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Powering Nonprofits to Fuel Positive Change

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Leveraging AI For Time Management

Leveraging AI For Time Management

By Melissa Lagowski Founder/CEO/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group “Larger nonprofits, with annual budgets exceeding $1 million, are adopting AI tools at nearly twice the rate of smaller organizations (66% vs. 34%), underscoring a growing digital divide,” according to the 2025 AI Benchmark Report which appeared in the NonProfit PRO.  If you have been too busy to look into what artificial intelligence (AI) can do, you are missing an opportunity to gain valuable support. Nonprofit and association professionals can save time and increase efficiency in a variety of ways. Here are just a few ideas to get started: -Data Entry: […]

By Melissa Lagowski
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Navigating Uncertainty: How Nonprofits Can Protect Funding and Advocate for Change

Navigating Uncertainty: How Nonprofits Can Protect Funding and Advocate for Change

By Melissa Lagowski Founder/CEO/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group  As the new administration stepped into office, many nonprofits have been in a frenzy trying to confirm if they will or won’t have the funding they count on to provide their programs. Whether this is your charitable organization or not, this is a wake-up call for all of us, and we need to band together to advocate for one another.   Our industry needs to work together at this time to be heard and protect the funding that many nonprofits rely on. So, first and foremost, contact your congressional leaders to let […]

By Melissa Lagowski
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Tips for Nonprofit Success

Tips for Nonprofit Success

Staff Report Big Buzz Idea Group Running a successful nonprofit requires adaptability, innovation and a clear vision, but it’s the collective wisdom of a dedicated team that truly drives impact. Check out these insights from Big Buzz Idea Group team members who each bring their unique perspective on what it takes to thrive in today’s evolving nonprofit landscape. From leveraging technology and fostering community engagement to ensuring financial sustainability and prioritizing mission alignment, their thoughts offer a comprehensive look at how nonprofits can navigate challenges and seize opportunities in the year ahead. Tricia Fusilero Association Manager  Every day, move one […]

By Melissa Lagowski
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DEI, DEIB, Equity & Inclusion for All: Ways to Advance the Work in 2025

DEI, DEIB, Equity & Inclusion for All: Ways to Advance the Work in 2025

By Candance Chow CEO NextGroup LLC The winds are shifting when it comes to corporate messaging and strategy around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI): what it is, what it is called, etc. As a nonprofit leader or mission-based organization looking forward, you should be less concerned about what you call it and more focused on the value and importance of creating a culture that empowers and nurtures diversity of thought and contribution.  Regardless of shifting political winds, let’s not lose sight of the reason we started all this talk in the first place (in addition to the recognition of systemic […]

By Melissa Lagowski
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Gen Z is the Next Wave of Donors—How Can Nonprofits Engage Them?

Gen Z is the Next Wave of Donors—How Can Nonprofits Engage Them?

By Amanda Lovell Digital Marketing Manager Big Buzz Idea Group  As nonprofits look to the future, one generation stands out for its unique, powerful potential: Gen Z. Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is already making waves in the philanthropic world, even as most of its members are just beginning their professional lives. This generation is socially conscious, digitally fluent and unafraid to put their values into action, making them a critical demographic for nonprofits to understand and engage.   So, why should nonprofits focus on Gen Z as their next wave of donors … and how?  Why Gen Z […]

By Melissa Lagowski
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Communicating With Your Nonprofit’s Supporters During Times of Unease

Communicating With Your Nonprofit’s Supporters During Times of Unease

By Julia Schroeder Marketing & Nonprofit Account Coordinator Big Buzz Idea Group Change is inevitable for any nonprofit or business, just as people experience times of uncertainty in their own lives. Someone may pass away or lose a job they were counting on to pay the bills. A nonprofit organization may need to dissolve due to a lack of resources or difficulty keeping its supporters engaged. When sudden change occurs – perhaps a loss in major funding or a board member decides to leave before their term is up – the organization may need to scramble to put all the […]

By Melissa Lagowski
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Big Buzz Idea Group Named One of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 30, 2024 Media Contact: Cat Donovan cat@bigbuzzideagroup.com Big Buzz Idea Group Named One of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO—100 list honors Big Buzz Idea Group as ‘Enduring Business’ Chicago, IL – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and CO, its award-winning digital platform for small businesses, announced Big Buzz Idea Group was chosen for the CO—100: America’s Top 100 Small Businesses list. Big Buzz Idea Group was selected out of more than 14,000 applicants by an esteemed panel of judges for its overall growth driven by cutting-edge ideas, resilience, and strong employee culture. The list includes a […]

