Gisele McAuliffe

I’m a social impact communicator and former broadcast journalist who helps changemakers turn big ideas into engaging stories and outreach strategies that inspire and achieve measurable results. Over the past 30 years, I’ve worked alongside nonprofits and grantmakers to elevate urgent social issues.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Instruct undergraduate students in the emerging academic field of public interest communications. Coursework focuses on strategic communications grounded in research and science to achieve sustained and positive change in areas ranging from climate change and racial justice to health care access and housing policy.

Examples of my consulting projects included:

• COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY: Produced advocacy strategies and a communications plan for the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (dedicated to bringing transparency and accountability to the private equity industry). 
• STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Captured stories and launched a new internal and external communications function for the Niger Delta Partnership Initiative (NDPI) Foundation (dedicated to promoting peace and equitable economic growth across Southern Nigeria). Promoted the organization’s brand, services and mission to key stakeholders in the U.S. and Nigeria. Oversaw the story gathering, writing, editing and production of the organization's multimedia materials for U.S. and global dissemination. Increased online engagement by 6MM people. Co-designed special events in the U.S. and Nigeria that attracted new partners and investors, raising $92MM in new investments. 
• GLOBAL HEALTH ADVOCACY: Led a 12-person, multi-national team to develop an advocacy framework for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to convince government leaders in Africa and Asia to expand public access to clean water and sanitation. The framework subsequently guided $265MM in foundation grants.
• PLANNING & TRAINING:  Trained the communications team of the World Wildlife Fund Regenerative Food Systems Program on how to create a multi-year strategic communications plan. 
• POLICY ADVOCACY AND FUNDRAISING: Built a robust marketing program for the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) and produced a special event to showcase the organization’s latest policy proposal at the UN Climate Conference in Nairobi. The event convinced targeted national government representatives to endorse the CCAP policy and attracted $200K in new funding.
• MEDIA RELATIONS: Improved the efficiency and results of Families USA’s media relations (dedicated to achieving high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans). Implemented a new strategy to track quantitative and qualitative results of news stories about the organization.

The Wilderness Society, Director of Communications                                                        1999-2001

Led mission-critical environmental protection advocacy campaigns and news media outreach while supervising a staff of three. Created internal and external communications plans. Guided CEO-level communications and trained program leaders to be effective spokespersons. 

World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Manager, Global Climate Change                                          1996-1998

Directed multilingual global policy change effort. Performed media relations that produced hundreds of news reports in dozens of countries supporting WWF’s international policy goals. Produced “Climate Change Impacts” reports that were subsequently integrated into the U.S. president’s speech at the United Nations Earth Summit.

OTHER EXPERIENCE

• Freelance reporter for United Press International Radio, Radio France Internationale, and Deutsche Welle-Radio, covering stories in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
• Breaking news reporter, writer and producer for CNN New York and London offices.
• CBS Network T.V. News. News assistant at New York City headquarters. 

B.F.A. Communications, New York University