• Home
  • Our Team
  • Clients
  • What We Do
  • Case Studies
  • Blog
  • Join the Team
  • Contact
  • FAQ

Powering Nonprofits to Fuel Positive Change

773.804.8589
info@bigbuzzideagroup.com
Big Buzz Idea GroupBig Buzz Idea Group
  • Home
  • Our Team
  • Clients
  • What We Do
  • Case Studies
  • Blog
  • Join the Team
  • Contact
  • FAQ

Integrity

Long-term partnerships are built on trust. The most compelling reason for you to collaborate with Big Buzz—and our greatest strength—is our commitment to honesty and total transparency.

Resources

With over ten years experience vetting and procuring venues, consultants, designers, rental companies, entertainment and more, Big Buzz is your one-stop shop for access to the highest quality resources.

Cost Savings

You have to cope with tight budgets, minimal staffing and demanding schedules, all of which are detrimental to achieving goals. We provide you with the expert services of an entire staff, eliminating the need to hire employees or rely on volunteers.

Customization

We don’t offer a “one size fits all” solution. Our á la carte operational support lets you select the services that best satisfy your needs and budget.

What our clients are saying about Big Buzz Idea Group

  • As one can imagine, putting together your first fundraising event is definitely nerve wrecking.  Thanks to Melissa, she personally made sure that the event ran smoothly and she kept us on track with our budget and deadlines.  The board members of both the foundation and the hospital (Norwegian American Hospital) were very impressed and thrilled with the huge success of the event. Thank you Big Buzz, we could not have done it without you on our side.

    Elizabeth Colón

  • Our introduction to Big Buzz Idea Group started as a referral, and has now grown into a collaborative partnership in just a year.   Being a unique NPO, we were looking for a creative partner that understood our mission and were willing to put their reputation on the line to help us grow.

    Scott M. Morgan, R.Ph.
    Executive VP, Medals4Mettle

  • I have been a member of NAWBO for 20 years and am a Past President. I’m currently on the Board of Directors. I’ve worked closely with Melissa for numerous years and find her to be a special person. As a leader, she is a role model for other women business owners and her success exemplifies her capabilities.  As an individual she lives by her values and treats all people equally. She is results-driven and directly steered our chapter back to financial solvency. She is equally at home with corporate partners and sponsors as she is with members.

    Melissa stepped in as our management company during a period of turbulence for the organization. Her strength in process and systemization put us back on solid footing. Among other responsibilities, she was responsible for smooth handling of our events and facilitating contracts with our sponsors. We never before experienced the expertise she brought to every program and project. Tasks were handled promptly and with a strong dedication to accuracy.

    If I were in a position that required a person of Melissa’s talents, with a team behind her that parallels her passion to her work, I would hire her in an instant. She would be a great strategic partner and loyal employee. I can only add that Melissa will be an asset for any organization.

    Gail Zelitzky
    Silver-Robins Consulting LLC

  • I met Melissa Lagowski and Big Buzz when I was the Co-Chair of a annual event known as BenFest, a summer festival hosted by St. Benedict Church in Chicago. BenFest had the distinct pleasure of being the oldest continual running family festival in Chicago. While that is a great moniker, the fact was we made very little money.

    The event was a two-day festival (Friday night and Saturday) that coincided with the birthday of our parish patron Saint Benedict. The focus of the event was family, fun and community. BenFest had a kids area and then a band area which culminated with a “better band” on Saturday night.

    We were lucky to make about $5,000 over the two days and many hours of volunteers. We knew we needed help. Enter Big Buzz. To say Melissa turned the event on its head is an understatement.

    First she implemented it to a three-day event. Next she redesigned the entire layout, then booked bands for the three days that drew large crowds. Finally she expanded the size of the event to encompass three surrounding side streets as well as the courtyard.

    Rather than going into more boring details, I will just give one that says it all—what was once an event that would make $5,000 dollars in a good year has grown to over $40,000 and that number increases every year

    While I am no longer on  the committee, BenFest is fortunate to have Melissa and Big Buzz spearheading this event every year

    If you are in any situation and are looking for someone to take command of your event, I highly recommend Melissa and her team.

