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Powering Nonprofits to Fuel Positive Change

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Keep Your Mission in Mind to Maximize Results

Keep Your Mission in Mind to Maximize Results

By Melissa Lagowski CEO / Queen Bee / Founder Big Buzz Idea Group Nonprofit organizations exist to serve a very specific purpose. You know that your mission should always be the driving force for every project, program and event that you host. But how focused on that mission are you? What about your Board of Directors and your staff? Are you utilizing yours properly for decision-making? There are times when a nonprofit might accidentally lose its way. It may be a well-intended meeting that veers off-course. The enthusiasm builds and before you realize it, the committee has created an entire...

Board Nominating: A Better Way

Board Nominating: A Better Way

By Brad Ball Vice President Big Buzz Idea Group “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” – Douglas Adams Simply too many organizations think about bringing new people onto the board of directors as a last-minute activity. They wait until just before the Annual Meeting, have a few quick, quiet conversations about who has time and is willing to join the board for the next term. Those people say ‘yes,’ the names are hastily approved, and thus, the next year’s board of directors is born. And this story repeats itself, often with just...

How to Develop Your Nonprofit’s Audience Persona

How to Develop Your Nonprofit’s Audience Persona

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...

How to Hire a Consultant

How to Hire a Consultant

By Brad Ball Vice President Big Buzz Idea Group As an association management company and nonprofit consultant, we’ve written extensively about the benefits of outsourcing for your organization. Outsourcing can help you navigate a tight job market or hiring market, ensuring that tasks are performed by competent professionals and the office is running efficiently throughout the hiring process. It can cost less than hiring new staff, is more reliable than counting on volunteers, and can even allow you to bring in an expert with a specific skillset you need for a limited time. With more and more complex tasks and responsibilities...

5 Ways to Generate Sponsor Leads

5 Ways to Generate Sponsor Leads

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Nonprofits are constantly looking for new ways to grow their revenues and create additional reliable revenue streams. Sponsorship is often overlooked or deemed to be difficult and time-consuming, but it is a great way to secure additional funding. To date, we have helped clients secure more than $6 million in sponsorship, so we know it works when done properly – and we can help you find ways to generate more dollars. We have previously shared tips on how to organically find sponsors, and we want to share five additional ways to generate...

Budgeting for Your Nonprofit in Uncertain Times

Budgeting for Your Nonprofit in Uncertain Times

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Far too many nonprofits that we talk to have a wash-rinse-repeat model of budgeting that we at Big Buzz do not generally support. For those readers who have been following us for a while, you know that we believe that forward-thinking budgeting leads to the growth of your organization. We fully believe that when it comes to budgeting, it is imperative to do a deeper dive about where you are and where you want to go as an association. You need to annually evaluate which resources are necessary to elevate your...

Time to Assess Your Year-End Campaigns

Time to Assess Your Year-End Campaigns

By: Sarah Pollock Nonprofit Account Manager Big Buzz Idea Group In the last quarter of what has been a very unpredictable year, everyone is fighting with full force towards their year-end campaigns. With a drastic change in the economy, this year has included more asks and more widespread campaigning from nonprofits, and funding sources, themselves, have to be as strategic as the askers. Though workloads have increased, sifting through donor lists and segmenting campaign asks – tasks which always seem to end up on the back burner as tedious and time-consuming – need to become your immediate goal. The development strategy needs to face three questions: How many donor lists do you currently have? How many times has each donor been asked for a...

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...

Securing Help from Your Board: Are You Ready?

Securing Help from Your Board: Are You Ready?

By: Melissa Lagowski
CEO/Founder/Queen Bee of Big Buzz Idea Group

We all dream of a Board that wants to help move the mission outside of the Board Meeting. All too often, many Executive Directors share woeful stories of board members who barely show up for the meetings let alone support the organization in other ways. But lately, we have been hearing stories about boards and volunteers who are looking for ways to contribute in more meaningful ways. To maximize the willingness of leaders to support your nonprofit, it is important that you properly prepare for these opportunities.

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Insights Blog Archive

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

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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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