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Powering Nonprofits to Fuel Positive Change

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Client Spotlight: Illinois Theatre Association

Client Spotlight: Illinois Theatre Association

Name/Title: Carmel DeStefano, Board President Organization: Illinois Theatre Association Mission: The Illinois Theatre Association is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to advocate for the important values that theatre at all levels in the state of Illinois bring to individuals as we work to expand hearts and minds through work both on the stage and off. Our work includes the important mission to inspire, engage, challenge, nurture, educate and empower artists and audiences to enhance the cultural landscape of Illinois, making our state a more conscious and compassionate community. Ultimately, we look to celebrate the essential power of the theatre...

Clearer Communication Is the Secret to Better Outcomes

Clearer Communication Is the Secret to Better Outcomes

By Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Have you ever had one of those situations? You know the one. You are communicating with a colleague, and you thought that you had given such incredibly clear directions that you couldn’t believe it when they didn’t do what you had instructed? It happens unintentionally. Most of the time people think that they are being very specific in their conversations. We believe that we have transferred all the relevant information for the recipient to properly execute a task, but in reality we have a lot of information in our mind that...

6 Tips for Healthy Collaboration with Your Board Chair

6 Tips for Healthy Collaboration with Your Board Chair

By Melissa Lagowski CEO / Queen Bee / Founder Big Buzz Idea Group In thinking back to my first day as an Executive Director (E.D.), I realize now that the tone was set right there on day one. I met the Board President at my new office. He unlocked the door, handed me the key and said, “Have a nice day” as he left. There was no training, nobody to answer my questions. I don’t even know if I saw any of the board members between meetings (except, on occasion, for the Board member who owned the building where my...

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...

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?...

How to Manage Your Organization During an Election Year Without Violating Your Nonprofit Status

How to Manage Your Organization During an Election Year Without Violating Your Nonprofit Status

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group During an election year, people within your nonprofit may want to support political causes and candidates. What does this mean for your 501(c)(3) organization? To maintain tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code, your organization cannot directly or indirectly participate in a political campaign to support or oppose a candidate for elected office. This means your nonprofit cannot show political bias. You may not, in any way, indicate that the organization favors or opposes a candidate. Your organization cannot make political statements or endorsements in favor of one candidate or make...

Big Buzz Idea Group Launches Additional Services

Big Buzz Idea Group Launches Additional Services

Big Buzz Idea Group has enjoyed consulting nonprofits for the past 15 years, and over that time, whenever we met a new potential client, we heard a very common theme: “I had no idea a company like yours even existed!” The need for assistance has never been more obvious, which is why we are presenting a new suite of budget-friendly services to a larger audience of nonprofits.

Your mission is our mission, and now in addition to “powering nonprofit organizations to fuel positive change in the world,” we want to also “power nonprofit professionals” to accelerate your organization to fuel positive change in the world.

To Be Successful, Nonprofits and Associations Must Be Forward-Thinking

To Be Successful, Nonprofits and Associations Must Be Forward-Thinking

By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group “Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” ~Albert Einstein Do you feel like your organization is in a rut? Does it seem like no matter what you do, your budget hasn’t seen growth and programs don’t expand as you had anticipated? Are you still struggling with staffing shortages or failing to fill those seats on the Board with engaged leaders? It is not uncommon for nonprofit organizations to rollover their same plan from year to year, but the reality is that if you...

Board or Bored Leadership – Enter the Magnificent Seven

Board or Bored Leadership – Enter the Magnificent Seven

By: Denise Dahl, MPA Founder & Principal, Epiphany Planning & Development Nonprofit Leadership & Strategy   One of the most common questions I receive is “How do I get my board to do more?” The answer is easy, but the implementation can be a bit more challenging as board members each come with their own motivation regarding serving. Maybe they are serving as the cause is dear to them. Maybe they are serving because they feel a type of ownership (founder’s syndrome). Maybe they are serving to build their resume. Reasons to serve on a board are as varied as...

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

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

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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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