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...
By: Kayla Walke Nonprofit Account Coordinator Knowing how to present your organization online is key for not only conveying and sharing your message with those who are unaware of your organization but also for maintaining current members. When someone visits your website for the first time, the last thing you want is for them to struggle to find information or dig around for a donate button! Here are a few tips and tricks to remember when working on your organization’s website by focusing on the importance of making a good impression right off the bat. Homepage Perfection When visiting your...
Name/Title: Allison Herman (she/her), Director of Education What is your organization and mission? Hope For The Day is a nonprofit movement empowering the conversation on proactive suicide prevention and mental health education. How many years do you have in the nonprofit industry? 1.5 years / Before working at Hope For The Day, I spent 10+ years working in marketing and advertising. I’ve also been volunteering in nonprofit organizations since childhood. How do you develop and grow your desired culture within your organization? I’m a big fan of leading with empathy and creating psychological safety for the passionate people who work...
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...
By Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group I was at a networking event and chatting with someone about post-COVID challenges, and he suggested that I should look into the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC). He gave me the name and number for an agency that had helped his large company receive hundreds of thousands of dollars back from the CARES Act. The next day, I called that company and learned they wanted to charge me a $10,000 fee just for a review. If I qualified for the program, they would charge a large fee per employee. My heart...
Name/Title: Mari Galloway, CEO & Founding Board Member What is your organization and mission? Cyberjutsu is a 501c3 cybersecurity community for women to grow and build their #cyberjutsutribe. We empower women to network and lead in the cybersecurity space through hands-on workshops, cyber games, professional development, conference participation, leadership and volunteer opportunities, and more. How many years do you have in the nonprofit industry? 10 Your nonprofit community. Your team. Your mission. Your Board of Directors. Your events. Your volunteers. Your sponsors. How do you manage it all day to day? I don’t, lol. Just kidding. But I wonder about...
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...
By Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee It was October 1, 1999, when I began my first full-time position in the nonprofit world. I showed up excitedly and ready to dig in and get started. The president of the organization met me at the office, said the organization was looking forward to working with me, handed me the key to the office and walked out the door. Now what? As a staff of one, I was responsible for what would become 24 annual events, 12 newsletters and 8 committees. I remember looking around the office and trying to figure out where to...
By Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Debates continue about the “great resignation” and the fast-rising salary demands that are running rampant in the current hiring climate (also known as wage compression). As nonprofits and associations strive to serve their missions with diminishing resources, many are struggling to find the experienced workers they need at a salary they can afford. Just as frustrating, the labor shortage increases the demands on your existing staff (who are already taxed as a result of the pandemic), which results in higher levels of burnout. So, what is an organization to do? We’ve seen a recent rise...
By Cat Donovan Executive Assistant Employee wellness continues to be a topic circulating at the forefront of nonprofits and associations. The pandemic has escalated workplace pressures and shifted expectations placed on employees by both supervisors and also the employees themselves. For example, working from home has made it much easier for employees to check email at all hours of the day and night. Without the real separation of office and home, employees may be off the clock but essentially still “working” and may feel pressure to constantly check in, fearful that others are doing the same and, thus, they might...
