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About Sarah Pollock

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Sarah Pollock has contributed 24 entries to our website, so far.

Keep Your Mission in Mind to Maximize Results

Keep Your Mission in Mind to Maximize Results

By Melissa Lagowski CEO / Queen Bee / Founder Big Buzz Idea Group Nonprofit organizations exist to serve a very specific purpose. You know that your mission should always be the driving force for every project, program and event that you host. But how focused on that mission are you? What about your Board of Directors and your staff? Are you utilizing yours properly for decision-making? There are times when a nonprofit might accidentally lose its way. It may be a well-intended meeting that veers off-course. The enthusiasm builds and before you realize it, the committee has created an entire...

6 Tips for Healthy Collaboration with Your Board Chair

6 Tips for Healthy Collaboration with Your Board Chair

By Melissa Lagowski CEO / Queen Bee / Founder Big Buzz Idea Group In thinking back to my first day as an Executive Director (E.D.), I realize now that the tone was set right there on day one. I met the Board President at my new office. He unlocked the door, handed me the key and said, “Have a nice day” as he left. There was no training, nobody to answer my questions. I don’t even know if I saw any of the board members between meetings (except, on occasion, for the Board member who owned the building where my...

Board Nominating: A Better Way

Board Nominating: A Better Way

By Brad Ball Vice President Big Buzz Idea Group “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” – Douglas Adams Simply too many organizations think about bringing new people onto the board of directors as a last-minute activity. They wait until just before the Annual Meeting, have a few quick, quiet conversations about who has time and is willing to join the board for the next term. Those people say ‘yes,’ the names are hastily approved, and thus, the next year’s board of directors is born. And this story repeats itself, often with just...

How to Develop Your Nonprofit’s Audience Persona

How to Develop Your Nonprofit’s Audience Persona

By: Lidia Varesco Racoma Brand Strategist & Creative Marketer Lidia Varesco Design Determining your organization’s audience is a crucial part of branding and marketing. Developing a persona for each segment of your audience provides a framework for your content and assures that your outreach is strategic, focused and targeted. What Is a Persona? A persona is a representation of the target audience segment you are trying to reach based on internal data and research, and it includes the basics of who they are, as well as insights into their challenges and values. Some personas even include a name and image...

Put Some Zing in Your Zoom (Or Any Other Virtual Meeting)

Put Some Zing in Your Zoom (Or Any Other Virtual Meeting)

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Routine “bored” meetings have transitioned from conference rooms to Zoom rooms for today’s remote workforce (and many are still a challenge to get enthused about…). Video conferencing is here to stay, so if you want your meetings to stand out while you increase engagement and avoid contributing to your staff’s zoom fatigue, you’ll want to pay attention. Whether you are using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts or one of the many other online video platforms, it is always a good idea to look for ways to increase the engagement of your...

Leadership Starts with You

Leadership Starts with You

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved.” ~Helen Keller When you think of a “leader,” who comes to mind? We typically list examples of great leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and other famous people, but we overlook the value that each of us possess as leaders. Does your organization have strong leadership? How enthusiastic and impassioned are the leaders that sit on your board of directors?...

How to Hire a Consultant

How to Hire a Consultant

By Brad Ball Vice President Big Buzz Idea Group As an association management company and nonprofit consultant, we’ve written extensively about the benefits of outsourcing for your organization. Outsourcing can help you navigate a tight job market or hiring market, ensuring that tasks are performed by competent professionals and the office is running efficiently throughout the hiring process. It can cost less than hiring new staff, is more reliable than counting on volunteers, and can even allow you to bring in an expert with a specific skillset you need for a limited time. With more and more complex tasks and responsibilities...

Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part II

Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part II

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group In “Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part I” we covered ideas for you to utilize relative to email marketing, leveraging your community and capitalizing on some basic public relations tactics. Part II will advance the promotional discussions and cover more ideas for digital exposure. Online Marketing Marketing online via social media remains an important part of overall promotions for nonprofits and associations so we encourage our clients to include online promotions to achieve maximum exposure. Social media options can be a bit overwhelming, so it’s best to compare the various...

Silver Linings Discovered Amidst a Pandemic

Silver Linings Discovered Amidst a Pandemic

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group We have always known that, out of necessity, nonprofit organizations are incredibly nimble and resilient. Over the last 12 months, organizations have made quick pivots and showed great commitment and creativity to the missions they serve. Now that it has been a full year of life with COVID-19, we asked our clients if they had any unexpected positive results from the pandemic. Here is what they had to say:   Rogers Park Business Alliance “We added video interviews to our Small Business Saturday event in 2020. The pivot to video for...

Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part I

Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part I

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group I recently heard a horror story about a nonprofit that was promised a packed room for their annual fundraiser. The development team guaranteed that the tables would be full and the event would be a huge success. I don’t know all the intricacies, but in the end, their promotions clearly failed as there were not even three full tables and it was a huge flop. This is everyone’s worst nightmare. We are constantly tasked with growing our audiences and engaging new supporters but often don’t know where to begin. This list...

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Insights Blog Archive

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

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