Podcasts by The Smart Communications Podcast
The Smart Communications Podcast helps busy nonprofit leaders build their communications skills and develop their organization’s voice. Every episode shares insights and practical tips to help you leverage strategic communications to advance your nonprofit’s mission.
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Episode 106: Protecting one’s time: how wellbeing plays into decision-making from 2022-02-16T09:00
How do you describe how you make decisions in your role? Hannah Thomas, director of learning and innovation at Big Duck, talks with Fatima Jones, senior director of marketing and co...
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Episode 105: Why do government agencies need strong brands? from 2022-02-02T09:00
How do government agencies use communications to connect with the public? Listen as Ally Dommu, director of strategy, and Charlotte Levitt, director of marketing and communications ...
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Episode 104: How can you embrace the challenges of changing your name? from 2022-01-19T09:00
Why would an organization consider changing its name? Farra Trompeter, co-director, and senior copywriter, Ryan Gerhardt, dive into the joys and pains of naming as part of the brand...
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Episode 103: Tiny Habits: How can small changes change everything? from 2022-01-05T09:00
It’s a new year! Do you have new behaviors you want to adopt or unwanted behaviors you want to stop? Tiny Habits is a simple and effective method to change behavior. Learn how to c...
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Episode 102: How can you create a healthy workplace in remote settings? from 2021-12-16T09:00
How can your organization prioritize wellness and productivity? Farra Trompter, co-director, talks with Meico Marquette Whitlock, founder and CEO of Mindful Techie, in this episode ...
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Episode 101: How do you know when your nonprofit has a jargon problem–and what can you do about it? from 2021-12-01T09:00
Jargon is common in the nonprofit sector. For some it can communicate knowledge, but for most people, using jargon, acronyms, and complicated phrases can be alienating.. Big Duck’s ...
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Episode 100: How can nonprofits apply the principles of Emergent Strategy to their communications? from 2021-11-17T10:00
Never a failure, always a lesson. Trust the people. Move at the speed of trust. These are just a few principles of Emergent Strategy by adrienne mareee brown. Hannah Thomas, directo...
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Episode 99: Who should be on your communications team? from 2021-11-03T09:00
Sarah Durham, Big Duck’s founder, and Kivi Leroux Miller, founder and CEO of the Nonprofit Marketing Guide, share tips that will help any nonprofit strengthen their communications t...
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Episode 98: How can you build inclusive processes in branding and beyond? from 2021-10-20T09:00
At this moment, it’s important to slow down and create more inclusive teams and processes. Join Farra Trompeter and Dr. Renee Rubin Ross as they discuss participation and equity and...
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Episode 97: How nonprofit communications have changed over the years from 2021-10-08T09:00
Nonprofit staff have become more sophisticated in prioritizing the goals, audiences, strategies, and tactics to guide their communications. Listen in as Sarah Durham and Farra Trom...
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Episode 96: How can you use donor personas to guide your communications? from 2021-09-23T09:00
How can you use donor personas to guide your communications? At Big Duck, we define personas as tools that define a segment of your audience, who they are in connection to your work...
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Episode 95: Equity: How can we design organizations where everyone thrives? from 2021-09-08T09:00
Equity helps leaders create more inclusive organizations using human-centered design and behavior change principles. Farra Trompeter talks with Minal Bopaiah, founder of Brevity &am...
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Episode 94: How can you update an iconic brand? from 2021-08-26T11:00
A classic brand identity is hard to change. Old perceptions about your organization’s brand or internal shifts can be challenging. Listen in as Sarah Durham talks with Mark Graham, ...
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Episode 93: What can a good tagline do for your nonprofit? from 2021-08-11T09:00
Ever wondered what a good tagline can do for your organization? In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Farra Trompeter, partner and chief growth officer, discusses tag...
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Episode 92: What’s the future of virtual events? from 2021-07-28T09:00
COVID-19 has changed everything and nonprofits have shifted how they offer programming and services from in-person to digital channels. Virtual events, galas, and conferences can h...
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Episode 91: Why should you challenge urgency in your communications? from 2021-07-14T09:00
Urgency can present itself in a number of ways and is a key characteristic of white supremacy culture. Former senior strategist Laura FIsher, and chief growth officer and partner, F...
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Episode 90: How can you leverage your brand to connect with your community? from 2021-06-30T09:00
Your brand is how your organization expresses its voice. Knowing whose voices are being centered in your brand strategy and assets is a key element to developing or shifting your br...
