Volunteer: PR and Media Outreach for the Heart Awards and Exclusive Film Screening

This is a volunteer opportunity provided by Taproot Foundation, a nonprofit creating social change through pro bono connections. Becoming Love Project is preparing for our 2026 Heart Awards and Fundraising Gala on November 14, 2026, which will include an exclusive red carpet screening of our feature film, The Way Back Home. This is a major moment for our young nonprofit. The evening will bring together storytelling, community impact, youth empowerment, and the arts while raising support for our free programs. We need an experienced public relations professional to help us tell the story of the event, the film, our honorees, and the mission behind the evening in a way that earns meaningful media attention. The Way Back Home was created through Becoming Love Project’s storytelling and filmmaking program. Young adults gained hands-on experience working alongside industry professionals during an actual feature film production. The film explores mental health, identity, family, healing, and what it means to find your way back to yourself. We have strong stories to share, but we do not currently have a dedicated communications team or established media relationships in Georgia. I am also relatively new to the Atlanta area and still building our local network. I need support identifying the right journalists, producers, publications, podcasts, and community outlets, developing compelling media angles, and conducting thoughtful outreach. Our goal is not simply to promote an event. We want people to understand why this work matters and how storytelling can help young people build confidence, develop workforce skills, and author their own next chapter. By the end of this project, I would love to have a focused PR campaign for the 2026 Heart Awards and the exclusive screening of The Way Back Home. The consultant will help us: Develop a clear PR strategy and outreach timeline leading up to November 14 Identify the strongest stories and media angles connected to the event, film, honorees, and nonprofit mission Create a targeted media list of relevant Atlanta, Georgia, film, arts, nonprofit, education, youth, mental health, community, and Black media outlets Draft a professional press release Develop customized pitch templates for different types of media Create a media advisory for the event Review our available press materials and recommend anything missing Help us organize a digital media kit Conduct or guide direct outreach to selected media contacts Develop a system for tracking pitches, responses, interviews, and follow-ups Prepare talking points for interviews with our founder, participants, filmmakers, or honorees Provide guidance for media check-in and red carpet coverage on the night of the event We will provide information about Becoming Love Project, The Way Back Home, our programs, honorees, event details, cast and filmmaker biographies, photographs, brand materials, and timely feedback. Success would mean that Becoming Love Project has a professional and compelling media campaign, an organized press outreach system, and meaningful opportunities to introduce our mission and film to new audiences. While we understand that earned media coverage cannot be guaranteed, we want to complete strategic, consistent outreach and build media relationships that can continue beyond this event. Becoming Love Project Inc Mission: Becoming Love Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses storytelling, filmmaking, and mentorship to support young adults navigating major life transitions, including those aging out of foster care. Through our non-clinical creative model, participants transform elements of lived experience into characters and stories that help them examine old thought patterns, imagine new possibilities, and write toward what they want to believe about themselves and their futures. They then bring those stories to life through hands-on filmmaking experiences that build confidence, strengthen emotional expression, and develop transferable professional skills.