By Julia Schroeder Marketing & Nonprofit Account Coordinator Big Buzz Idea Group Change is inevitable for any nonprofit or business, just as people experience times of uncertainty in their own lives. Someone may pass away or lose a job they were counting on to pay the bills. A nonprofit organization may need to dissolve due to a lack of resources or difficulty keeping its supporters engaged. When sudden change occurs – perhaps a loss in major funding or a board member decides to leave before their term is up – the organization may need to scramble to put all the...
By Melissa Lagowski Founder/CEO/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Every time we interact with another person, we make an impression. Each interaction—especially our very first one with someone—is an opportunity to establish a genuine connection and build a positive relationship. A business may call it a “brand image” or “company image,” but this concept applies to a nonprofit too. Your organization creates its own “brand image” through each touchpoint it has with donors, volunteers, people you serve, and others in the community. Have you paused to think about all those touchpoints and what type of impression your organization is making?...
By Amanda Lovell Digital Marketing Manager Big Buzz Idea Group No matter the industry you do business in, if you have clients or customers, setting and managing expectations is a crucial skill. It lays the foundation for successful partnerships, satisfied customers and repeat business! In this article, we will explore six essential tips to help you effectively navigate the art of expectation management. Follow the SMART Goal Framework Setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals is the first step towards managing expectations. By providing a clear roadmap for your clients or customers, you ensure that everyone is on...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
