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 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...
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...
Many of our partners have been working tirelessly to provide relevant and valuable information to help various nonprofit organizations navigate the ever-changing waters regarding COVID-19. Forefront COVID-19 Resource Page COVID-19 Response Funds Network for Good COVID-19 Resources National Council of Nonprofits COVID-19 Resource Page Bloomerang COVID-19 Resource Page Council of Nonprofits Resources Financial and Strategic Preparedness for COVID-19 Webinar Center for Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Arts Community Resources Northstar Meetings Group – How to Monetize Virtual Events We will continue to update this page as more and more resources become available. Thank you to everyone for their hard work in...
By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group In working with clients, we’ve seen the state of the nonprofit sector evolve. More recently, many organizations are facing a tight job market with a shortage of skilled and experienced workers. Layer in limited budgets and ongoing turnover, and it’s not surprising that nonprofits are feeling the squeeze. It’s an issue for nonprofits and businesses alike: staff shortages have become the top emerging risk that organizations face globally, according to Gartner, Inc.’s latest Emerging Risks Survey. Sixty-three percent of total respondents stated that a talent shortage was a key...
By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group Let’s start with this: We absolutely recognize the incredible value of volunteers. Without the work of volunteers, many organizations simply couldn’t do what they do so we applaud these generous people for their ongoing support and help. That being said, in our work with nonprofits, we’ve also seen how beneficial it can be for an organization to outsource certain responsibilities to an agency. If you’ve had challenges with relying on volunteers for help, read on for five reasons outsourcing may be your best bet: 1. Continuity and...
By: Melissa Lagowski CEO, Founder and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group It’s that time of year when many clients are setting budgets for the year ahead. A budget is a crucial part of planning and execution. But all too often in the nonprofit world, budgets are simply carried over without questioning individual line items or evaluating partnerships. In taking a closer look and applying a forward-thinking, strategic mindset, we’ve helped our clients find areas where their organizations can trim excess spending and make those dollars work harder. Cost savings and more efficient, effective spending—that’s what we all want, right?...
Save time, money and effort By: Melissa Lagowski CEO, Founder and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group When your plate is full—perhaps too full—it’s hard to do anything well as you’re pulled in different directions and constantly hurtling from one task to the next. Meanwhile, your team is also working hard, but they likely don’t have the time or all the necessary skills to propel your nonprofit’s growth. The result? Burnout, stagnation and missed opportunities. Rather than focus internally, the solution may lie outside of your organization. Partnering with an external business to delegate key tasks or areas of expertise...
By: Melissa Lagowski President, Founder and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group When I first became an Executive Director, I was so excited! I couldn’t wait to roll up my sleeves and dig into the work to make my organization and the community prosper and thrive. But it didn’t take long to realize that running an organization as a team of one was exhausting, though I couldn’t fully understand why the task seemed so daunting. After many years, as I reflect on my first nonprofit role, it now seems so clear: executive directors are expected to wear many hats. How...