    William (Bill) A. Hayes
    UCX LLC, Former Co-Chair BenFest

  • Big Buzz Idea Group saved our organization when we were dealing with a serious financial crisis. Within three years after partnering with Big Buzz Idea Group, we went from a financial brink to a very healthy reserve. And the best part is that the members loved the personal attention and contact no matter how large or small the member company was.

    Big Buzz Idea Group is a great fit for any organization that needs a management team.

    Linda Forman CPA
    Linda Forman CPA P.C.

  • Big Buzz is not just an event agency. It is an agency one takes on when looking for a partner that will understand the nuances of your association. They are a partner who listens, discerns and with extreme sensitivity guides you through a program to maximize your potential. Melissa, the principle of this agency has a natural uncanny way of assessing the needs and strong points of your event at the onset so the end result is the best possible outcome leaving the smallest footprint behind. I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing Big Buzz work their magic with several clients in the area from big to small—all benefiting from their guidance and professionalism to get things done in innovative ways, always keeping an eye on every detail from outside in and inside out no matter how small, valuing the community and the bigger audience at stake. They don’t have a one size fits all systems, they have a very personalized approach that leaves you feeling you are their only client and they are indeed your trusted partner.

    Maribel Selva, Broker/ Real Estate Consultant
    Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

Check Out These Recent Posts

  • Leveraging AI For Time Management
  • Navigating Uncertainty: How Nonprofits Can Protect Funding and Advocate for Change
  • Tips for Nonprofit Success
  • DEI, DEIB, Equity & Inclusion for All: Ways to Advance the Work in 2025
  • Gen Z is the Next Wave of Donors—How Can Nonprofits Engage Them?
  • Communicating With Your Nonprofit’s Supporters During Times of Unease
  • Big Buzz Idea Group Named One of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses

Sign up for Insights newsletter

Select list(s) to subscribe to

Tag Cloud

501c3 Appreciation Association Association Management Big Buzz Idea Group Board Members Board of Directors Communication Communications Core Values Culture Development Digital Marketing Donations Donors Event Planner Event Planning Events Executive Director Funding Fundraising Goal-Setting Gratitude Leadership management Marketing mission Networking Nonprofit Nonprofit Board Members Nonprofit Leadership Nonprofit Management Nonprofit Organization NPO Organization Organization's Culture Outsourcing pandemic Productivity Social Media Sponsors Sponsorship Staff Strategic Planning Virtual

