Case Study: The Hazel Miller Foundation
At Popa & Associates, supporting local Seattle area and/or small business clients is our passion. And, if they’re doing good in the world, well, that’s gravy.
Whether our clients are for-profit (80+% are) or non-profit, it’s safe to say that pretty much all of them are doing good. They have to run heart-centered businesses. They have to be incredible humans. They have to believe in the power of community or we just won’t be a fit. And the Hazel Miller Foundation is all of those things and more.
Like almost all of our clients at this point in the business (seven years and counting), the Hazel Miller Foundation was a referral. A colleague of Whitney’s who supported the organization’s rebrand and fresh messaging shuttered her business to take a corporate job. She asked Whitney if she knew anyone who would want to support communications. Whitney offered P&A.
About Hazel Miller
One of the reasons we wanted to take this project on is that Hazel is one of the most famous people who lived in Edmonds, and she was a woman. Whitney lives in (and is passionate about) Edmonds, so taking on this project felt like a no-brainer, especially since it helped her keep her skills sharp with writing press releases and scheduling social media posts. These are two services P&A doesn’t advertise much, but we’re capable of providing them, especially for the right clients.
Back to Hazel, though. She was a baddie. From the Hazel Miller Foundation’s website:
As a young woman, Hazel moved to Seattle where she fell in love and married Morris Miller. Together they owned and operated a very successful business called Seattle Quilt Manufacturing Company, makers of the famous “comfy” sleeping bag.
After many years they sold the business, retired, and enjoyed the last 30 years of their lives in Edmonds, WA. They enjoyed frequenting Claire’s in downtown Edmonds, were avid salmon sport fishermen, and committed community members.
Who wouldn’t want to support this family’s legacy?
The Scope
The Hazel Miller Foundation retained Popa & Associates to draft four quarterly press releases about the foundation’s giving. In support of the releases, the P&A team also distributes the releases to local media and creates supporting social media posts to go up weekly between grant meetings.
Each social media post supports an organization that has been granted funds, highlights a board member or foundation milestone, or reinforces Hazel’s legacy.
Hazel Miller Foundation x P&A Sparklers
Since Popa & Associates was brought on board to work with the Hazel Miller Foundation in late 2022, we have:
These are the top-performing Instagram posts. Their average engagement rate was about 15%. The industry average for nonprofits hovers between 1-7%, depending on which source you consult.
A Legacy of giving
There is no better feeling than supporting a project with such deep care for others, and especially locally. Love, community, and change start close to home and our connection with this organization has exposed us to so many others. We’ve been able to give time and money to several that speak to our hearts and spread the word about important work being done right in our backyard.
It’s a win-win for all and a unique partnership we’re glad to have.
Learn more about the Hazel Miller Foundation and apply for a grant here.