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Episode 89: How can Google Analytics help you achieve better digital results? from 2021-06-16T13:00
Google Analytics is a powerful tool and can help you understand how people use your website. Sarah Durham sits down with Heather Wozniak, technical strategist at Advomatic to discus...
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Episode 88: What are the latest trends in nonprofit communications? from 2021-06-02T09:00
If you are a nonprofit communicator, the Nonprofit Communications Trends Report, a yearly report released by The Nonprofit Marketing Guide is a great fact-based, research-based tool...
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Episode 87: Should you go with fixed fee or time-and-materials for that project? from 2021-05-19T09:00
Are you looking to hire an agency or freelancer and questioning whether or not to go with a fixed fee or time-and-materials for the project? This solocast with Sarah Durham examines...
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Episode 86: Is your website secure and flexible? from 2021-05-05T09:00
Is your website secure and flexible? A lot of the nonprofit sector are not techies. Sarah Durham talks with Dave Hansen-Lange, Advomatic's Director of Technical Strategy about ...
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Episode 85: Is it strategic? from 2021-04-21T09:00
Is it strategic? Strategy is the practice of defining what you want to achieve and identifying the best ways to achieve it. Sarah Durham and Laura Fisher unpack terms like goals, ob...
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Episode 84: What norms should you challenge and disrupt? from 2021-04-08T09:00
What norms should you challenge and disrupt? Sarah Durham and Hannah Thomas unpack “thoughtful disruption” and offer different ways of challenging nonprofit communications norms and...
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Episode 83: Where is the community in your communications? from 2021-03-24T09:00
Who is your community? They often tend to be more expansive than we think. Listen in as Sarah Durham unpacks the word “community” in fundraising and communications with Michelle Shi...
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Episode 82: How do you center your community as you do research? from 2021-03-10T09:00
Equity is about process and outcomes. Making sure everyone, regardless of color, has the same access and opportunity requires a skillset many of us are striving to learn. This podca...
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Episode 81: How can you facilitate meetings better from 2021-02-24T09:00
Active listening and research. These are just a couple of key facilitation skills shared in this episode of The Smart Communications Podcast with Ally Dommu, director of strategy, a...
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Episode 80: How does strategic planning impact communications? from 2021-02-10T09:00
No matter what you are working towards in your organizations when approaching both strategic planning and communications it’s important to know what is unchanging, and what is varia...
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Episode 79: How do we communicate without communications staff? from 2021-01-27T09:00
Staff cuts and running an organization on a skeleton crew have become an unfortunate effect of the difficult times we have been facing. Sponsored by Bloomerang, here’s an inspiratio...
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Episode 78: Marketing versus communications: what's the difference? from 2021-01-13T13:00
In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham sits down with Samantha Campbell, marketing and communications expert and former Director of Marketing, Communicati...
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Episode 77: How can your values help during challenging times? from 2020-12-16T09:00
Does your organization practice it’s values in tangible ways? Listen to this podcast to gain insight from NTEN’s CEO, Amy Sample Ward, on how to center your strength using your valu...
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Episode 76: How do you convert crisis donors into regular givers? from 2020-12-09T09:00
Is your organization looking for innovative ways to convert crisis donors into regular givers? This podcast explores how to attract and retain new donors.
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Episode 75: Do robots make bad fundraisers? from 2020-11-25T09:00
Do robots make bad fundraisers? In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham chats with Steven Shattuck, author of the book, “Robots Make Bad Fundraisers” and C...
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Episode 74: What tagline works?? from 2020-11-11T09:00
A good tagline can inspire you to think, feel, maybe even react. In the episode of The Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham and Big Duck Copywriter, Ryan Gerhardt, break down ...
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Episode 73: How do you tackle a daunting project? from 2020-10-28T13:00
Ever find yourself stuck on how to approach a big project that you have to do, but you just don't see how you're going to get it anytime soon? This podcast unpacks the proce...
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Episode 72: What is strategy? A refresher. from 2020-10-14T07:00
Whether you consider yourself a pro at setting communications strategy, or you are just getting started, this podcast, back by popular demand, offers useful insights to help you get...
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Episode 71: What are the barriers to effective communications? from 2020-09-28T18:00
In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham examines some of the common barriers that make it hard for nonprofits to establish successful communications. What ...
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Episode 70: Are events and galas still effective? Let’s revisit. from 2020-09-16T09:00
To gala or not to gala. In this replay of a 2018 Smart Communications Podcast, Stephanie Thomas, founder of Stetwin Consulting, discusses the value of galas, and whether or not the...
