Rick Perera
Nonprofit Communications
Transforming the technical into
the inspirational
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Rick Perera is a seasoned development communications professional with a successful track record creating powerful narratives that inspire and motivate donors at all levels. His expertise includes fundraising for programming in healthcare, epidemic response, sustainable development, education, environmental and climate science, and more. He is a talented storyteller and photographer, and skilled at translating technical and scientific texts into donor-friendly content.
His background includes research and content creation in written and visual formats, social media campaigns, technical writing, publication launches, media relations, and crisis communications. Rick has worked on site in 20+ countries and is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and German.
Documenting climate-change and sustainable development programming in Bangladesh.
Escorting a reporter on a storygathering trip in Haiti.
(Photo: CARE / Evelyn Hockstein)
Interviewing teachers for a narrative feature on girls' education in India.
Career highlights
Nonprofit:
Multiple roles in donor communications and media relations for CARE, one of the world's foremost nonprofits working in health, education, sustainable development, climate, and disaster relief in 100 countries.
Senior Writer / Interim Director, Resource Development Content Creation
Led team of five writer-editors serving private, foundation and corporate fundraising channels raising more than $100M in annual revenue
Personally created content for campaigns worth more than $30M through winning proposals, reports, case studies, and social media content
Oversaw staff skills development including media training for senior management and grant writing / storytelling training for technical staff
Media / Communications Officer
Generated hundreds of media hits supporting fundraising and advocacy objectives
Deployed to 20+ countries to conduct on-site research, gather stories, shoot photos, supervise camera crews, write case studies and feature stories
Managed press coverage and mitigated risks to the organization's reputation during high-profile crises
Emergency Response Communications Director
Directed media teams in disaster zones from Haiti to Pakistan
Escorted journalists and generated media opportunities for senior management
Served as on-camera spokesperson in multiple languages
Worked under tight deadlines to generate content for fundraising campaigns of up to $100M
Broadcast and Print Journalism:
CNN: Produced breaking news, long-form and documentary programming
IDG News Service: Technology reporter, generating news and features for outlets including PCWorld, Macworld, InfoWorld, and CNN Business/Tech
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