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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...

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?...

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...

Self-Care: A Necessity for Successful Leadership

Self-Care: A Necessity for Successful Leadership

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Have you ever lost sleep at night with the feeling that you aren’t meeting the needs of your nonprofit? Do you devote all your time and effort successfully leading the organization only to receive that one negative comment from a board member that leaves you beating yourself up for days? Are you struggling with keeping your association – as well as your staff, board and volunteers – navigating current events to find yourself completely depleted at the end of the day? There is no “one way” to run a nonprofit organization....

6 Tips for Recruiting Ideal Board Members

6 Tips for Recruiting Ideal Board Members

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group We regularly hear from nonprofits that their Board of Directors or certain members are not carrying their fair share of the weight. The biggest concern is leadership not delivering on their Board commitments and sometimes they aren’t even showing up to the organization’s events. But imagine the flipside: What if each Board member actively engaged with your organization? What if every Board member met their give-or-get requirements and took their fiduciary responsibilities more seriously? What if every Board member actively served and supported your nonprofit with shared vision and commitment toward...

3 Questions to Ask If You Hope to Grow Your Membership

3 Questions to Ask If You Hope to Grow Your Membership

By: Brad Ball Vice President Big Buzz Idea Group If boosting membership is a key goal for your organization, we’ve got three questions to kick off your strategic planning. To add some context, we spoke with Lynsey Sorrell, the Vice President of Membership for the Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International, the Honorary Society for the Advancement of Land Economics. As one of our valued association management clients, she was able to share some of the impactful ways we’ve worked together to improve her organization’s membership. Read on for our thought-starters to move your own membership forward. 1. How can...

2020: A Lesson in Gratitude

2020: A Lesson in Gratitude

Topping the List of Things to Be Grateful For: 2020 Is Almost Over By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group In looking back over the course of the year, it’s clear we can find plenty of negativity as reasons to be disappointed and discouraged. Yes, 2020 taught us many lessons about ourselves, our goals, our economy, our leaders, and the fact that life as we know it can change in an instant. But it’s from these same lessons that we can learn, adapt and progress. And be grateful. It is vital to our mindset and our wellbeing that...

Re-Imagine the Possibilities to Better Serve Your Mission

Re-Imagine the Possibilities to Better Serve Your Mission

You might feel like you will never break free from Zoom calls and virtual meetings right now, but we will reach the other side of this “shelter in place” soon. However, the world as we knew it will never be the same. Have you started thinking about what this means for you and your nonprofit?

Many organizations have been extremely busy as a result of COVID-19, trying to keep up with an increased demand from core constituencies and working to pivot their in-person services to virtual programming. Nonprofit leaders have been struggling to stay abreast of financial assistance programs, additional giving campaigns and managing remote workforces. We get that you are busier than ever right now, but times like this are for preparation and innovation. If you actively invest the time now to plan out what you want to achieve on the other side of COVID-19, you are far more likely to succeed. You must make the time to begin planning for a future that has already been altered.

Organic Methods to Cultivate Sponsorship Leads

Organic Methods to Cultivate Sponsorship Leads

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group   When clients come to us wanting to start a sponsorship program, they often start rattling off the national and/or international companies that they want to target for sponsorships. Of course, it is natural for people to immediately think of the companies that have multi-billion dollar budgets and presume that all of these large benefactors will want to support the cause. But the reality is that thousands and thousands of other nonprofits are also thinking the same thing, so the sheer volume of asks going into that particular company each day...

Why You Need to Establish Gratitude as a Pillar at Your Nonprofit

Why You Need to Establish Gratitude as a Pillar at Your Nonprofit

By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group With Thanksgiving upon us, it seems like everyone is talking about gratitude. (To be fair, it’s always top of mind around here-gratitude is one of our core values at Big Buzz!) Is there anything better than feeling appreciated? For nonprofits, acknowledging the contributions of those people directly tied to your organization is important. A simple, inspirational gesture of appreciation cultivates a sense of community, generosity and support for your mission. WHO to Thank Think about all of the people who are a part of your organization. They keep...

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Insights Blog Archive

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

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