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Powering Nonprofits to Fuel Positive Change

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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...

Fostering Board Engagement in Virtual Times

Fostering Board Engagement in Virtual Times

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Congrats on carefully selecting and approving new board members for your nonprofit organization! You have every reason to be excited about this ideal blend of leaders who are all passionate about your cause and ready to do great things. Cohesive leadership teams don’t just happen; they are the result of serious intention, and much of this work is the result of proper onboarding. Generally, your annual retreat brings new board members “up to speed” on the organization while providing a way for all members of the team to get to know...

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....

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...

Team Culture Exists Beyond the Office Walls

Team Culture Exists Beyond the Office Walls

Sarah Pollock Nonprofit Account Manager Big Buzz Idea Group   Team culture is more than a cake shared in the breakroom for each birthday. While a beloved tradition, the purpose of the birthday cake is to foster positive, company-oriented events that bring the group together beyond the work itself. Team culture, on the other hand, is individually defined within a company; it represents the identity of the team, the dynamics between members, and establishes the interactions and social engagements that define the company. It usually doesn’t even have a designated leader, but organically develops as your team’s dynamics evince the...

Life After COVID-19: Next Steps for Your Nonprofit

Life After COVID-19: Next Steps for Your Nonprofit

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group   COVID-19 entered the news in early January, but it entered our American lives hard in mid-March. For the last three weeks we have gone from “normal” living to modified living to shelter in place. And now we all wait and wonder when these restrictions will lift and when we will be safe to return to “normal” again. Unfortunately, normal will never be the same for any of us. So, what now? Immediate Needs As we all adjust to this new “normal,” it is important to identify your most immediate needs....

Engage Your Board – Start with Recruiting and End with A High-Performance Culture

Engage Your Board – Start with Recruiting and End with A High-Performance Culture

By: Rena Henderson Founder and CEO, Bold Agenda  After hanging up the phone, I realized that this was the third time in one week that an Executive Director or Board Chair described to me the same problem. My client left another uninspired and unfocused board meeting and complained of the malaise on his board:  poor attendance at meetings, missed fundraising goals, board meetings that were not focused or goal-oriented, and a certain few board members dominating the discussion. He was frustrated because he knew they could not bring new board members in, nor close their increasing deficit with half of...

Check Out These Recent Posts

  • Client Spotlight: Hope For The Day
  • Chart a Path for Nonprofit Success
  • Are You Leaving Money On The Table?
  • Client Spotlight: Cyberjutsu
  • Employee Retention Tax Credit Yields Powerful Opportunity
  • Client Spotlight: Illinois Theatre Association
  • The 3 Mistakes I Made Managing a Nonprofit

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Insights Blog Archive

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

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

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