Children living with chronic illnesses and disabilities often face challenges that are more adult than their years and limit time for joy and laughter. In celebration of our global social inclusion effort, FleishmanHillard’s Washington, D.C. office partnered with the nonprofit Only Make Believe, whose mission is to inspire imagination and bring fun into the lives of local children in hospitals and care facilities.

Only Make Believe is an organization that creates and performs free interactive theatre for and with the participation of children in hospitals and care facilities. With offices in New York City and the nation’s capital, Only Make Believe is dedicated to the principle that freeing a child’s imagination is a valuable part of the healing process. Led by a small shop of three passionate women, the D.C. office has shared this experience with more than 3,300 children in the partnering six medical facilities across the Washington metropolitan area.

Over the course of two months, our staff rallied together to provide donations and pro bono services. For our first event, we held a Costume Collective in the office. This fun-filled event coordinated by Only Make Believe provided staff with materials to create costumes and props for future shows and the staff brought their energy and imaginations. Armed with ribbons, sequins, and their creative visions, our staff put together over 100 one-of-a-kind costume pieces for the performances.

To tackle the organization’s communication challenges, an integrated team spent over 250 hours executing a series of tactics to help the organization establish clear and concise messaging, identify partners in three key local industries, and pitched assets. From a messaging session and partnership blueprint to Costume Collective photos and a pitch video, Only Make Believe received a step-by-step guide to strategic engagement of potential partners.

Our entire office assembled together to provide a variety of cross collaborative solutions. Using the same synergy that we apply to craft and implement award-winning million dollar campaigns, this unique experience served as a reminder of how we can apply our skills and talents to serve our community for causes that are equally engaging and rewarding. Our team is honored to work with Only Make Believe and looks forward to a continued partnership.