown women — are disproportionately concentrated in the lowest-paying, least secure, and most dangerous jobs. While the phenomenon is well documented by researchers, it is often poorly understood by the people most affected by it. Rather than pursue media stories or buy newspaper ads — some of the more traditional ways nonprofits try to spread their messages and influence culture — it took another route, and an unlikely one given the subject. It partnered with social media influencers. 

One of Maven’s goals was to help women of color understand that “they’re not crazy” and that many of the obstacles they experience in the workplace are real and backed up by research, said Jhumpa Bhattacharya, co-president of the Maven Collaborative. 

To help convey that message, Maven leaned into social media, where roughly half of U.S. adults say they get news, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center. Maven joined a growing list of nonprofits that are tapping influencers who already have trusted relationships with large, engaged audiences.

The group reached more than 4 million social media users and significantly expanded its visibility.

RaeShanda Lias, one of the influencers who participated in the campaign, has about 2.5 million followers on TikTok and another 1.2 million on Instagram. Her content blends fashion and humor with candid discussions of social issues such as racism, homophobia, and femicide. Many of her videos feature her standing at a dry erase board, walking viewers through complex ideas while dressed in bold outfits from faux furs and cowboy hats to ball gowns.

“If I’m sitting at the board in a ball gown or my face is done up, I’m going to get people that ask me where I got my earrings from or my necklace, but they also heard what I said,” Lias said. 

In a 2024 video, Lias linked occupational segregation to the popular TV show Scandal and referenced Wikipedia as an entry point for understanding the topic. The video drew nearly 7,000 likes and more than 80 comments, many from users sharing their own workplace experiences.

These kinds of partnerships can dramatically amplify a nonprofit’s reach, said Genevieve Shaker, who teaches a course on celebrity philanthropy at Indiana University. Influencers allow organizations to access millions of people quickly, which is something many nonprofits struggle to do on their own, she said. Though there are some risks associated with working with well-known figures, by pairing with creators who have popular appeal, nonprofits help demystify the research-heavy work that often underpins their missions and make it easier for people to engage with complicated social issues without feeling intimidated or overwhelmed, Shaker said. 

Finding the Right Influencers

Maven selected six influencers with a combined following of more than 3 million on TikTok and more than 1 million on Instagram. But Maven was not simply looking for the biggest names, Bhattacharya said. Instead, the nonprofit prioritized creators who could clearly and credibly explain occupational segregation in language their audiences already trusted, she said. 

“We knew it was a fairly wonky topic,” she said. “Folks need something that they can digest quickly, and we wanted this issue to be something that everyday people understood.”

All of the influencers Maven selected were already engaging with themes of social justice and economic inequality online and were comfortable discussing issues related to race, gender, and economics. That background mattered, Bhattacharya said, because Maven planned to give its partners a high degree of creative freedom.

To help identify suitable partners, Maven worked with the public relations firm Hyla Strategies, which developed a shortlist of creators whose audiences and messaging aligned with Maven’s mission. The firm conducted background and reputational research, including reviews of past content to flag problematic or contradictory messaging. It was also important to find influencers who could engage thoughtfully with their followers, said Laura Beachy, co-founder and former managing partner of Hyla Strategies.

“Great influencer work isn’t just posting,” she said. “It’s responding, explaining, and engaging in the comments when people have questions.”

Hyla Strategies also helped Maven track the impacts of the occupational segregation campaign using analytics from social media platforms and data provided by the influencers themselves, including views, comments, and shares. Engagement metrics can also show watch time, shares, reposts, as well as saves or bookmarks, which reflect the level of interest in the content, Beachy explained. 

“It’s not just about how many people saw it,” she said. “You start looking at what people are actually saying and whether they’re understanding the idea.”

Creative Freedom

The campaign marked Maven’s first major influencer-led effort. The nonprofit was co-founded in 2023 by Bhattacharya and Anne Price after the duo left the Insight Center for Community and Economic Development, a California racial-justice nonprofit. In keeping with Maven’s values around economic justice, all of the influencers were paid the same amount for their participation.

Rather than dictating scripts, Maven provided influencers with research materials and key points, then asked each creator to explain how they would present the concept to their audience. From there, influencers were given broad latitude to shape the content in ways that felt authentic, whether through humor, storytelling, or “get ready with me” videos. 

“They sent over the information. I digested it and brought it back in a way that my audience could receive it,” said the influencer Lias. 

Although Lias has worked with major corporations like Netflix, she said she especially values partnerships with nonprofits such as Maven and the NAACP because she believes in their missions and understands the financial and political challenges they face.

Lias is married to Tara Jae, executive director of a Denver-based nonprofit for queer and trans youth of color, and Lias said she has seen firsthand how difficult it can be for Black-led organizations to secure funding. There is a lot of “crazy tap dancing” behind the scenes, she said. 

It’s great when nonprofits can find people like Lias, who is “funny as hell” and “wicked smart,” to represent their work on social media, Bhattacharya said. Maven was so impressed with Lias that it recently partnered with her again on a campaign to raise awareness about the impact of tax policies on Black, unmarried, and LGBTQ Americans. 

What Are the Risks? 

While social media can have a big impact, tying an organization’s reputation to a public figure is not without risk. Influencers, like any celebrities, can become embroiled in controversy, potentially drawing unwanted attention to the groups they partner with. But Shaker said those potential hazards are not fundamentally different from working with any well-known spokesperson. And groups can take steps to mitigate some of those concerns by carefully researching and vetting influencers prior to forming alliances, she added. 

One of the most high-profile examples of this kind of influencer collaboration is the partnership Rockefeller Foundation launched last year with Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast. The 27-year-old is a hugely popular YouTube personality and founder of Beast Philanthropy. Their collaboration aims to spark interest in philanthropy among younger audiences by meeting them where they already spend their time online. 

But MrBeast, for all of his vast reach, has turned out to be a somewhat controversial choice. A sexual harassment lawsuit was recently filed against his company. And last year he drew criticism for “death trap” stunts featured in his content. 

So far, those controversies have not caused significant blowback for the Rockefeller Foundation, but they underscore the importance of preparation.

“Having a plan and a way to work through that is essential,” Shaker said. 

Maven had attorneys draw up a contract with baseline reputational safeguards prohibiting racist, sexist, xenophobic, or any other forms of harmful speech. Beyond that, the group accepted that it would not be able to control the influencers’ behavior outside of the contract, Bhattacharya said. 

“I think this is where it really matters that you’re comfortable with and engage with the person to ensure values alignment in that initial meeting,” she said. “And, thankfully, we haven’t run into that yet.”