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Powering Nonprofits to Fuel Positive Change

773.804.8589
info@bigbuzzideagroup.com
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The Importance of Authenticity in Sales and Networking

The Importance of Authenticity in Sales and Networking

By Terri Champelli Sales and Business Development Let’s be real. This term has been thrown about in all walks of life for years, with the intent of requesting your audience to, in essence, cut the crap. In interpersonal skills and relations, it is important to be real. For your friends, family, neighbors, this is a given. In sales, it should be no different. Here, we are using this term to guide authentic connection as a pathway to meeting your clients’ needs and finding new referrals along the way. It is important to not look at this as a strategy but...

How Big Is Your Fire?

How Big Is Your Fire?

By: Devin Ball Director of Operations Do you spend parts of your week addressing issues that unexpectedly require immediate attention and will create a much bigger issue if left unaddressed? At Big Buzz Idea Group, we refer to this phenomenon as “putting out fires.”  If you’re a living, breathing human, chances are you’ve had to “put out a fire” before. Putting out fires usually requires you to push other scheduled tasks further down on your to-do list, which could mean that today’s tasks become tomorrow’s tasks, this week’s tasks become next week’s tasks and so on.  As day-to-day duties are...

Best Practices For Nonprofit Management

Best Practices For Nonprofit Management

By: Big Buzz Idea Group Staff This month, we turn to our helpful hive-full of Big Buzz team members for some insider insights and tips that they’ve honed and compiled over years of working with nonprofits. These simple but powerful methodologies have helped numerous clients along the way, so we know they’re tried and true and can work for anyone in the business of running a nonprofit like a business. Prepare For “The Ask” When soliciting new Board Members, Nicole Harris advises to go in prepared for the big meeting: A strong organization will have a solid plan when it...

Chart a Path for Nonprofit Success

Chart a Path for Nonprofit Success

By Melissa Lagowski Big Buzz Idea Group Founder/CEO/Queen Bee With all the tasks that are on your to-do list, how often are you able to take a step back and think strategically about where the association is headed and what you hope to accomplish? Too often, nonprofit leaders are rushed for time, so to meet all the demands on their time, they wash, rinse and repeat yearend planning documents without much consideration. But if you keep doing what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten. According to the National Center on Charitable Statistics, more than...

Word of the Year: Manifestation

Word of the Year: Manifestation

By Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group What does it mean to manifest something? The spiritual definition of manifestation is “the public display of emotion or feeling, or something theoretical made real.” This concept is part of the Laws of Attraction where positive thoughts beget positive outcomes. So, are you a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty type of person? Throughout the pandemic, we and many of our clients have continued trying to be optimistic, to roll with the punches, to make lemonade out of lemons. But have you seen this recent meme: Enough is enough already! We at Big Buzz...

Check Out These Recent Posts

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  • Navigating Uncertainty: How Nonprofits Can Protect Funding and Advocate for Change
  • Tips for Nonprofit Success
  • DEI, DEIB, Equity & Inclusion for All: Ways to Advance the Work in 2025
  • Gen Z is the Next Wave of Donors—How Can Nonprofits Engage Them?
  • Communicating With Your Nonprofit’s Supporters During Times of Unease
  • Big Buzz Idea Group Named One of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses

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501c3 Appreciation Association Association Management Big Buzz Idea Group Board Members Board of Directors Communication Communications Core Values Culture Development Digital Marketing Donations Donors Event Planner Event Planning Events Executive Director Funding Fundraising Goal-Setting Gratitude Leadership management Marketing mission Networking Nonprofit Nonprofit Board Members Nonprofit Leadership Nonprofit Management Nonprofit Organization NPO Organization Organization's Culture Outsourcing pandemic Productivity Social Media Sponsors Sponsorship Staff Strategic Planning Virtual

