By Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group The times we are in are certainly uncertain. Looking back a year ago, most event planners thought we would be back to in-person events and that virtual events would be a thing of the past. But the reality is that with Covid variants surfacing and the general population having an extremely wide range of what they are or aren’t comfortable with, nonprofits today are being forced to choose which type of event they want to plan for next year. Many of our association clients found that a portion of their members...
By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group Routine “bored” meetings have transitioned from conference rooms to Zoom rooms for today’s remote workforce (and many are still a challenge to get enthused about…). Video conferencing is here to stay, so if you want your meetings to stand out while you increase engagement and avoid contributing to your staff’s zoom fatigue, you’ll want to pay attention. Whether you are using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts or one of the many other online video platforms, it is always a good idea to look for ways to increase the engagement of your...
By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group We have always known that, out of necessity, nonprofit organizations are incredibly nimble and resilient. Over the last 12 months, organizations have made quick pivots and showed great commitment and creativity to the missions they serve. Now that it has been a full year of life with COVID-19, we asked our clients if they had any unexpected positive results from the pandemic. Here is what they had to say: Rogers Park Business Alliance “We added video interviews to our Small Business Saturday event in 2020. The pivot to video for...
By: Debbie McCann Partner W4Sight A virtual event is a great opportunity to showcase your nonprofit’s resilience and demonstrate your impact amidst the “new normal.” Just like with any in-person event, good planning is critical to virtual event success. Keep these three tips in mind to ensure that people remember the inspiring speaker, the amazing video, or the thought-provoking panel discussion – not the glitches. Tip #1: Set Expectations. Make sure people know what your event is all about, especially if you are doing a virtual event that specifically takes the place of an in-person event. In your email blasts...
By: Melissa Lagowski CEO/Founder/Queen Bee Big Buzz Idea Group COVID-19 has wreaked havoc with nonprofit organizations this year, and many organizations have been forced to cancel or postpone their fundraising initiatives. We have seen organizations focus on their individual giving campaigns, and we have heard some greatly inspiring stories about donors who have really stepped up for causes close to their hearts. But on the other side, there are also many NPOs that are not traditional 501c3 organizations. Many of these other organizations do not have access to grants, donations or governmental funding, so what are they to do during...
By: Brad Ball Vice President Big Buzz Idea Group According to a 2017 Gallup study, nearly one half of the American workforce spends at least some time working from home (WFH). While the study doesn’t specifically identify nonprofit professionals as part of the inquiry, experience tells us that WFH is becoming more commonplace all the way around. One of the more important ways to connect when team members or volunteers are working from home is via the conference call. Available as both dial-in audio-only and increasingly common video conference, here’s a list of how to conference like a pro. Know...
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...
By: Amanda Wilson Nonprofit Account Manager Big Buzz Idea Group Imagine we’re in the year 2000 and a respiratory virus is spreading throughout the world, causing all events and social gatherings to be canceled and forcing businesses to close. The internet, while gaining traction, is still rudimentary. Google was invented only two years prior and popular websites like Wikipedia, MySpace or Facebook are still years away. With mandates to socially isolate to help stop the spread of this disease, meetings would cease and businesses would have been unable to maintain daily operations. Additional programming like professional development seminars would...