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Episode 69: Where do nonprofits go wrong with communications? from 2020-09-02T09:00
Thought leader and host of the “Nonprofits are Messy” podcast, Joan Garry, talks about what an effective nonprofit communications strategy can look like and provides some tips on h...
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Episode 67: How do you build sustainable momentum into your communications? from 2020-08-19T07:00
Sarah Durham discusses how nonprofits generate sustainable momentum in their communications. She identifies common challenges, including bottlenecks created by leadership micromanag...
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Episode 54: How do you ask for a really, really, really big donation? from 2020-08-05T07:00
Sarah Durham and Eric Javier discuss the 80/20 rule, the ladder of engagement, and how to articulate your vision to donors. Listen in to learn how your nonprofit can get their next ...
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Episode 68: Why is a clear voice important for nonprofits? from 2020-07-22T07:00
Sarah Durham, CEO of Big Duck and Advomatic, goes deep into the topic of organizational voice—what it is, how to create it, maintain it, and more. Building on the insights in her bo...
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Episode 56: How can you make your website friendlier and more accessible? from 2020-07-08T07:00
Advomatic’s Sarah Durham and Amanda Luker discuss how to constantly improve your website, create different ways to experience content, and run accessibility audits of your nonprofit...
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Episode 66: How can you communicate better via Zoom? from 2020-06-24T07:00
Big Duck CEO Sarah Durham explores ways in which COVID-19 shelter-in-place restrictions have made us all increasingly dependent on video conferencing tools like Zoom. She shares a c...
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Episode 62: How can you disrupt power dynamics and bring a DEI lens to your major donor relationships? from 2020-06-10T07:00
Sarah Durham and strategist Hannah Thomas discuss how DEI plays an important role in your capital campaigns and other major donor communications. Centering your communications on pa...
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Episode 65: What happens when people think they know your organization but they don’t? from 2020-05-27T07:00
What happens when people hang on to an old idea of your organization? Learn how Teresa Younger, CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, shaped and advanced a well-known brand.
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Episode 61: What are the six elements your communications need to thrive? from 2020-05-13T07:00
Big Duck’s latest book, The Nonprofit Communications Engine, outlines a simple model for nonprofit communicators and le...
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Episode 60: Why should your Executive Director prioritize communications? from 2020-04-29T07:00
Communications can have a big impact on many aspects of your nonprofit's mission, from mobilizing activists to attracting donors and other supporters who are critical to your wo...
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Episode 59: Should your logo stand out or fit in? from 2020-04-15T07:00
Big Duck’s CEO Sarah Durham and Design Director Sandy Zimmerman discuss logos. If you are contemplating a new logo, should you go with expected imagery or go with the unfamiliar? Th...
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Episode 63: How should your organization navigate communications during COVID-19? from 2020-04-01T12:00
Sarah Durham shares some quick tips and resources to help nonprofits communicate and fundraise during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
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Episode 58: Interviews, focus groups, or surveys: which should you use? from 2020-03-18T07:00
How does your brand resonate with your participants? Sarah Durham and Big Duck’s Senior Strategist Laura Fisher discuss the ins and outs of interviews, focus groups, and surveys. Le...
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Episode 57: What should your nonprofit’s communications really achieve? from 2020-01-22T07:00
Big Duck’s latest book, The Nonprofit Communications Engine, outlines a simple model for nonprofit communicators and le...
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Episode 55: Can you continuously improve your website? from 2019-12-06T07:00
From broken links to automated testing, learn how to continuously improve your website’s “hygiene” with Sarah Durham and Rory Tucker.
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Episode 53: Is it really feasible for your nonprofit to raise millions? from 2019-12-05T07:00
CCS Fundraising’s Managing Director Eric Javier discusses the feasibility of your organization receiving large donations. This podcast explores feasibility studies, organization co...
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Episode 52: How do you make sure your events and recordings sound good? from 2019-12-04T07:00
Marcus dePaula, audio expert and producer of Big Duck’s podcast, gives insight into the right audio professional for your ...
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Episode 51: Who is your Director of Second Impressions? from 2019-11-20T07:00
Making sure your clients and other key stakeholders are happy can be difficult. What do they really need and want from you? Tune in to understand how to be more mindful about engagi...
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Episode 50: What skills are most important on your in-house creative team from 2019-11-08T07:00
What are the most important skills to have on your in-house creative team? Learn how consistency, production, breadth, and the right experience can make your creative team flourish ...