By Melissa Lagowski
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Navigating Nonprofit Finances: How to Effectively Manage Your Bookkeeper

Navigating Nonprofit Finances: How to Effectively Manage Your Bookkeeper

By Melissa Lagowski Founder/CEO/Queen Bee Successful financial management is one of the greatest keys to the sustainability of your nonprofit or association. The accuracy of your numbers is crucial for day-to-day funding of staffing, programming and strategic planning. And yet, depending on the source, 40% of nonprofit leaders and 60% of small business owners say they are not good at bookkeeping. Accounting is a highly-regulated area of importance for your organization, and yet most nonprofits do not invest in securing the specialists needed to manage their finances. And even when an association does hire a bookkeeper, leadership might not know […]

By Melissa Lagowski
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These Red Flags Scream That You Need a New Bookkeeper

These Red Flags Scream That You Need a New Bookkeeper

By Melissa Lagowski Founder/CEO/Queen Bee If your nonprofit or association manages cash flow or oversees the filing of financial documentation on a regular basis, check out these warning signs that indicate when it’s time to hire a new bookkeeper. 1. Missed Deadlines Reconciliations and reporting are on a steady and predictable cycle. Bank statements are issued by the end of the month, so the bookkeeper should be able to reconcile all accounts and provide the monthly reports by the 15th of the following month. Governmental deadlines are also established and follow a regular pattern for submissions. If your filings are […]

By Melissa Lagowski
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10 Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Your Nonprofit from Cyber Threats

10 Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Your Nonprofit from Cyber Threats

By Amanda Lovell Digital Marketing Manager Big Buzz Idea Group Do you know the potential costs and impacts that a cyberattack could have on your organization? Are you prepared? In today’s digital age, nonprofits are increasingly becoming targets for cyberattacks, data breaches and ransomware. Your organization’s cybersecurity efforts are crucial, not only to protect sensitive information from theft and damage, but also to maintain the trust and confidence of your stakeholders and your members. Here are some key stats that every nonprofit needs to know: 50% of NGOS reported being targeted by a cyberattack in 2021. 500K confidential records of […]

By Melissa Lagowski
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Check Out These Recent Posts

  • Leveraging AI For Time Management
  • Navigating Uncertainty: How Nonprofits Can Protect Funding and Advocate for Change
  • Tips for Nonprofit Success
  • DEI, DEIB, Equity & Inclusion for All: Ways to Advance the Work in 2025
  • Gen Z is the Next Wave of Donors—How Can Nonprofits Engage Them?
  • Communicating With Your Nonprofit’s Supporters During Times of Unease
  • Big Buzz Idea Group Named One of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses

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501c3 Appreciation Association Association Management Big Buzz Idea Group Board Members Board of Directors Communication Communications Core Values Culture Development Digital Marketing Donations Donors Event Planner Event Planning Events Executive Director Funding Fundraising Goal-Setting Gratitude Leadership management Marketing mission Networking Nonprofit Nonprofit Board Members Nonprofit Leadership Nonprofit Management Nonprofit Organization NPO Organization Organization's Culture Outsourcing pandemic Productivity Social Media Sponsors Sponsorship Staff Strategic Planning Virtual

