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Powering Nonprofits to Fuel Positive Change

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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...

Time to Assess Your Year-End Campaigns

Time to Assess Your Year-End Campaigns

By: Sarah Pollock Nonprofit Account Manager Big Buzz Idea Group In the last quarter of what has been a very unpredictable year, everyone is fighting with full force towards their year-end campaigns. With a drastic change in the economy, this year has included more asks and more widespread campaigning from nonprofits, and funding sources, themselves, have to be as strategic as the askers. Though workloads have increased, sifting through donor lists and segmenting campaign asks – tasks which always seem to end up on the back burner as tedious and time-consuming – need to become your immediate goal. The development strategy needs to face three questions: How many donor lists do you currently have? How many times has each donor been asked for a...

Cancelling or Postponing Your Events in Light of COVID-19

Cancelling or Postponing Your Events in Light of COVID-19

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group   We watched the world change, hour by hour, for several days until landing in our current “Shelter in Place” status. Initially, as the country began to respond to the coronavirus, we started to feel the impact on our nonprofit events, but they didn’t appear to be in the direct line of fire. But then on March 15th, the CDC issued new guidelines that stated that all gatherings with more than 50 people should be cancelled until at least May 12, 2020. The initial potential impact was now an impending multi-car...

Take Time to Evaluate Your Events

Take Time to Evaluate Your Events

By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Some events can draw crowds for decades while others fall flat after a year or two. It can be tricky to forecast what makes certain gatherings an instant success, but it shouldn’t be difficult to measure an event’s effectiveness over time. “Events are often passed down for years, from one set of staff or board members to another, and no one actually stops to think about what the event should be achieving,” says founder and president of Big Buzz Idea Group Melissa Lagowski. “To properly evaluate an event, you must first...

The Board’s Hot (Summer) Topics

The Board’s Hot (Summer) Topics

By: Amy Schiffman Principal and Co-Founder, Giving Tree Associates It’s that time of year when most boards are closing the books on this fiscal year and planning for the next.  Perhaps we’re spending time reviewing new programmatic, fundraising and operational strategies or putting the finishing touches on next year’s budget.  But I’d like to make a case for summer being the right time to consider the health of your organization’s governance program.  And if that sounds either too vague or glaringly obvious, let’s dig down a little deeper, unpack the possibilities, and prioritize.   During this year’s summer board retreat, why...

Defining Your Value: Reclaiming Relevance to the Community You Serve

Defining Your Value: Reclaiming Relevance to the Community You Serve

By Guest Blogger: Joe McClennan Managing Partner, McClennan Partners Happy New Year! How often did you receive or express that greeting toward the end of December and the beginning of January? In 2017, for a number of my nonprofit clients, the emphasis is on the “New.” Continuing to do what they have always done is no longer possible because of funding cutbacks, change in management philosophy, loss or expected loss of key staff, and/or a call for a deep re-evaluation of what the value proposition now needs to be for the community they serve. In planning and facilitating January Board...

Making a Case for Strategic Planning

Making a Case for Strategic Planning

By Guest Blogger: Kimberly Bares President, PLACE Consulting “I’ve always wanted to be somebody, but I see now I should have been more specific.” — Lily Tomlin It’s that time of the year when organizations reflect on the past year’s successes and misses and begin the process of preparing for 2017. Based on my experience in leading strategic planning with dozens of nonprofits, the best of them use their strategic plan to guide that evaluation. What do you do, though, when your organization doesn’t see the value in the process or thinks it’s a waste of time or money? I’ve...

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Insights Blog Archive

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

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  • Big Buzz Idea Group
  • 4055 W. Peterson Ave., #105 Chicago, IL 60646
  • 773.804.8589
  • 773.804.8986
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