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Powering Nonprofits to Fuel Positive Change

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9 Lessons Learned from Our First Virtual Conference

9 Lessons Learned from Our First Virtual Conference

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group As we continue to navigate this most historic year, I have personally tried to remain focused on the positive and the valuable lessons learned in 2020. Since March 16th, we have helped nonprofit organizations create virtual meetings, webinars, networking events and happy hours. In August, we added in a virtual festival, and in September, we leveled up to our first virtual conference. In one day, we hosted nine breakout sessions, one general session with a hybrid awards presentation, a diversity panel, a happy hour and an exhibit hall. After kicking the...

Tips for Virtual Event Success

Tips for Virtual Event Success

By: Debbie McCann Partner W4Sight A virtual event is a great opportunity to showcase your nonprofit’s resilience and demonstrate your impact amidst the “new normal.” Just like with any in-person event, good planning is critical to virtual event success. Keep these three tips in mind to ensure that people remember the inspiring speaker, the amazing video, or the thought-provoking panel discussion – not the glitches. Tip #1: Set Expectations. Make sure people know what your event is all about, especially if you are doing a virtual event that specifically takes the place of an in-person event. In your email blasts...

Virtual Fundraising: 18 Ideas for Nonprofit Revenue

Virtual Fundraising: 18 Ideas for Nonprofit Revenue

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group COVID-19 has wreaked havoc with nonprofit organizations this year, and many organizations have been forced to cancel or postpone their fundraising initiatives. We have seen organizations focus on their individual giving campaigns, and we have heard some greatly inspiring stories about donors who have really stepped up for causes close to their hearts. But on the other side, there are also many NPOs that are not traditional 501c3 organizations. Many of these other organizations do not have access to grants, donations or governmental funding, so what are they to do during...

Becoming a Virtual Event Planner in an Instant

Becoming a Virtual Event Planner in an Instant

By: Amanda Wilson Nonprofit Account Manager Big Buzz Idea Group   Imagine we’re in the year 2000 and a respiratory virus is spreading throughout the world, causing all events and social gatherings to be canceled and forcing businesses to close. The internet, while gaining traction, is still rudimentary. Google was invented only two years prior and popular websites like Wikipedia, MySpace or Facebook are still years away. With mandates to socially isolate to help stop the spread of this disease, meetings would cease and businesses would have been unable to maintain daily operations. Additional programming like professional development seminars would...

Take Time to Evaluate Your Events

Take Time to Evaluate Your Events

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Some events can draw crowds for decades while others fall flat after a year or two. It can be tricky to forecast what makes certain gatherings an instant success, but it shouldn’t be difficult to measure an event’s effectiveness over time. “Events are often passed down for years, from one set of staff or board members to another, and no one actually stops to think about what the event should be achieving,” says founder and president of Big Buzz Idea Group Melissa Lagowski. “To properly evaluate an event, you must first...

The Hidden Costs Behind Your Fundraiser

The Hidden Costs Behind Your Fundraiser

By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group It happened again last week. A nonprofit organization called to discuss their annual gala, describing how much money they want to raise while lamenting that they have no budget to hire a planner to assist them. Shortest conversation ever. They’re married to this event, though, so who will they find to do the work, and does that appear in the event budget? If they don’t outsource, then they self-produce, which comes at a cost. And staffing costs are a line item expense, so if they aren’t even identified, then...

How to Secure Mega Sponsorships For Your Fundraising Event!

How to Secure Mega Sponsorships For Your Fundraising Event!

By: Chris Baylis President & CEO, The Sponsorship Collective Events can be great. They can engage your donors, show off your cause, increase revenue and, most important of all (in my highly biased opinion) drive sponsorship dollars. Sponsorship sales can be a major revenue source from events. With a little effort, you can make your next event a sponsor’s dream! MAKE SURE YOUR ATTENDEES LOVE YOUR EVENT What do your attendees have to do with fundraising event sponsorship? Everything. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that the people at your gala are excited about another 30 second speech from a donor or sponsor....

Spend Less. Do More. Your Guide to Effective Outsourcing

Spend Less. Do More. Your Guide to Effective Outsourcing

By: Melissa Lagowski President, Founder and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group When I first became an Executive Director, I was so excited! I couldn’t wait to roll up my sleeves and dig into the work to make my organization and the community prosper and thrive. But it didn’t take long to realize that running an organization as a team of one was exhausting, though I couldn’t fully understand why the task seemed so daunting. After many years, as I reflect on my first nonprofit role, it now seems so clear: executive directors are expected to wear many hats. How...

Goal-Setting For Successful Events

Goal-Setting For Successful Events

Does your organization host an annual event? What is the purpose of the event and why is it relevant? Do your members know and understand this? Are your guests fully aware of the purpose of the event? Far too often when we meet with NPOs, they are not at all clear why they host an event. And at least half of the stories begin with “a key member of the leadership team wanted an event so they created one.” It takes a great deal of time and money to plan and produce an event, so it is imperative that you...

Check Out These Recent Posts

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  • 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

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

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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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