Insights Blog Archive

  • Self-Care: A Necessity for Successful Leadership
  • Tips to Ensure Event Safety
  • 6 Tips for Recruiting Ideal Board Members
  • The Benefits of Outsourcing
  • Virtual Fundraising: 18 Ideas for Nonprofit Revenue
  • Securing Help from Your Board: Are You Ready?
  • Streamlining Success: Using a Consent Agenda for Nonprofit Board Meetings
  • Tips for Virtual Event Success
  • How to Rewire Your Brain with Positive Thinking
  • Leadership Starts with You
  • Making the Most Out of Event Centerpieces
  • 5 Reasons to Outsource Instead of Rely on Volunteers
  • The Importance of Authenticity in Sales and Networking
  • Are You Leading With Impact?
  • What’s Your Nonprofit’s First Impression?
  • The Hidden Costs Behind Your Fundraiser
  • Boost Your Daily Productivity
  • If You’re Feeling Hopeless of Late, Remember That Your Work Matters and You Do, Too
  • Interim Directors Provide Strength in Times of Transition
  • 10 Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Your Nonprofit from Cyber Threats
  • Holding On When You Feel Like Throwing In the Towel
  • Tips For Meaningful #GivingTuesday Follow-Up
  • The Board’s Hot (Summer) Topics
  • How To Secure More Donor Dollars
  • Apply the Spoon Theory to Run Your Nonprofit
  • Leveraging AI For Time Management
  • How to Develop Your Nonprofit’s Audience Persona
  • Becoming a Virtual Event Planner in an Instant
  • Nonprofit Form 990: Friend or Foe?
  • How to Secure Mega Sponsorships For Your Fundraising Event!
  • Silver Linings Discovered Amidst a Pandemic
  • Big Buzz Idea Group Launches Additional Services
  • 7 Tips for Managing Hybrid Events
  • Something Good: Building Your Team’s Connection
  • How to Hire a Consultant
  • Take Time to Evaluate Your Events
  • Should Sponsorships Include Membership Dues?
  • Board or Bored Leadership – Enter the Magnificent Seven
  • Networking for Personal and Professional Growth
  • 5 Secrets to Streamlining Your Administrative Tasks
  • Organizational Operations Versus Organizational Strategy
  • Please Send a Hi-res Copy of Your Logo
  • Our Top Five Free Online Tools for Nonprofit Management Teams
  • SPONSORSHIP 101: Growing Nonprofit Revenues
  • Client Spotlight: Cyberjutsu
  • Fresh Funding Ideas Are Blooming
  • Defining Your Value: Reclaiming Relevance to the Community You Serve
  • Grateful for Nonprofit Leaders
  • Navigating Nonprofit Finances: How to Effectively Manage Your Bookkeeper
  • 2020: A Lesson in Gratitude
  • The 3 Mistakes I Made Managing a Nonprofit
  • Chart a Path for Nonprofit Success
  • Nonprofit Event Venues 101
  • Transparency and Nonprofit Organizations
  • Mastering Client Expectations: 6 Essential Tips for Success
  • These Red Flags Scream That You Need a New Bookkeeper
  • Seven Tips to a More Productive Year for Your Organization
  • Tips for Nonprofit Success
  • Never Overlook the Value of Gratitude
  • Time to Assess Your Year-End Campaigns
  • Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part II
  • Why You Need to Establish Gratitude as a Pillar at Your Nonprofit
  • Strategies for Membership Based Associations to Flourish in Face-to-Face Interactions
  • 5 Ways to Generate Sponsor Leads
  • Four Step Process to Building Better Buy-In
  • To Be Successful, Nonprofits and Associations Must Be Forward-Thinking
  • Spend Less. Do More. Your Guide to Effective Outsourcing
  • Financial Planning for Uncertain Times
  • Losing Control? Reclaim Your Time!
  • Client Spotlight: Old Town School of Folk Music
  • Why Your Nonprofit Needs Brand Guidelines
  • Want To Retain Your Employees? Wellness in the Workplace Matters!
  • 4 Ways Outsourcing Your Development Work Can Provide Value
  • Is Your Marketing Missing the Mark?
  • Big Buzz Idea Group Named One of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses
  • How Big Is Your Fire?
  • Real Progress Requires Intention: What Do You Want to Achieve in 2020 for Your Nonprofit?
  • Outsourcing: The Only Solution To Staffing Shortages
  • Optimize Your Contact List for Nonprofit Growth
  • Leveraging E-Newsletters For Nonprofit Growth
  • 3 Questions to Ask If You Hope to Grow Your Membership
  • How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media to Meet Goals
  • Why Nonprofits Need to Evaluate Their Budgets Every Year
  • Celebrate You and Avoid Nonprofit Burnout
