• Home
  • About Us
  • Services
  • Case Studies
  • Blog
  • Join the Team
  • Contact

Powering Nonprofits to Fuel Positive Change

773.804.8589
info@bigbuzzideagroup.com
Big Buzz Idea GroupBig Buzz Idea Group
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
  • Case Studies
  • Blog
  • Join the Team
  • Contact

Communication Tips to Advance Your Organization

Home » Communication Tips to Advance Your Organization
Communication Tips to Advance Your Organization

Communication Tips to Advance Your Organization

Posted by Devin Ball

By: Melissa Lagowski
President, Founder and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group

As our peak event season is ramping up, I am constantly reminded how crucial communication is to success! From staff to volunteers to program participants to donors to Board members, communication is vital to organizational success, and yet, due to the demands and constraints on our time and attention, it is the one thing that often gets shorted. Take a minute to make a plan:

Create a standard communication policy.

It took me years to learn the importance of this one simple piece of advice. Actually, I don’t know if it was quite as crucial in the early part of my career, but now I think it is a MUST to set up an organizational communication policy. Identifying how frequently you and your staff will respond to calls, emails and social media requests can help save your sanity in this digital frenzy we are currently living in.

Personally, I have had many positions where Board Members, volunteers and even local supporters thought that I should have been available to them every minute of every day, and I bet you have, too. You are giving a lot to your cause, but you still deserve to have your time respected. So set boundaries and help communicate with people when they should expect to hear back from you.

Our company has developed a policy whereby we respond to all inquiries within 24 hours. And our team has become quite fond of the automatic “out-of-office” messages: If we are in an all-day meeting or out on a project, it helps tremendously for those trying to reach us to know that they will most likely not hear from us “today” but rather we will be following up tomorrow. Somehow, simply letting people know when they should expect to hear from us always leaves everyone in a more sound state of mind, which is important.

Set up some standard auto replies.

For nonprofit organizations, volunteers and donors are so crucial to filling your mission! Thus, prompt replies are imperative to establishing a solid connection that can blossom into a fruitful relationship over time.

I will never forget when I was planning my first fundraising event. I had created a volunteer registration form and shared them with all of the folks on our email list. The event was in June, and I must have received the first form in mid-March. I was so buried in the details of planning the event that I filed away the registration form to be tended to later. But then in May, when I reached out to that first volunteer to confirm details, I heard “Oh, I am sorry, since I didn’t hear from you, I didn’t think you needed me. I have made other plans that weekend.”

I never made that mistake again! Now, every registration form that comes into our office has a standard response policy so that we acknowledge receipt of the form and in that same notification, we advise the registrant when they will hear from us again. We will generally send out emails on a weekly or biweekly schedule depending on the project.

Make time each day to make the calls that matter.

Have you ever had one of those people on your list to call – maybe a volunteer, maybe a potential Board Member – and you put that person’s name on your to-do list for tomorrow? The next day comes and goes, and you still just didn’t have quite enough time to make the call. This happens every day for the next week. Then one week becomes two and two becomes three.

The task isn’t difficult and, in fact, you would really like to chat with the person. But the reality is that each day holds so many priorities and unexpected demands that you simply cannot fit in everything you meant to do.

However, these donors, volunteers, committee chairs, etc. are the key to the future of your organization! Do not underestimate the value of those calls you make and the connections you can forge as a result of making the call. For that reason, set aside some time each day to make those calls at the beginning of the day. This allows you to make your outreach before your day gets riddled with other unexpected detours.

You need to over-communicate on a regular basis.

Often, as the one who is buried in day-to-day tasks of a nonprofit, we eat, sleep and breathe the organization on a day-to-day basis and we forget that not all of the players have the information that we do. As nonprofit leaders, you might talk about a project nonstop with individual donors, volunteers and staff, but we forget that we need every member on the Committee and Board to know all of the details that have come in over the last week or month. It is important to keep stakeholders and supporters up to date about the wins and the losses. People generally want to be part of a “winning team” so you want to let them know the successful highlights. And conversely, people want to help those in need, so when you communicate where a project may be faltering, you can sometimes enlist additional assistance. At the end of the day, to foster engagement and keep people feeling connected, it is best to provide regular progress reports via an eblast and/or a newsletter.

Of all the things that you do at your organization, appropriate communications might very well be the most important. It truly is the glue that holds an organization together and keeps everyone connected, so be sure to formulate a plan for maintaining ongoing communications with your audience. It will help you foster increased support from donors and supporters while cultivating increased engagement with your staff, volunteers and Board Members.

Tags: 501c3Association ManagementBig Buzz Idea GroupCommunicationCommunication PolicyCompany CommunicationNonprofitNonprofit CommunicationNonprofit ManagementNonprofit OrganizationNPOOver-communicate
Share
1

You also might be interested in

Volunteer, Grant

Innovative Approach to Volunteer Recruitment

Jan 9, 2018

By: Melissa Lagowski President, Founder and Queen Bee, Big Buzz[...]

New Year’s Resolutions for Board Members

New Year’s Resolutions for Board Members

Jan 15, 2019

By: Gail Perry President, Gail Perry Associates Philanthropy Consultants  [...]

Nonprofit Form 990: Friend or Foe?

Nonprofit Form 990: Friend or Foe?

Mar 12, 2019

By: Sherry Quam Taylor Founder, QuamTaylor LLC   When I[...]

Check Out These Recent Posts

  • How to Hire a Consultant
  • Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part II
  • Silver Linings Discovered Amidst a Pandemic
  • Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part I
  • Fostering Board Engagement in Virtual Times
  • Self-Care: A Necessity for Successful Leadership
  • 5 Ways to Generate Sponsor Leads

Sign up for Insights newsletter

Select list(s) to subscribe to


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Big Buzz Idea Group, 4055 W. Peterson Ave., Chicago, IL, 60646, https://bigbuzzideagroup.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

Tag Cloud

501c3 Appreciation 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 Marketing mission Networking Nonprofit Nonprofit Board Members Nonprofit Fundraising Nonprofit Leadership Nonprofit Management Nonprofit Organization NPO Organization Organization's Culture Organizational Growth Outsourcing Productivity Social Media Sponsors Sponsorship Staff Strategic Planning Virtual Volunteers

Insights Blog Archive

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

Contact Us

Want more info? Have a question? Send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Send Message
Spark the growth and power of your organization. Schedule your FREE consultation today. Power up!

CONTACT INFO

  • Big Buzz Idea Group
  • 4055 W. Peterson Ave., #105 Chicago, IL 60646
  • 773.804.8589
  • 773.804.8986
  • info@bigbuzzideagroup.com

Connect with us

Twitter

  • RT  @SMPS_CEO : Associations are financially devastated but remain locked out of essential relief. Why?!  @senatemajldr ,  @SenSchumer ,  @Speaker …
  • 4 months ago
  • When your members appreciate their #membership and feel valued, they’ll talk about it.  http://t.co/IoOAeOTCq1 
  • 4 months ago

Follow @BigBuzzIG

© 2021 — Big Buzz Idea Group

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
  • Case Studies
  • Blog
  • Join the Team
  • Contact
Prev Next