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Episode 49: How can your communications team apply inclusive branding? from 2019-11-07T07:00
Big Duck’s Farra Trompeter and communications professional Chr...
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Episode 48: How can you design when you’re not a designer? from 2019-11-06T07:00
Big Duck pros Sarah Durham and Claire T...
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Episode 47: Should your nonprofit be worried about GDPR and online privacy? from 2019-10-23T07:00
Ochen Kaylan, Senior Developer at Advomatic and attorney, is passionate about online privacy. He discusses how to store and manage your donors’ and clients’ information, when enough...
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Episode 46: How do you involve your community when rebranding? from 2019-10-09T07:00
“You’re never going to get 100% buy-in...” is one of many lessons Elisabeth King, Director of Communications for Lycée Fr...
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Episode 45: How can your staff co-create your brand? from 2019-09-25T07:00
Ambar Mentor-Truppa, VP of Communications at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, chats with Big Duck’s
Episode 44: How should you work with freelancers? from 2019-09-11T07:00
Sandy Zimmerman, Big Duck’s Art Director, shares her experiences freelancing for nonprofits and managing n...
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Episode 43: How do you let your community speak for you? from 2019-08-28T07:00
Michael Hoffman, CEO and founder of Gather Voices, shares his perspective on how nonprofits can harness community-mad...
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Episode 42: How do you use the media for advocacy? from 2019-08-14T07:00
Vince Warren is the Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and a frequen...
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Episode 41: How can interviews help you get better insights? from 2019-07-31T07:00
Laura Fisher, Big Duck’s Senior Strategist, chats with Sarah Durham about how interviews can help you understand ...
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Episode 40: How can you be a better writer? from 2019-07-17T07:00
Dan Gunderman was Big Duck’s Creative Director and Senior Copywriter for over 12 years. Before moving to Scotland, he sat down with us for a conversation about writing for nonprofit...
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Episode 38: Can chatbots improve donor experiences? from 2019-06-19T07:00
Alice Hendricks is the CEO of Jackson River, a firm that helps nonprofits harness ...
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Episode 37: Are your internal communications values-driven? from 2019-06-05T07:00
Elizabeth Toledo, President of Camino Group and former Vice President of Communications at Planned Parenthood, is a crisis com...
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Episode 36: Do you need a capital campaign consultant? from 2019-05-22T07:00
We sat down with Andrea Kihlstedt and ...
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Episode 35: Does your nonprofit need a new logo? from 2019-05-08T07:00
Claire Taylor Hansen, Big Duck’s Creative Director, helps nonprofits answer the age-old question: Do ...
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Episode 32: What data really matters? from 2019-03-27T06:00
George Weiner, Founder and Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, a social impact tech company, sits down with us ...
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Episode 31: Should you rename your nonprofit? from 2019-03-12T05:00
Farra Trompeter, Big Duck’s Vice President, and Dan Gunderman, Big Duck’s Creative Director, have successfully facilitated many nonprofit name changes throughout the years. In this ...
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Episode 30: How do you structure a growing communications team? from 2019-02-26T06:15
Suzanne Shaw is Director of Communications at the Union of Concerned Scientists ...
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Episode 29: Can you legally use that photo or song? from 2019-02-13T15:00
Marcus dePaula, co-founder of Mixtus Media and producer of this podcast, is an expert in online content creation...
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Episode 28: How can you facilitate better internal communications? from 2019-01-30T08:00
Nonprofit leaders must make their vision clear and get everyone—staff, board, and other stakeholders—aligned and motivated to work toward it together. For Wayne Ho, President and CE...
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Episode 27: How can an executive director realize their vision? from 2019-01-16T07:00
Vince Warren reflects on his twelve years (and counting!) as Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights. Over the course of his tenure, Vince has built the organizat...
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Episode 26: What is “strategy?” from 2019-01-02T08:15
In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, two members of Big Duck’s strategy team, Laura Fisher an...
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Episode 25: Should your nonprofit podcast? from 2018-12-19T12:00
Chandra Hayslett, Communications Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, sits down to share her experiences launching the podcast, Listen
Episode 24: How can you communicate better with the board? from 2018-12-05T08:45
Craig Shelley, Managing Director of Orr Group, shares how nonprofit leadership and staff can foster str...
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Episode 22: What are the ingredients of great storytelling? from 2018-11-14T15:00
Jenny Dyson, Ruler and Creative Director of Pencil, a creative agency specializing in brand storytelling in the UK, shares her experiences turning content from one conference into a...