Insights Blog Archive

  • Tips for Virtual Event Success
  • Navigating Nonprofit Finances: How to Effectively Manage Your Bookkeeper
  • Tips for Nonprofit Success
  • Why Your Nonprofit Needs Brand Guidelines
  • Defining Your Value: Reclaiming Relevance to the Community You Serve
  • Innovative Approach to Volunteer Recruitment
  • The 3 Mistakes I Made Managing a Nonprofit
  • Four Pillars to Attracting and Retaining Ideal Employees
  • SPONSORSHIP 101: To Package or Not to Package
  • Big Buzz Idea Group Named One of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses
  • Tips For Meaningful #GivingTuesday Follow-Up
  • Client Spotlight: Center for Changing Lives
  • Engage Your Board – Start with Recruiting and End with A High-Performance Culture
  • The Birth of a New Vision
  • Seven Tips to a More Productive Year for Your Organization
  • Six Things Your Nonprofit Needs to Know About Sales Tax
  • Cancelling or Postponing Your Events in Light of COVID-19
  • 3 Reasons Why Your Organization Should Use Canva
  • Making a Case for Strategic Planning
  • Something Good: Building Your Team’s Connection
  • Optimize Your Contact List for Nonprofit Growth
  • The Hidden Costs Behind Your Fundraiser
  • 3 Tips For Maintaining Your NPO’s Digital Assets
  • Cyber Security: How To Protect Yourself In Today’s “Connected” World
  • An Interim Leader Isn’t a “Temp:” Interim Leadership in NPOs as a Management Profession
  • Four Tactics to Resolve Nonprofit Staffing Shortages
  • How to Develop Your Nonprofit’s Audience Persona
  • 5 Secrets to Streamlining Your Administrative Tasks
  • Strategies for Membership Based Associations to Flourish in Face-to-Face Interactions
  • Are You Leaving Money On The Table?
  • Networking for Personal and Professional Growth
  • The Need to Go Beyond Surveys
  • What’s Your Nonprofit’s Story
  • Put Some Zing in Your Zoom (Or Any Other Virtual Meeting)
  • DEI, DEIB, Equity & Inclusion for All: Ways to Advance the Work in 2025
  • Board Nominating: A Better Way
  • Nonprofit Hiring: Best Practices for Building Your Team in 2024
  • Fostering Board Engagement in Virtual Times
  • Advantages of Donor Database Software for Charitable Organizations
  • Life After COVID-19: Next Steps for Your Nonprofit
  • Communicating With Your Nonprofit’s Supporters During Times of Unease
  • Organizational Operations Versus Organizational Strategy
  • 10 Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Your Nonprofit from Cyber Threats
  • Want To Retain Your Employees? Wellness in the Workplace Matters!
  • Team Culture Exists Beyond the Office Walls
  • Transparency and Nonprofit Organizations
  • What’s Your Nonprofit’s First Impression?
  • Cross-Train Your Team for Better Outcomes
  • Chart a Path for Nonprofit Success
  • Holding On When You Feel Like Throwing In the Towel
  • From Awareness to Action: Using Social Media to Reach Your Goals
  • New Year’s Resolutions for Board Members
  • Four Step Process to Building Better Buy-In
  • 9 Lessons Learned from Our First Virtual Conference
  • Never Overlook the Value of Gratitude
  • To Be Successful, Nonprofits and Associations Must Be Forward-Thinking
  • 11 Tips to Make Your Newsletter More Readable
  • SPONSORSHIP 101: Growing Nonprofit Revenues
  • These Red Flags Scream That You Need a New Bookkeeper
  • Apply the Spoon Theory to Run Your Nonprofit
  • The Taxman Cometh (Yes, Even For Your Exempt Organization)
  • Big Buzz Has COVID-19 Resources For You!
  • Take Time to Evaluate Your Events
  • Losing Control? Reclaim Your Time!
  • Lessons Learned in Nonprofit Management
  • How to Manage Your Organization During an Election Year Without Violating Your Nonprofit Status
  • How To Secure More Donor Dollars
  • How to Keep Your Visuals On-Brand
  • Grateful for Nonprofit Leaders
  • 7 Tips for Managing Hybrid Events
  • Fundraising: Creating a Straighter Path to Revenue Growth
  • Goal-Setting For Successful Events
  • Celebrate You and Avoid Nonprofit Burnout
  • Securing Help from Your Board: Are You Ready?
  • Why Nonprofits Need to Evaluate Their Budgets Every Year
  • Employee Retention Tax Credit Yields Powerful Opportunity
  • 5 Ways to Generate Sponsor Leads
  • Client Spotlight: Old Town School of Folk Music
  • 8 Tips For Leading Productive Meetings
  • Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part I
  • Implementing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Your Nonprofit
  • Leveraging E-Newsletters For Nonprofit Growth
  • 6 Tips for Healthy Collaboration with Your Board Chair
  • Client Spotlight: Cyberjutsu
  • 50 Content Promotion Tactics: How to Drive Traffic to Your Next Article
  • Nonprofit Event Venues 101
  • Virtual Fundraising: 18 Ideas for Nonprofit Revenue
  • Should You Ever Cover Board Member Expenses?
  • Self-Care: A Necessity for Successful Leadership
  • Communication Tips to Advance Your Organization
  • Conference Call Hero – 6 Tips to Master the Art of Video and Audio Conferencing
  • Budgeting for Your Nonprofit in Uncertain Times
  • Navigating Uncertainty: How Nonprofits Can Protect Funding and Advocate for Change
  • Real Progress Requires Intention: What Do You Want to Achieve in 2020 for Your Nonprofit?
  • Client Spotlight: Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce
  • Are You Leading With Impact?
  • The Benefits of Outsourcing
  • Post-Pandemic Event Lessons
  • How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media to Meet Goals
  • Leadership Starts with You
  • Please Send a Hi-res Copy of Your Logo
  • Leveraging AI For Time Management
  • Organic Methods to Cultivate Sponsorship Leads
  • Financial Planning for Uncertain Times
  • Word of the Year: Manifestation
  • 4 Ways Outsourcing Your Development Work Can Provide Value
  • Our Top Five Free Online Tools for Nonprofit Management Teams
  • 5 Reasons to Outsource Instead of Rely on Volunteers
  • Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part II
  • 3 Questions to Ask If You Hope to Grow Your Membership
  • SPONSORSHIP 101: Growing Nonprofit Revenues
  • Melissa Lagowski Named Faculty Member at Institute for Organization Management
  • Does Your Mission Have a Compelling Voice?
  • A Job Gone Wrong
  • The Keys to Presenting Your Nonprofit Online
  • Is Your Marketing Missing the Mark?
  • If You’re Feeling Hopeless of Late, Remember That Your Work Matters and You Do, Too
  • 10 Tips to Cultivate Sponsor Relationships
  • Crisis Management: Are You Ready?
  • Should Sponsorships Include Membership Dues?
  • Interim Directors Provide Strength in Times of Transition
  • Outsourcing: The Only Solution To Staffing Shortages
  • Board or Bored Leadership – Enter the Magnificent Seven
  • Fresh Funding Ideas Are Blooming
  • Why Is My Organization Not Growing?
  • Why Identifying and Communicating Your Core Values Is Important
  • 5 Tips for Prioritizing Your Mental Health in the Workplace
  • How Big Is Your Fire?
  • Silver Linings Discovered Amidst a Pandemic
  • Boost Your Daily Productivity
  • Clearer Communication Is the Secret to Better Outcomes
  • How to Rewire Your Brain with Positive Thinking
  • Spend Less. Do More. Your Guide to Effective Outsourcing
  • 6 Tips for Cultivating Gratitude in the Workplace
  • Time to Assess Your Year-End Campaigns
  • Meet Big Buzz, the Creators of Ribfest Chicago
  • Making the Most Out of Event Centerpieces
  • Talk to Me! Prioritizing Internal Communications During Times of Transition
  • Re-Imagine the Possibilities to Better Serve Your Mission
  • Nonprofit Form 990: Friend or Foe?
  • DIY Event Photos
  • Client Spotlight: Illinois Theatre Association
  • Streamlining Success: Using a Consent Agenda for Nonprofit Board Meetings
  • 6 Tips for Recruiting Ideal Board Members
  • 2020: A Lesson in Gratitude
  • Best Practices For Nonprofit Management
  • Why You Need to Establish Gratitude as a Pillar at Your Nonprofit
  • Keep Your Mission in Mind to Maximize Results
  • 4 Productivity Tips to Elevate Your Nonprofit
  • How to Hire a Consultant
  • Make Your Nonprofit Stand Out: Creating Impressions for Impact
  • The Board’s Hot (Summer) Topics
  • Client Spotlight: Hope For The Day
  • Mastering Client Expectations: 6 Essential Tips for Success
  • How to Secure Mega Sponsorships For Your Fundraising Event!
  • Tips to Ensure Event Safety
  • Big Buzz Idea Group Launches Additional Services
  • Gen Z is the Next Wave of Donors—How Can Nonprofits Engage Them?
  • The Compelling Case to Renew
  • The Importance of Authenticity in Sales and Networking
  • Becoming a Virtual Event Planner in an Instant

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