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Powering Nonprofits to Fuel Positive Change

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Nonprofit Management

Home » Nonprofit Management
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...

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...

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...

Financial Planning for Uncertain Times

Financial Planning for Uncertain Times

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Does your organization have a reserve fund? According to an annual survey conducted by the National Council of Nonprofits, less than 25% of the survey participants had six months of reserves. The majority had less than three months of operating reserves, and 10% had less than 30 days cash on hand. Many nonprofit organizations have budgets that have them eking through the year with a minimal surplus or worse yet, a financial loss. Why any board member would disregard fiduciary responsibilities and approve a negative budget is beyond me, but that...

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.

10 Tips to Cultivate Sponsor Relationships

10 Tips to Cultivate Sponsor Relationships

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Many nonprofits work diligently on annual giving, private donations and grants to fund their organizations, but we find many nonprofits are not tapping into corporate sponsorships as a way to enhance their bottom line. Many corporations sponsor events and organizations as a part of their annual marketing budget and/or as part of their corporate-social responsibility initiatives. Companies generally sponsor for one of two reasons: marketing exposure or brand alignment. If you are working to grow funding for your nonprofit, consider these best practices to help foster financial partners for your cause....

3 Reasons Why Your Organization Should Use Canva

3 Reasons Why Your Organization Should Use Canva

By: Katelyn Foehner Communications Manager Big Buzz Idea Group As many nonprofit executive leaders know, your title encompasses much more than what it states. Many executive directors serve as not only the ED but the bookkeeper, event planner, communications guru and everything in between. Finding easier ways to get the job done is essential to fulfilling all your tasks. Insert Canva into the equation to save stress, time and money. Canva is a free-to-use online design platform. While many people use it to create images for social media, Canva can be used to create t-shirt designs, invitations, blog banners, business...

4 Productivity Tips to Elevate Your Nonprofit

4 Productivity Tips to Elevate Your Nonprofit

By: Melissa Lagwoski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Do you feel overwhelmed by the demands of your organization? Struggling to balance all of the responsibilities in your work week? Are the pressures of your nonprofit spilling over into your personal time? These common challenges can happen throughout the year but there are simple actions that will remove those issues for more productivity. And January is a great time to make a few small changes to reclaim your time and elevate your organization to new heights! Identify Your Priorities Take some time to get clear about what you must do...

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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Check Out These Recent Posts

  • How to Hire a Consultant
  • Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part II
  • Silver Linings Discovered Amidst a Pandemic
  • Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part I
  • Fostering Board Engagement in Virtual Times
  • Self-Care: A Necessity for Successful Leadership
  • 5 Ways to Generate Sponsor Leads

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Insights Blog Archive

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

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