The Smart Communications Podcast

The Smart Communications Podcast is a useful resource for all nonprofit leaders looking to boost their communications chops on the go.

About the show

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.

The Smart Communications Podcast on social media

Episodes

  • Episode 87: Should you go with fixed fee or time-and-materials for that project?

    May 19th, 2021  |  17 mins 16 secs
    nonprofit, nonprofit communications, project management

    Budget's always an issue— but how do you decide whether to do a project on a fixed fee or time-and-materials basis? Sarah Durham explores the pros and cons of both options and recommends when to use each.

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    Episode 86: Is your website secure and flexible?

    May 5th, 2021  |  17 mins 42 secs
    nonprofit, technology

    Dave Hansen-Lange, Advomatic's Director of Technical Strategy, joins Sarah to explain what open source is, why security updates matter, and how to keep your site evolving with your nonprofit.

  • Episode 85: Is it strategic?

    April 21st, 2021  |  21 mins 29 secs
    nonprofit, nonprofit communications

    Sarah Durham and Laura Fisher define goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics, and where and when to pressure test an idea.

  • Episode 84: What norms should you challenge and disrupt?

    April 8th, 2021  |  17 mins 39 secs
    nonprofit, nonprofit communications

    Sarah Durham and Hannah Thomas discuss thoughtful disruption and whose voice is centered in the work we do.

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    Episode 83: Where is the community in your communications?

    March 24th, 2021  |  24 mins 22 secs
    nonprofit, nonprofit communications

    In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham talks with Michelle Shireen Muri about the importance of centering your community in fundraising and communications.

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    Episode 82: How do you center your community as you do research?

    March 10th, 2021  |  22 mins 26 secs
    equity, nonprofit, research

    In this podcast, Sarah Durham chats with Seema Shah, PhD, founder and principal of COMM|VEDA Consulting about the intersection between research and equity, and equity-focused research.

  • Episode 81: How can you facilitate meetings better

    February 24th, 2021  |  10 mins 37 secs
    facilitation, nonprofit

    Get tips on how to facilitate meetings better and why facilitation is so important in work and your personal life in this podcast.

  • Episode 80: How does strategic planning impact communications?

    February 10th, 2021  |  13 mins 51 secs

    How does strategic planning impact communications? Listen to this podcast to learn about developing communications in connection to a bigger organizational vision.

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    Episode 79: How do we communicate without communications staff?

    January 27th, 2021  |  14 mins 19 secs
    nonprofit, nonprofit communications

    Sarah Durham speaks with Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese American Planning Council, about how he manages without a communications staff in this re-run of one of our most popular podcasts.

  • Episode 78: Marketing versus communications: what's the difference?

    January 13th, 2021  |  22 mins 31 secs
    communications, marketing, nonprofit

    Should marketing and communications be separate departments? Sarah Durham sits down with marketing and communications expert Samantha Campbell to examine the difference.

  • Episode 77: How can your values help during challenging times?

    December 16th, 2020  |  20 mins 24 secs
    nonprofit, values

    These are uncertain times for nonprofits. Join Sarah Durham and NTEN's CEO, Amy Sample-Ward, for a conversation about how NTEN uses their values to communicate tough news, pivot when things change, and more.

  • Episode 76: How do you convert crisis donors into regular givers?

    December 9th, 2020  |  22 mins 54 secs
    donors, nonprofit

    Sarah Durham and Farra Trompeter chat about the best ways to engage first-time donors who responded during a moment of crisis and transform them into regular givers.

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    Episode 75: Do robots make bad fundraisers?

    November 25th, 2020  |  18 mins 20 secs
    fundraising, nonprofit

    Do robots make bad fundraisers? This episode of the Smart Communications Podcast examines ways to apply time-tested principles of philanthropy to the modern technology available to fundraisers- while keeping it human and effective.

  • Episode 74: What tagline works??

    November 11th, 2020  |  17 mins 11 secs
    branding, nonprofit

    A good tagline can inspire you to think, feel, maybe even react. This episode breaks down the three structures to follow that can strengthen your organization’s brand strategy.

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    Episode 73: How do you tackle a daunting project?

    October 28th, 2020  |  11 mins 42 secs
    nonprofit, project management

    How do you tackle a daunting project? This episode of the Smart Communications Podcast offers a roadmap for how you can approach big initiatives and tips on how to get started.

  • Episode 72: What is strategy? A refresher.

    October 14th, 2020  |  13 mins 17 secs
    nonprofit, nonprofit strategy

    This rerun of the Smart Communications podcast offers useful insights to help you get a sense of the terms: goals, objectives, strategy, and tactics from a nonprofit communications perspective.