When disaster strikes or conflicts erupt, people around the world rely on CNN to keep them informed and help make sense of what’s happening. But for many readers and viewers, engaging with these stories goes beyond the headlines. They want to make a difference.
That’s where Impact Your World comes in. For more than 16 years, this CNN initiative has empowered audiences to take action by connecting them to organizations helping those in need. Audiences have donated millions of dollars to vetted nonprofits providing relief to victims of the war in Ukraine, survivors of the 2023 Hawaii wildfires and more.
To learn more about how audiences can help during this season of giving, we spoke with Jennifer Johnson, who oversees Impact Your World as a senior producer for CNN Special Projects.
What was the impetus for starting Impact Your World?
It really all started with a little boy named Youssif. Back in 2007, masked men doused the 4-year-old with gasoline outside his house in Baghdad and set his face on fire for no apparent reason. Youssif’s parents struggled for months to get their son medical care in Iraq. But doctors said the only option was treatment outside the country, something the parents couldn’t afford. Arwa Damon, CNN’s senior international correspondent at the time, reported Youssif’s story. Her piece quickly prompted an overwhelming response. The Children’s Burn Foundation in Los Angeles took up the case, and CNN viewers donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to help.
A few months before Youssif’s story broke, Tonja Brown with CNN Strategic Integration conceived and developed Impact Your World, an initiative connecting our audience to vetted charities addressing tragedies covered in the news. CNN rolled it out as part of World Refugee Day in June 2007. But Youssif’s story was the emotional catalyst, that first really big charitable interaction between the hardships we cover and our audience’s urge to help. We’ve been going strong and doing good ever since.
How has the team evolved over the years?
What started out as a portal on CNN.com with links to vetted nonprofits has evolved and expanded. We like to break Impact Your World down into three buckets.
First, through CNN Worldwide cross-platform sponsorships, Impact Your World expanded to TV and digital stories spotlighting the good work of celebrities and everyday people.
Second, is our website. We continue to provide our audience with vetted ways to donate money, but we added volunteer opportunities and ways to GET help when applicable. Our coverage goes beyond disasters, as we now also feature service, social justice, and celebration pieces.
The last bucket is vetting. Before we highlight a nonprofit or crowdfunding site, we make sure our viewers and readers are being directed to sound, financially efficient charities.
Impact Your World gives CNN's audience a way to help when there's a crisis or tragedy going on in the world. How does it all work?
We look for charities that are on the ground, actively distributing aid. Once they are vetted and approved, we add them to a fundraising campaign. Donors can choose to contribute to one charity or have their donation equally divided among all the listed charities. Our fundraising platform partner Pledge collects and disburses the money to each charity, earmarked for the specific disaster.
