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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...

Crisis Management: Are You Ready?

Crisis Management: Are You Ready?

By Melissa Lagowski Big Buzz Idea Group CEO/Founder/Queen Bee It is a moment that every nonprofit executive hopes will never come: Your day is flowing like most days, and all is well when, in a blink, a single phone call disrupts the status quo and turns your world upside down. Dazed and confused now, how do you react? What are the next steps? Who ya gonna call? As part of your fiduciary responsibilities to your association, it is prudent to have a crisis communication plan in place. This is a task that many organizations put on their to-do list, but...

Leveraging E-Newsletters For Nonprofit Growth

Leveraging E-Newsletters For Nonprofit Growth

By Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Newsletters sent to your organization’s email list—also known as e-newsletters or electronic, digital or email newsletters—hold incredible value. So many nonprofits are not using this marketing channel to the fullest potential, but newsletters are a key resource and a crucial component of a balanced and successful communication strategy. How effective are newsletters, and how do they help nonprofits? According to a recent survey, 69 percent of nonprofits worldwide regularly send an email newsletter. Nonprofits have the second best industry open rate, with an average open rate of 25.2 percent and click-through...

5 Tips for Prioritizing Your Mental Health in the Workplace

5 Tips for Prioritizing Your Mental Health in the Workplace

By Cat Donovan Executive Assistant Big Buzz Idea Group In March of 2020 we began navigating a maze of unknown depth and complexity. Juggling balls and spinning plates multiplied by the day. Professional settings and expectations changed overnight. Families with school-aged children had the routines they depended on completely uprooted. It quickly became apparent that managing and maintaining positive mental health was going to be both a challenge and a priority. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a nonprofit organization focusing on national health issues, released the results of a tracking poll about one year into the pandemic that indicated four...

Clearer Communication Is the Secret to Better Outcomes

Clearer Communication Is the Secret to Better Outcomes

By Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Have you ever had one of those situations? You know the one. You are communicating with a colleague, and you thought that you had given such incredibly clear directions that you couldn’t believe it when they didn’t do what you had instructed? It happens unintentionally. Most of the time people think that they are being very specific in their conversations. We believe that we have transferred all the relevant information for the recipient to properly execute a task, but in reality we have a lot of information in our mind that...

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...

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...

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...

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

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

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