Meet Nonprofit Communicator, Andy Nilsen

“I believe the potential of comms to influence change through advocacy, campaigns—and to support program delivery—is being unrealized,” Andy Nilsen writes. Nilsen took on his current role in Myanmar where, he says, “budgets are almost non-existent [and] issues are complex.” One of those issues is stunting, a malnutrition-induced condition that affects one out of three children in Myanmar. With a limited budget—just $2,000—Nilsen was able to generate awareness of the issue among more than 5 million people. Nilsen enlisted Thet Mon Myint, a local celebrity expecting her second child, to share her experiences and what she was learning from nutritionists through Facebook, where she had 1 million followers. Nilsen had the kickoff press conference streamed over Facebook Live. Earned media produced nearly 30 articles, but Facebook, which has become a go-to resource among a population that has acquired smartphones and inexpensive internet access at a steady clip, proved the key to the campaign’s success.