Insights Blog Archive

  • Client Spotlight: Illinois Theatre Association
  • Four Pillars to Attracting and Retaining Ideal Employees
  • Grateful for Nonprofit Leaders
  • Never Overlook the Value of Gratitude
  • Implementing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Your Nonprofit
  • Virtual Fundraising: 18 Ideas for Nonprofit Revenue
  • Why You Need to Establish Gratitude as a Pillar at Your Nonprofit
  • Client Spotlight: Center for Changing Lives
  • How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media to Meet Goals
  • Re-Imagine the Possibilities to Better Serve Your Mission
  • How to Manage Your Organization During an Election Year Without Violating Your Nonprofit Status
  • Does Your Mission Have a Compelling Voice?
  • Four Tactics to Resolve Nonprofit Staffing Shortages
  • Why Identifying and Communicating Your Core Values Is Important
  • Clearer Communication Is the Secret to Better Outcomes
  • To Be Successful, Nonprofits and Associations Must Be Forward-Thinking
  • Innovative Approach to Volunteer Recruitment
  • Word of the Year: Manifestation
  • Cyber Security: How To Protect Yourself In Today’s “Connected” World
  • Networking for Personal and Professional Growth
  • Outsourcing: The Only Solution To Staffing Shortages
  • The Board’s Hot (Summer) Topics
  • The Hidden Costs Behind Your Fundraiser
  • Client Spotlight: Old Town School of Folk Music
  • How to Rewire Your Brain with Positive Thinking
  • Tips to Ensure Event Safety
  • 7 Tips for Managing Hybrid Events
  • Please Send a Hi-res Copy of Your Logo
  • Nonprofit Form 990: Friend or Foe?
  • The Birth of a New Vision
  • Should You Ever Cover Board Member Expenses?
  • Why Nonprofits Need to Evaluate Their Budgets Every Year
  • How To Secure More Donor Dollars
  • Why Is My Organization Not Growing?
  • Real Progress Requires Intention: What Do You Want to Achieve in 2020 for Your Nonprofit?
  • Becoming a Virtual Event Planner in an Instant
  • Fostering Board Engagement in Virtual Times
  • Making a Case for Strategic Planning
  • What’s Your Nonprofit’s First Impression?
  • Boost Your Daily Productivity
  • The Benefits of Outsourcing
  • 6 Tips for Recruiting Ideal Board Members
  • Big Buzz Idea Group Named One of America’s Top 100 Small Businesses
  • Interim Directors Provide Strength in Times of Transition
  • From Awareness to Action: Using Social Media to Reach Your Goals
  • Post-Pandemic Event Lessons
  • Client Spotlight: Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce
  • The Need to Go Beyond Surveys
  • 5 Secrets to Streamlining Your Administrative Tasks
  • 10 Tips to Cultivate Sponsor Relationships
  • Holding On When You Feel Like Throwing In the Towel
  • Keep Your Mission in Mind to Maximize Results
  • 6 Tips for Healthy Collaboration with Your Board Chair
  • The Keys to Presenting Your Nonprofit Online
  • 2020: A Lesson in Gratitude
  • Transparency and Nonprofit Organizations
  • Gen Z is the Next Wave of Donors—How Can Nonprofits Engage Them?
  • What’s Your Nonprofit’s Story
  • Time to Assess Your Year-End Campaigns
  • Fundraising: Creating a Straighter Path to Revenue Growth
  • SPONSORSHIP 101: To Package or Not to Package
  • How to Secure Mega Sponsorships For Your Fundraising Event!
  • Communicating With Your Nonprofit’s Supporters During Times of Unease
  • Nonprofit Hiring: Best Practices for Building Your Team in 2024
  • Are You Leaving Money On The Table?
  • Streamlining Success: Using a Consent Agenda for Nonprofit Board Meetings
  • Crisis Management: Are You Ready?
  • Six Things Your Nonprofit Needs to Know About Sales Tax
  • 8 Tips For Leading Productive Meetings
  • 10 Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Your Nonprofit from Cyber Threats
  • Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part II
  • Board Nominating: A Better Way
  • Tips For Meaningful #GivingTuesday Follow-Up
  • 4 Productivity Tips to Elevate Your Nonprofit
  • DIY Event Photos
  • 5 Ways to Generate Sponsor Leads
  • Talk to Me! Prioritizing Internal Communications During Times of Transition
  • Mastering Client Expectations: 6 Essential Tips for Success
  • The Importance of Authenticity in Sales and Networking
  • Communication Tips to Advance Your Organization
  • Making the Most Out of Event Centerpieces
  • 5 Reasons to Outsource Instead of Rely on Volunteers
  • Meet Big Buzz, the Creators of Ribfest Chicago
  • Celebrate You and Avoid Nonprofit Burnout
  • Budgeting for Your Nonprofit in Uncertain Times
