We are wrapping up the 13th session of the Communications Director Mentoring Program this month and preparing to work with the 14th class (yes, we still have space available!). One of the key lessons that participants took away from this session was understanding that nonprofit communications work entails many more possibilities and opportunities than any…
We are planning to refresh our website design later in the year, but there’s one thing we decided to get rid of sooner than later: the image slider we had at the top of our homepage. Image sliders and carousels were all the rage several years ago, and MANY nonprofit websites (maybe yours) have them…
Communications directors have to make A LOT of decisions. We also get information and input from lots of places, and that can make decision making even harder. I think it’s helpful to keep in mind some fundamentals that apply regardless of the kind of decision you are making — this goes for personal decisions too!…
Today we opened the CALM not BUSY Book Club Group on Facebook. We have all kinds of fun stuff planned. including new content, live Q & A sessions, and more. We are trying out the new Social Learning tools for Facebook Groups too. Here’s my quick video announcement if you can’t see it above. If…
How many people do you think really watch cooking shows just for the recipes? Most are watching because they like the chef/host or at least want to see what they will do next. They may dream of making the recipes (and occasionally will), but most viewers are drawn to cooking shows because of the personalities…
I am working on a new keynote presentation that I’ll be giving in late June on how nonprofits can collaborate on marketing communications. I would love to feature your organization in my presentation if you’ve been involved in anything like . . . Developing a new brand to represent products/services from multiple nonprofits Jointly…
Nonprofit communications directors have LOTS of decisions to make. Some are small, like word choice in a tweet, and some are big and complicated, like prioritizing communications strategies to best support the growth of your nonprofit. And, of course, there’s a lot in between. In my new book, CALM not BUSY (Amazon), I included several…
On today’s Facebook Live show, I talked about the four responsibilities that executive directors and other nonprofit leaders have if they want their communications staff to be successful. I call them the “4 Ds” of Effectively Managing Communications Teams: Dedicate yourself and real resources to communications. Define the work. Delegate the work, including decisions. Discuss…
Earlier today I interviewed an awesome nonprofit communications director about how she transformed the culture of communications at her organization. I’ll share her name and story soon, but one experience she mentioned can’t wait, because I know someone reading this blog needs to hear this message today. If you are crying in your car at…
Here’s my personal invitation to you and your communications team (if you have one): I’d love for you to join me for the Summer of CALM. Here’s how it works: You sign up your team and right away I’ll mail out three signed copies of the CALM not BUSY book. (You can order more if…
On today’s Facebook Live show, I talked about the importance of knowing your sender reputation and how to improve it and, in turn, improve your open rates. I shared six tips, and several links. I’ll be sharing more on email newsletters in particular during next week’s two-part webinar series, Creating Awesome Nonprofit Email Newsletters. Don’t…
CALM communications directors are Collaborative, Agile, Logical and Methodical. Ready to find your top CALM strength? Take the new quiz! Don’t see the quiz? Take it here. Why should you know your top CALM strength? I’m a “build on your success” kind of person. So if you know where you are strong, I suggest you…