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Episode 21: How can communications help development? from 2018-10-31T11:00
Sarah Durham and Farra Trompeter head to Fundraising Day to ask development professionals one question: “What can communications do to support development?” You’ll hear answers at t...
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Episode 19: How can you get your new brand to stick? from 2018-10-10T10:00
In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Ally Dommu, Big Duck’s Director of Strategy, shares the fo...
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Episode 18: Should you fire that lousy board member? from 2018-09-19T12:00
Simone Joyaux, author of “Firing Lousy Board Members,” and organizational management, development, and fundraising expert ...
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Episode 17: How can you facilitate great internal communications? from 2018-09-05T15:00
Liz Ricca, Big Duck’s Managing Director, shares tools and practices that can help facilitate great internal communications. She gives tips on how to use organizational values active...
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Episode 16: Should nonprofits rebrand when overhauling their websites? from 2018-08-22T19:00
Should nonprofits squeeze in a full rebrand when their website needs an update? In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham, CEO of Big Duck, outlines the basi...
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Episode 15: How do you articulate your community’s values? from 2018-08-08T16:00
Cecilia Clarke, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Community Foundation, shares her experiences listening to over 1,000 community members about their vision for Brooklyn, and how tho...
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Episode 14: Can we engage audiences with YouTube Live? from 2018-08-01T10:00
Elianne Ramos, Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs at National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and prior Latino Digital Coalitions Desk for Hillary Clinton...
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Episode 13: Should we digitize our brand guide? from 2018-07-24T16:00
In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast Claire Taylor Hansen, one of Big Duck’s Art Directors, shares digital brand guide trends and best practices in the nonprofit and ...
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Episode 12: What makes a great nonprofit tagline? from 2018-07-11T01:00
Dan Gunderman, Big Duck’s Creative Director, tells all about taglines. Dan defines what taglines are, the function they serve in a nonprofit’s brand, and shares tips for crafting a ...
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Episode 11: How can nonprofit leaders take successful sabbaticals? from 2018-07-03T02:00
Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director of National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, shares her experiences planning for her sabbatical and the unexpected benefits it br...
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Episode 10: What words should you avoid? from 2018-06-27T08:00
Word choices are important! Tune in to learn what words and phrases nonprofit communicators should avoid, gleaned from our popular “Words to Avoid” annual blog, plus tips for making...
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Episode 9: Why is it so hard to raise awareness? from 2018-06-13T08:00
To successfully increase their organization’s visibility through campaigns, nonprofit leaders need to ensure they’re grounded in strategy—with concrete goals, audiences, and actions...
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Episode 8: How are organizational values and personality different? from 2018-05-30T08:00
Organizational values and brand personality are related but very different, and often get confused. We’ll define and differentiate them in this podcast.
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Episode 7: Are events and galas still effective? from 2018-05-16T11:00
Special events and annual galas may no longer be a nonprofit’s best bet for fundraising. Why? The world is changing rapidly—and so are audiences’ expectations. Tune in to learn more...
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Episode 6: How do you get feedback from a working group? from 2018-05-01T17:00
When materials need to be reviewed by working groups, committees, and senior level staff, project managers must master the art of getting consolidated feedback and, in some cases, h...
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Episode 5: How can nonprofits get great photography? from 2018-04-25T15:00
Photography is an excellent way for organizations to show rather than tell. Tune in for tips and insights on how to invest in great photography on a budget.
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Episode 5: How can nonprofits use photography well? from 2018-04-25T13:00
Photography is an excellent way for organizations to show rather than tell. Tune in for tips and insights on how to invest in great photography on a budget.
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Episode 4: How do we communicate without communications staff? from 2018-04-11T12:00
Having a dedicated communications team is out of reach for many nonprofits, but the need to communicate effectively to external audiences is still there. This episode of the Smart C...
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Episode 3: What's the board's role in branding? from 2018-04-02T14:00
Figuring out the right people to have in the rebranding process at the right time is a real struggle. In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Big Duck’s VP, Farra Tromp...
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Episode 2: When is it okay to use jargon? from 2018-04-02T13:45
Generally, we recommend avoiding jargon. But in this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Dan Gunderman, Big Duck’s Creative Director, sits down with Sarah Durham, Big Duck’...
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Episode 1: Welcome to the Smart Communications Podcast! from 2018-04-02T13:30
The Smart Communications Podcast helps busy nonprofit leaders build their communications skills and develop their organization’s voice. Every episode shares insights and practical t...
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