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About Melissa Lagowski

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Melissa Lagowski has contributed 38 entries to our website, so far.

Losing Control? Reclaim Your Time!

Losing Control? Reclaim Your Time!

By Melissa Lagowski Big Buzz Idea Group Founder/CEO/Queen Bee Losing Control? Reclaim Your Time! According to the data available, “only 20% of people feel their work is under control daily.” As far back as I can remember, every nonprofit staffer I know has felt the stress of being buried by an enormous and never-ending workload. The industry is known for being notoriously understaffed while still needing to meet the deadlines of the association. Along came 2020 (when everything felt strange, uncertain and uncomfortable) and people remained just as busy, but it was a different kind of busy. The comfort of...

Client Spotlight: Old Town School of Folk Music

Client Spotlight: Old Town School of Folk Music

Name/Title: Dave Zibell, Director of Marketing for Old Town School of Folk Music, one of the founders of the Square Roots festival and currently serving as Board President for Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce. About Old Town School of Folk Music: My organization is the Old Town School of Folk Music with a mission of providing quality arts education to everyone. Old Town School teaches roughly 4,000 students in Lincoln Square, Lincoln Park and some suburban branches every 8-week session as well as presenting around 350 concert performances per year. How many years do you have in the nonprofit...

From Awareness to Action: Using Social Media to Reach Your Goals

From Awareness to Action: Using Social Media to Reach Your Goals

By Amanda Lovell Marketing Coordinator Big Buzz Idea Group If you are a nonprofit leader, social media can be an invaluable tool with vast reach and accessibility that you can take advantage of. Use it to promote your organization’s mission, amplify your messaging, reach out to volunteers, find partners and sponsors, drive donations and engage with your members. Maybe you are thinking, “So I know that our organization should be on social media, but how exactly do we do that? How do we utilize social media the correct way?” Here are some tips to consider: Define Your Audience And Messaging...

SPONSORSHIP 101: Growing Nonprofit Revenues

SPONSORSHIP 101: Growing Nonprofit Revenues

By Melissa Lagowski Founder/CEO/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Be it donors or dinners or annual bake sales, nonprofit organizations live and die by their budgets and funding streams. Finding a steady revenue stream may seem difficult but it also might just be hidden in plain sight: look around to discover that opportunities exist to develop a sponsorship program that can play mightily into your success. Established nonprofits already have an underlying support system in their board of directors, staff members, social media followers, donors, etc., who believe in the cause. This network brings obvious value to the organization and...

8 Tips For Leading Productive Meetings

8 Tips For Leading Productive Meetings

By Melissa Lagowski Founder/CEO/Queen Bee How many hours do you commit to meetings in a week? Out of 40 hours in an average work week, the majority of us are in meetings for at least half of that time. According to some stats in the nonprofit world, this could catapult to 65 or 75 percent. With so much of our lives devoted to collaboration via these collective encounters, let’s look at some ways to make your meetings more effective. Purpose The first step to more productive meetings is that everyone must understand the purpose or reason for the meeting so...

The Importance of Authenticity in Sales and Networking

The Importance of Authenticity in Sales and Networking

By Terri Champelli Sales and Business Development Let’s be real. This term has been thrown about in all walks of life for years, with the intent of requesting your audience to, in essence, cut the crap. In interpersonal skills and relations, it is important to be real. For your friends, family, neighbors, this is a given. In sales, it should be no different. Here, we are using this term to guide authentic connection as a pathway to meeting your clients’ needs and finding new referrals along the way. It is important to not look at this as a strategy but...

How Big Is Your Fire?

How Big Is Your Fire?

By: Devin Ball Director of Operations Do you spend parts of your week addressing issues that unexpectedly require immediate attention and will create a much bigger issue if left unaddressed? At Big Buzz Idea Group, we refer to this phenomenon as “putting out fires.”  If you’re a living, breathing human, chances are you’ve had to “put out a fire” before. Putting out fires usually requires you to push other scheduled tasks further down on your to-do list, which could mean that today’s tasks become tomorrow’s tasks, this week’s tasks become next week’s tasks and so on.  As day-to-day duties are...

The Keys to Presenting Your Nonprofit Online

The Keys to Presenting Your Nonprofit Online

By: Kayla Walke Nonprofit Account Coordinator Knowing how to present your organization online is key for not only conveying and sharing your message with those who are unaware of your organization but also for maintaining current members.  When someone visits your website for the first time, the last thing you want is for them to struggle to find information or dig around for a donate button! Here are a few tips and tricks to remember when working on your organization’s website by focusing on the importance of making a good impression right off the bat. Homepage Perfection  When visiting your...

Best Practices For Nonprofit Management

Best Practices For Nonprofit Management

By: Big Buzz Idea Group Staff This month, we turn to our helpful hive-full of Big Buzz team members for some insider insights and tips that they’ve honed and compiled over years of working with nonprofits. These simple but powerful methodologies have helped numerous clients along the way, so we know they’re tried and true and can work for anyone in the business of running a nonprofit like a business. Prepare For “The Ask” When soliciting new Board Members, Nicole Harris advises to go in prepared for the big meeting: A strong organization will have a solid plan when it...

Client Spotlight: Hope For The Day

Client Spotlight: Hope For The Day

Name/Title: Allison Herman (she/her), Director of Education What is your organization and mission? Hope For The Day is a nonprofit movement empowering the conversation on proactive suicide prevention and mental health education. How many years do you have in the nonprofit industry? 1.5 years / Before working at Hope For The Day, I spent 10+ years working in marketing and advertising. I’ve also been volunteering in nonprofit organizations since childhood. How do you develop and grow your desired culture within your organization? I’m a big fan of leading with empathy and creating psychological safety for the passionate people who work...

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Check Out These Recent Posts

  • Losing Control? Reclaim Your Time!
  • Client Spotlight: Old Town School of Folk Music
  • From Awareness to Action: Using Social Media to Reach Your Goals
  • SPONSORSHIP 101: Growing Nonprofit Revenues
  • 8 Tips For Leading Productive Meetings
  • The Importance of Authenticity in Sales and Networking
  • How Big Is Your Fire?

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Insights Blog Archive

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

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