  • Are You Leading With Impact?
  • 3 Reasons Why Your Organization Should Use Canva
  • Conference Call Hero – 6 Tips to Master the Art of Video and Audio Conferencing
  • 3 Questions to Ask If You Hope to Grow Your Membership
  • Apply the Spoon Theory to Run Your Nonprofit
  • Our Top Five Free Online Tools for Nonprofit Management Teams
  • Strategies for Membership Based Associations to Flourish in Face-to-Face Interactions
  • These Red Flags Scream That You Need a New Bookkeeper
  • Chart a Path for Nonprofit Success
  • DEI, DEIB, Equity & Inclusion for All: Ways to Advance the Work in 2025
  • Navigating Nonprofit Finances: How to Effectively Manage Your Bookkeeper
  • Securing Help from Your Board: Are You Ready?
  • Something Good: Building Your Team’s Connection
  • Nonprofit Event Venues 101
  • Put Some Zing in Your Zoom (Or Any Other Virtual Meeting)
  • Cancelling or Postponing Your Events in Light of COVID-19
  • 6 Tips for Cultivating Gratitude in the Workplace
  • Goal-Setting For Successful Events
  • Advantages of Donor Database Software for Charitable Organizations
  • Seven Tips to a More Productive Year for Your Organization
  • Want To Retain Your Employees? Wellness in the Workplace Matters!
  • Is Your Marketing Missing the Mark?
  • Why Your Nonprofit Needs Brand Guidelines
  • How to Develop Your Nonprofit’s Audience Persona
  • The 3 Mistakes I Made Managing a Nonprofit
  • The Compelling Case to Renew
  • Best Practices For Nonprofit Management
  • Make Your Nonprofit Stand Out: Creating Impressions for Impact
  • Client Spotlight: Hope For The Day
  • 9 Lessons Learned from Our First Virtual Conference
  • How Big Is Your Fire?
  • 50 Content Promotion Tactics: How to Drive Traffic to Your Next Article
  • 5 Tips for Prioritizing Your Mental Health in the Workplace
  • SPONSORSHIP 101: Growing Nonprofit Revenues
  • Leveraging E-Newsletters For Nonprofit Growth
  • 4 Ways Outsourcing Your Development Work Can Provide Value
  • Navigating Uncertainty: How Nonprofits Can Protect Funding and Advocate for Change
  • Tips for Virtual Event Success
  • Self-Care: A Necessity for Successful Leadership
  • Defining Your Value: Reclaiming Relevance to the Community You Serve
  • How to Keep Your Visuals On-Brand
  • Big Buzz Idea Group Launches Additional Services
  • Team Culture Exists Beyond the Office Walls
  • Organic Methods to Cultivate Sponsorship Leads
  • Organizational Operations Versus Organizational Strategy
  • Silver Linings Discovered Amidst a Pandemic
  • Leadership Starts with You
  • Cross-Train Your Team for Better Outcomes
  • How to Hire a Consultant
  • Board or Bored Leadership – Enter the Magnificent Seven
  • If You’re Feeling Hopeless of Late, Remember That Your Work Matters and You Do, Too
  • Client Spotlight: Cyberjutsu
  • Spend Less. Do More. Your Guide to Effective Outsourcing
  • Should Sponsorships Include Membership Dues?
  • A Job Gone Wrong
  • Life After COVID-19: Next Steps for Your Nonprofit
  • 11 Tips to Make Your Newsletter More Readable
  • Fresh Funding Ideas Are Blooming
  • Promotion Ideas to Benefit Your Nonprofit – Part I
  • New Year’s Resolutions for Board Members
  • Tips for Nonprofit Success
  • Optimize Your Contact List for Nonprofit Growth
  • Engage Your Board – Start with Recruiting and End with A High-Performance Culture
  • Big Buzz Has COVID-19 Resources For You!
  • Melissa Lagowski Named Faculty Member at Institute for Organization Management
  • The Taxman Cometh (Yes, Even For Your Exempt Organization)
  • Losing Control? Reclaim Your Time!
  • SPONSORSHIP 101: Growing Nonprofit Revenues
  • Four Step Process to Building Better Buy-In
  • An Interim Leader Isn’t a “Temp:” Interim Leadership in NPOs as a Management Profession
  • Leveraging AI For Time Management
  • Financial Planning for Uncertain Times
  • Take Time to Evaluate Your Events
  • 3 Tips For Maintaining Your NPO’s Digital Assets
  • Lessons Learned in Nonprofit Management
  • Employee Retention Tax Credit Yields Powerful Opportunity

Contact Us

Want more info? Have a question? Send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Send Message
Spark the growth and power of your organization. Schedule your FREE consultation today. Let's Connect

CONTACT INFO

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

Connect with us

Proud Member:

© 2021 — Big Buzz Idea Group

  • Home
  • Our Team
  • Clients
  • What We Do
  • Case Studies
  • Blog
  • Join the Team
  • Contact
  • FAQ