For years, charities and talent have circled one another with the same goal but with very little dialogue. The potential has always been obvious – shared audiences, cultural influence, credibility and reach – yet too often those relationships have been reduced to last-minute requests or surface-level endorsements.
With over 25 years in PR and a decade specialising in celebrity, influencer and talent engagement within the nonprofit sector, Rachel Braier has seen both sides of that disconnect up close. Rachel Braier Talent was born out of a simple but powerful idea: that charity–talent partnerships work best when they’re strategic, authentic and reciprocal, and when the conversation starts early, honestly and with purpose.
We spoke to Rachel about what’s been missing from charity–talent relationships, why the current model isn’t working, and how Rachel Braier Talent is rethinking partnerships from the ground up.
What was the moment that made you realise the current charity–talent relationship wasn’t working as well as it could?
I’ve felt it for a while and from my experience, there hasn’t been enough meaningful dialogue between agents and nonprofits. There are huge reciprocal benefits of agents and charities forging strategic partnerships, but these conversations just weren’t happening.
Being a freelance consultant and working across a number of clients and projects, you don’t always have the time to take stock and think about doing things differently. I reached a milestone birthday in September last year and took almost a month off in Greece and that’s when the idea of launching Rachel Braier Talent started to ferment. By October I had a business plan and launched in January this year.
From your experience, what’s the biggest misconception charities have about working with talent (and vice versa)?
The thing that charities get wrong, in my opinion, is devising a PR and Communications strategy and then shoehorning celebrity, influencer and content creator activity into the mix, almost as an afterthought.
Talent activation is no longer a ‘nice to have’, it is a key part of the marketing and communications mix, particularly if charities want to appeal to a younger and more diverse audience.
Partnerships work best when there is bespoke, strategic and authentic activity between the talent and charity and both parties can benefit from each other’s audiences and platform.
From the talent side, the most common misconception is not realising just how much the right charity campaign or alliance can elevate and bring gravitas to their client’s profile, and introduce them to new opportunities and audiences.
I’ve worked with influencers who have received book and brand partnership deals as a direct result of working on a nonprofit campaign and brought reality stars to the BBC Breakfast sofa and set up opportunities for them to speak in Parliament.
When it works, it works beautifully and it can be transformational for the talent and the charity.
What does a good charity–talent partnership actually look like when it’s working properly?
Strategic, authentic, bespoke and reciprocal activity with honest and transparent dialogue between the talent and the charity.
What’s been the most rewarding part of launching RBT so far?
It’s still early days and a lot of my time at the moment is spent meeting talent agents for a cup of tea (I don’t drink coffee) to discuss opportunities and explain what Rachel Braier Talent is all about.
The most rewarding thing at this stage is the really positive feedback I’ve received from agents. There is a genuine interest and appetite to work together and a certain amount of confusion as to why this approach hasn’t been tried before.
Looking ahead, what would success look like for Rachel Braier Talent over the next couple of years?
I’d like to be known for setting up really successful and strategic relationships between talent and nonprofits, where both talent agencies and charities can see tangible and demonstrable results.
At the moment, Rachel Braier Talent is just me, but ultimately I’d like to expand and have a small team around me, who really understand the nuance and potential of strategic partnerships.
I suppose, the ultimate goal would be to develop a piece of software at some point which connects talent and nonprofits, but the human element would have to remain intact and lead to conversations and dialogues beyond the tech.
At a time when both charities and talent are under increasing pressure to be more intentional about where they invest their time, platforms and influence, Rachel Braier Talent offers a timely rethink of how those relationships are built. By putting strategy, trust and genuine dialogue at the centre of every partnership, Rachel is not just connecting the right people, but reshaping what meaningful collaboration can look like. If the early response is anything to go by, this is an approach the sector has been waiting for.
