What Burness does

Burness is a privately held communications consulting firm founded in 1988 by Andy Burness, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland with a second office in Nairobi, Kenya. It provides an integrated suite of eight professional services - communications strategy, creative strategy, design and production, digital strategy and engagement, media relations, messaging, policy communications, training and writing - to nonprofit organizations, foundations, and social-change clients working in health, climate, education, science, agriculture, and social justice.

The firm's client roster includes marquee philanthropic and global-health institutions such as the Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Helmsley Charitable Trust, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, American Cancer Society, PATH, Partners in Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. Delivery is direct, via project-based and retainer engagements established through referrals and networks within the social-change sector.

The business is run as a traditional professional-services firm with no proprietary technology product and no external investment. Differentiation rests on nearly 35 years of category reputation in social-change communications, founder-led culture, mission-aligned talent (anchored by the firm's Karel Fellowship in Public Interest Communications), and ecosystem initiatives such as the Burness Forum and Burness Film Festival. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the firm remains privately held.

Name

Burness

Legal name

Burness

Website

https://burness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Burness is a Bethesda-based communications consulting firm serving nonprofits, foundations, and global-health organizations with strategy, creative, digital, media relations, messaging, policy communications, training, and writing services across health, climate, education, agriculture, and social justice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Communications Consulting Services: Burness generates revenue by providing professional communications services to nonprofit organizations, foundations, and social change organizations. Services include communications strategy, creative design and production, digital engagement, media relations, messaging, policy communications, training, and writing services. The firm operates on a project-based and retainer consulting model typical of professional services firms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Burness is a professional services firm that provides integrated communications consulting to nonprofit organizations, foundations, and social change entities. It sells eight discrete service offerings: Communications Strategy, Creative Strategy/Design/Production, Digital Strategy and Engagement, Media Relations, Messaging, Policy Communications, Training, and Writing. Engagements are delivered on a project-based or retainer basis, with messaging testing, creative production, media outreach, policy advocacy support, and capacity-building training as core deliverables.

Product overview

Burness is a global communications consulting firm that provides integrated communications services to nonprofits and social change organizations. The company offers a comprehensive suite of eight service offerings: Communications Strategy, Creative Strategy/Design/Production, Digital Strategy and Engagement, Media Relations, Messaging, Policy Communications, Training, and Writing. Rather than a software product, Burness delivers professional services including message testing, digital campaigns, creative production, media relations, and speech coaching to help extraordinary people tell their stories for the good of the world.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Communications Strategy Strategic communications consulting to help nonprofits and social change organizations develop effective messaging and engagement approaches.
• Creative Strategy, Design and Production Creative services including visual design, content production, and multimedia asset creation for social change campaigns.
• Digital Strategy and Engagement Digital communications services including social media strategy, online engagement, and digital campaign management for nonprofit clients.
• Media Relations Media outreach and press engagement services to secure coverage in influential outlets for nonprofit clients.
• Messaging Message development and testing services including quick-hit message testing to understand audience response and optimize communication effectiveness.
• Policy Communications Communications support for policy advocacy efforts, helping organizations influence public policy debates and legislative outcomes.
• Training Communications skills training for nonprofit spokespeople, including speech preparation and media coaching.
• Writing Professional writing services including op-eds, blogs, fact sheets, reports, news releases, talking points, and speeches for social change organizations.

Named customers20 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Karel Fellowship in Public Interest CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBurness founded and manages the Karel Fellowship in Public Interest Communications, the nation's only college internship targeting first-generation and minority students. Over 10 years, 71 Fellows have completed the program in partnership with 40 nonprofit organizations. The program has been working with D.C.-based nonprofits and is expanding to other cities in 2024.
• Business Leaders Fighting HungerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBurness co-founded Business Leaders Fighting Hunger coalition with Sodexo to raise $500,000 over four years to reduce hunger in Montgomery County, Maryland. Initial members include Bendler & Company, Bethesda Magazine, Bass Accounting & Tax Services, SmithPilot, and Social & Scientific Systems.
• Montgomery County Black and Brown Coalition for Educational EquitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBurness has devoted more than $200,000 of pro bono time over two years to support the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity in Montgomery County, providing strategic and tactical communications skills.
• Montgomery County Food Security CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBurness helped organize the Montgomery County Food Security Collaborative and helps fund the Community Food Rescue mini-grant program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BerlinRosen: BerlinRosen is a fast-growing public affairs and strategic communications firm serving nonprofits, advocacy groups, foundations, and progressive causes. It often competes head-to-head with Burness on large nonprofit communications RFPs while operating at greater scale.
• Spitfire Strategies: Spitfire Strategies is a mission-driven communications firm focused exclusively on nonprofits, foundations, and social change organizations. Its service mix (strategy, messaging, media relations) and client base overlap almost one-for-one with Burness's core vertical.
• GMMB: GMMB is a strategic communications and advertising agency focused on social impact, public health, and causes. Its service portfolio and nonprofit/foundation client roster make it one of Burness's most direct comparables.
• Fenton Communications: Fenton is a social-change PR and communications agency serving nonprofits, foundations, and progressive causes across health, environment, and social justice. Like Burness, it competes for the same foundation and NGO communications mandates with similar service offerings.
• Clyde Group: Clyde Group is a strategic communications firm specializing in advocacy, public affairs, and purpose-driven campaigns for nonprofits and foundations. Its team size and service mix sit close to Burness's profile.
• Blue State Digital: Blue State Digital (now Boundless) provides digital strategy, creative, and direct-response communications for nonprofits, campaigns, and causes. It overlaps with Burness on the digital-engagement and creative-production side of foundation briefs.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: Edelman is the world's largest PR firm with a dedicated social impact practice serving global nonprofits and foundations. It competes with Burness on large global mandates but operates across categories far broader than social change.
• Waggener Edstrom / WE Communications: WE Communications is a global communications agency with deep health and social-impact practices serving foundations and NGOs. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with Burness particularly on health-foundation work.
• Weber Shandwick: Weber Shandwick is a global PR network with strong public affairs and social impact capabilities serving NGOs and foundations. It is a broader incumbent whose healthcare and policy practices overlap with Burness's health and policy communications work.

Others

• Aspen Institute (Communications Programs): The Aspen Institute is a Burness client but also operates communications and fellowship programs that overlap with the training and thought-leadership services Burness provides. Not a direct competitor, but an adjacent ecosystem player in the same social-change space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burness-communications

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burness