The Smart Communications Podcast

Episode 51: Who is your Director of Second Impressions?

November 20th, 2019  |  13 mins 29 secs

communications, donors, nonprofit, second impressions

Sarah Durham and Farra Trompeter talk about the importance of second impressions to keep clients coming back.

Episode 50: What skills are most important on your in-house creative team

November 8th, 2019  |  16 mins 18 secs

communications, creative team, in-house

Sarah Durham and Claire Taylor Hansen explain how consistency, production, breadth, and the right experience can make your creative team flourish.

Episode 49: How can your communications team apply inclusive branding?

November 7th, 2019  |  17 mins 37 secs

Big Duck’s Farra Trompeter and communications professional Christ Tuttle talk inclusive branding. Listen in now.

Episode 48: How can you design when you’re not a designer?

November 6th, 2019  |  15 mins 50 secs

designer, nonprofit, nonprofit communications, nonprofit designer

How to design like a designer when you’re not. Sarah Durham and Claire Taylor Hansen tell us how design can affect your brand, your clients, and your impact.

Episode 47: Should your nonprofit be worried about GDPR and online privacy?

October 23rd, 2019  |  15 mins 22 secs

nonprofit, nonprofit communications, nonprofit privacy, privacy

As online privacy has become an increasingly important topic, how should your organization manage data? Hear the ins and outs of GDPR, how to be honest with your donors and clients, and more.

Episode 46: How do you involve your community when rebranding?

October 9th, 2019  |  23 mins 50 secs

marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

Elisabeth King of Lycée Français de New York successfully involved over 2,000 people in her nonprofit’s rebrand. Learn how and get tips for making your organization’s change process more inclusive.

Episode 45: How can your staff co-create your brand?

September 25th, 2019  |  12 mins 46 secs

marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

Ambar Mentor-Truppa, VP of Communications, shares her experiences listening to and uplifting the voices of all staff during the Shriver Center on Poverty Law’s rebranding process.

Episode 44: How should you work with freelancers?

September 11th, 2019  |  15 mins 22 secs

marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

If you need to professionally write or design a communications piece in a pinch, a freelancer may be your nonprofit’s best bet. Learn where to find freelancers, how to vet them, and manage their work.

Episode 43: How do you let your community speak for you?

August 28th, 2019  |  14 mins 9 secs

marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

Michael Hoffman, CEO and founder of Gather Voices, shares a new tool that collects community-made video for nonprofits to use to create engaging, diverse content.

Episode 42: How do you use the media for advocacy?

August 14th, 2019  |  12 mins 2 secs

marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

If your nonprofit’s mission is to change structures, behaviors, or beliefs, the media can be a powerful tool. Vince Warren of The Center for Constitutional Rights talks through his experiences.

Episode 41: How can interviews help you get better insights?

July 31st, 2019  |  21 mins 2 secs

marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

Laura Fisher, Big Duck’s Senior Strategist, shares how qualitative research can help you understand your target audiences better.

Episode 40: How can you be a better writer?

July 17th, 2019  |  21 mins 13 secs

marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

Everyone thinks they’re a writer—and a great one at that. Dan Gunderman, expert writer and Big Duck’s former Creative Director shares what it takes to write well.

Episode 39: How can you get your team to stop fighting like cats and dogs?

July 3rd, 2019  |  20 mins 11 secs

marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

Your communications and development teams don’t have to fight like cats and dogs. Hear our tips for collaboration in this podcast episode.

Episode 38: Can chatbots improve donor experiences?

June 19th, 2019  |  19 mins 8 secs

marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

Alice Hendricks, CEO of Jackson River, explains how nonprofits can harness technology to personalize communications and donor experiences.

Episode 37: Are your internal communications values-driven?

June 5th, 2019  |  18 mins 48 secs

marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

Elizabeth Toledo, President of Camino Group and crisis communications expert, talks internal communications challenges, values-driven workplaces, and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and more.

Episode 36: Do you need a capital campaign consultant?

May 22nd, 2019  |  12 mins 44 secs

capital campaigns, marketing, nonprofit, nonprofit branding, nonprofit communications

If you want to learn how to do something, you google it. Could capital campaigns be DIY too? Andrea Kihlstedt and Amy Eisenstein discuss disrupting capital campaigns with their new online toolkit.