  • Best Practices For Nonprofit Management
  • Employee Retention Tax Credit Yields Powerful Opportunity
  • Budgeting for Your Nonprofit in Uncertain Times
  • Big Buzz Has COVID-19 Resources For You!
  • Are You Leaving Money On The Table?
  • Post-Pandemic Event Lessons
  • DEI, DEIB, Equity & Inclusion for All: Ways to Advance the Work in 2025
  • SPONSORSHIP 101: Growing Nonprofit Revenues
  • Fundraising: Creating a Straighter Path to Revenue Growth
  • Re-Imagine the Possibilities to Better Serve Your Mission
  • Why Is My Organization Not Growing?
  • 5 Tips for Prioritizing Your Mental Health in the Workplace
  • Implementing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Your Nonprofit
  • Communication Tips to Advance Your Organization
  • Cancelling or Postponing Your Events in Light of COVID-19
  • From Awareness to Action: Using Social Media to Reach Your Goals
  • 9 Lessons Learned from Our First Virtual Conference
  • Put Some Zing in Your Zoom (Or Any Other Virtual Meeting)
  • Nonprofit Hiring: Best Practices for Building Your Team in 2024
  • DIY Event Photos
  • Team Culture Exists Beyond the Office Walls
  • Does Your Mission Have a Compelling Voice?
  • SPONSORSHIP 101: To Package or Not to Package
  • Communicating With Your Nonprofit’s Supporters During Times of Unease
  • Client Spotlight: Hope For The Day
  • Word of the Year: Manifestation
  • Cross-Train Your Team for Better Outcomes
  • Conference Call Hero – 6 Tips to Master the Art of Video and Audio Conferencing
  • Engage Your Board – Start with Recruiting and End with A High-Performance Culture
  • The Taxman Cometh (Yes, Even For Your Exempt Organization)
  • Making a Case for Strategic Planning
  • 11 Tips to Make Your Newsletter More Readable
  • Four Pillars to Attracting and Retaining Ideal Employees
  • Four Tactics to Resolve Nonprofit Staffing Shortages
  • Meet Big Buzz, the Creators of Ribfest Chicago
  • Advantages of Donor Database Software for Charitable Organizations
  • Keep Your Mission in Mind to Maximize Results
  • 6 Tips for Cultivating Gratitude in the Workplace
  • Fostering Board Engagement in Virtual Times
  • Organic Methods to Cultivate Sponsorship Leads
  • Cyber Security: How To Protect Yourself In Today’s “Connected” World
  • Talk to Me! Prioritizing Internal Communications During Times of Transition
  • Melissa Lagowski Named Faculty Member at Institute for Organization Management
  • Make Your Nonprofit Stand Out: Creating Impressions for Impact
  • 10 Tips to Cultivate Sponsor Relationships
  • What’s Your Nonprofit’s Story
  • Navigating Uncertainty: How Nonprofits Can Protect Funding and Advocate for Change
  • An Interim Leader Isn’t a “Temp:” Interim Leadership in NPOs as a Management Profession
  • A Job Gone Wrong
  • Why Identifying and Communicating Your Core Values Is Important
  • The Keys to Presenting Your Nonprofit Online
  • 3 Tips For Maintaining Your NPO’s Digital Assets
  • New Year’s Resolutions for Board Members
  • Clearer Communication Is the Secret to Better Outcomes
  • Crisis Management: Are You Ready?
  • 6 Tips for Healthy Collaboration with Your Board Chair
  • Board Nominating: A Better Way
  • Innovative Approach to Volunteer Recruitment
  • Client Spotlight: Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce
  • 50 Content Promotion Tactics: How to Drive Traffic to Your Next Article
  • The Compelling Case to Renew
  • Lessons Learned in Nonprofit Management
  • Client Spotlight: Illinois Theatre Association
  • Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part I
  • 8 Tips For Leading Productive Meetings
  • Client Spotlight: Center for Changing Lives
  • Goal-Setting For Successful Events
  • The Need to Go Beyond Surveys
  • Should You Ever Cover Board Member Expenses?
  • Gen Z is the Next Wave of Donors—How Can Nonprofits Engage Them?
  • 3 Reasons Why Your Organization Should Use Canva
  • Life After COVID-19: Next Steps for Your Nonprofit
  • How to Manage Your Organization During an Election Year Without Violating Your Nonprofit Status
  • The Birth of a New Vision
  • 4 Productivity Tips to Elevate Your Nonprofit
  • Six Things Your Nonprofit Needs to Know About Sales Tax
  • How to Keep Your Visuals On-Brand

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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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