Insights

By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group “Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” ~Albert Einstein Do you feel like your organization is in a rut? Does it seem like no matter what you do, your budget hasn’t seen growth and programs don’t expand as you had anticipated? Are you still struggling with staffing shortages or failing to fill those seats on the Board with engaged leaders? It is not uncommon for nonprofit organizations to rollover their same plan from year to year, but the reality is that if you...

By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group In working with clients, we’ve seen the state of the nonprofit sector evolve. More recently, many organizations are facing a tight job market with a shortage of skilled and experienced workers. Layer in limited budgets and ongoing turnover, and it’s not surprising that nonprofits are feeling the squeeze. It’s an issue for nonprofits and businesses alike: staff shortages have become the top emerging risk that organizations face globally, according to Gartner, Inc.’s latest Emerging Risks Survey. Sixty-three percent of total respondents stated that a talent shortage was a key...

By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group It happened again last week. A nonprofit organization called to discuss their annual gala, describing how much money they want to raise while lamenting that they have no budget to hire a planner to assist them. Shortest conversation ever. They’re married to this event, though, so who will they find to do the work, and does that appear in the event budget? If they don’t outsource, then they self-produce, which comes at a cost. And staffing costs are a line item expense, so if they aren’t even identified, then...

By: Joan Garry Principal and Founder, Joan Garry Consulting  When my wife ran The Food Network, she often got 911 calls during Thanksgiving week. “Eileen, do you brine your turkey?”   “What’s your favorite stuffing recipe?”   It was actually hilarious. Eileen is a very good cook mind you but she would respond to all callers the same way. “I am not a chef; I make TV shows.” As for me, I get more than my fair share of 911 calls. Some folks expect me to be an accountant, a human resources professional and oh my, lots of folks ask me...

By: Katelyn Foehner Communications Manager, Big Buzz Idea Group We are living in the ever-expanding visual age, which is why having a portfolio of digital assets for your organization is important for success. Whether those assets include a collection of images, or nothing more than a logo, there is still plenty to be done to make the most of what you have. Digital assets are valuable to your organization and much like financial assets, they should be managed and protected. Here are three tips to help you build and maintain your organization’s digital assets. Capture Every Moment. One – and...

By: Vu Le Founder, NonprofitAF.com Writer, Speaker and Executive Director of Rainier Valley Corps   Hi everyone, the last few weeks have been rough. I was glad to end it with the #NonprofitHaiku contest to bring some levity and humor. A colleague on Twitter, though, pointed out the seriousness of all the challenges we face beneath the lightheartedness: “It’s a cute joke that there are raccoons in our supply closet. It’s hilarious. […] The conditions we work in, the demoralizing chaos and the barriers to success are literally killing people.” In my travels around the country, and in the various...

By: Katelyn Foehner Communications Manager, Big Buzz Idea Group   Admit it, you know how important networking is but you dread it. Consequently, networking isn’t at the top of anyone’s to-do list; it can be awkward and time-consuming, yet incredibly rewarding. While we all may not have a natural passion for it, namely the introverts who dislike social interaction, here’s why it is time to change your perspective. What is networking? Networking is not solely for exchanging information with people and it certainly is not about begging for favors. Networking is about forming and nurturing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with...

By; Brad Ball Vice President, Big Buzz Idea Group I was talking to a nonprofit professional recently about Chicago's Amusement Tax. We discussed its implications for membership-based organizations and their events. In short, within the City of Chicago, any event or instance that can remotely be considered amusement is subject to an additional 9% tax in addition to sales tax. The Amusement Tax (aka "The Cloud Tax" or "The Netflix Tax") made headlines recently after the City successfully sued to have the tax imposed on the purchase of all streaming video services based on a Chicago payment address of the...

By: Kelli Moore Principal, Ando Advisors  When something significant happens in an organization, leaders may find it difficult to focus on anything but getting through the big event. Changes that are fraught with uncertainty, like leadership transitions or losing grant funding, are most challenging, but even positive changes like launching a new initiative or receiving a large grant will raise questions among staff. During times of transition, “What does this mean for me?” is foremost on everyone’s mind. It’s not surprising, then, that communication often gets bumped to the bottom of the priority list during major changes. Unfortunately, a lack...

By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group   Let’s start with this: We absolutely recognize the incredible value of volunteers. Without the work of volunteers, many organizations simply couldn’t do what they do so we applaud these generous people for their ongoing support and help. That being said, in our work with nonprofits, we’ve also seen how beneficial it can be for an organization to outsource certain responsibilities to an agency. If you’ve had challenges with relying on volunteers for help, read on for five reasons outsourcing may be your best bet: 1. Continuity and...