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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...

4 Ways Outsourcing Your Development Work Can Provide Value

4 Ways Outsourcing Your Development Work Can Provide Value

Three Nonprofit Leaders Share the Benefits of Enlisting Outside Support for Development Assistance By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group For nonprofits with a small development department—or perhaps none at all—outsourcing is a valuable option. In our work at Big Buzz, we provide support with fundraising, events, communications, database management, marketing and more, offering a deeply impactful value to nonprofit organizations. But you don’t have to take our word for it. This month, we talked to three client partners to hear (directly from them) about the value they saw in outsourcing development work. Here are the main benefits...

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...

Our Top Five Free Online Tools for Nonprofit Management Teams

Our Top Five Free Online Tools for Nonprofit Management Teams

By: Brad Ball Vice President Big Buzz Idea Group Whether you are well-seasoned in your nonprofit management career, just starting out at an entry-level nonprofit job or somewhere in the middle, you most likely spend a good deal of time in the digital workspace. In this post, we’re going to tell you about our top five favorite online tools to make your life easier and keep your nonprofit organization running smoothly without spending a penny. DESIGN: Canva We’ve written about this one before and it’s worth mentioning again because it’s such a powerful tool for your nonprofit marketing team. Keep...

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...

Cancelling or Postponing Your Events in Light of COVID-19

Cancelling or Postponing Your Events in Light of COVID-19

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group   We watched the world change, hour by hour, for several days until landing in our current “Shelter in Place” status. Initially, as the country began to respond to the coronavirus, we started to feel the impact on our nonprofit events, but they didn’t appear to be in the direct line of fire. But then on March 15th, the CDC issued new guidelines that stated that all gatherings with more than 50 people should be cancelled until at least May 12, 2020. The initial potential impact was now an impending multi-car...

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...

Nonprofit Event Venues 101

Nonprofit Event Venues 101

By: Brad Ball Vice President Big Buzz Idea Group Most nonprofit organizations simply love to host events. Whether to fundraise, friendraise, educate or otherwise, the regular gathering of like-minded people is a standard tool in the nonprofit toolkit. One of the key traits of a successful event is choosing the right venue. To help make your organization’s next gathering a success, here are five things to remember when finding your next nonprofit event location: Is your event date available? While this may seem like an obvious place to start, the purposes of asking the question leads to this point: How...

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Insights Blog Archive

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

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

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