Good Marketing Unplugged

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... CoorDown takes down assumptions

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... The science behind optimal touchpoints

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... Call out the loss of exclusive membership benefits

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... Peer-to-peer as an acquisition tool

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... A peek into building a trusted nonprofit brand

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... *A guide to digital marketing for nonprofits

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... *Multichannel marketing that drives results

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... *A type of campaign to boost donations

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... A peek into building a trusted nonprofit brand

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... *The role of integrated campaigns in fundraising

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... *Marketers: Get comfortable with the unexpected

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... *Building a durable marketing growth plan

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... *Good Marketing Unplugged: Reaching audiences through targeted campaigns

“You need to be debriefing fast and often. What is working? What is not working? Why? How do we stop doing what's not working, or scale up what is? I think that's both an internal conversation as much as it is valuable to be having with your agencies.”In this episode of Unplugged we're joined by Tobes Kelly, former VP of Digital Fundraising and Marketing at UNICEF and founder of the substack Some Personal News (SPN). Tobes offers guidance on prioritizing retention, cultivating community, and leveraging brand partnerships. You'll walk away with practical advice on balancing acquisition and retention, asking the right strategic questions, and focusing your resources on the right audiences rather than channels alone. This conversation provides a roadmap for sustainable growth through changing times. You don't want to miss it!

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... *Going viral with ALIMA and Nazar Works

“I do always think that there is room to amplify the voices of the people that you serve and center those voices. One great way is to set up focus groups as much as you can to get those ideas and voices. To show them what you've been working on, and what you made before. And then ask them, “What do you think? What are your ideas? If you could make a campaign for this organization? What would you do?””This week in the studio we're joined by Kate Lord, Director of Advocacy and Communications at She's the First. She discusses the innovative Girl Activist Fellowship program launched last year that empowered 30 girls to create and lead four advocacy campaigns for the organization. Kate shares details about the campaigns around poetry, children's books, art shows, and interviews. Tune in for powerful conversation about how to create campaigns with blended outcomes across programs, communities, and donor engagement. You'll hear best practices for designing community-driven campaigns that achieve mission impact at scale through grassroots leadership and partnership. Episode HighlightsKate's journey to the work she is doing today + an overview of She's The First (1:00)Overview of the four campaigns led by Girl Activist Fellows (10:00)Metrics and impact of the poetry social media campaign (16:00)Lessons learned from this year's campaigns (18:30)How this year's unique art show campaign engaged donors and communities (22:00)Learning to expect your communities to propose bolder ideas than you could ever imagine (24:00)Kate's best practices and lessons learned for community-driven campaign design (26:00)About Kate:Kate is a social media strategist, photographer, and videographer based in Carrboro, N.C. From local newspapers to The Wall Street Journal to New York University, her career has taken her all over the globe to tell stories in newsprint, on news websites, and on social media.In 2022, she earned my M.A. in Digital Advocacy and Brand Communication from New York University. She believes that nonprofit organizations can tell stories that lead with their values, preserve the dignity of their communities, and raise money.She serves as the Director of Advocacy & Communications at She's the First, a nonprofit that teams up with grassroots, women-led organizations to ensure that girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard.Kate has shared, “I believe that there is a better, more inclusive way to communicate about our campaigns. It is possible to successfully raise money for a cause while keeping the focus on the needs of local people rather than the needs of donors. We can, as nonprofit communicators, create marketing that doesn't exploit. We can include our clients in the storytelling process from beginning to end. “Guest links:Kate's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelordAdditional links:She's The FirstKate's Website***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://www.feathr.co/).Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

“For us, it was figuring out all the elements of that encounter between ALIMA and the audience to make it more than a scroll through but an actual moment.”Today in the studio, we take a deep dive into the viral "Breath for All" campaign created by nonprofit ALIMA in partnership with Nazar Works. Neda Azarfar, Founder of Nazar Works, and ALIMA USA's executive director Charlie Kunzer share their unique paths to working in the nonprofit sector and discuss their chance meeting that led to this groundbreaking collaboration. Listen in as they explain how thorough audience research informed the development of a viral campaign focused not only on awareness, but on creating an engaging experience. ALIMA was able to bring the global issue of lack of medical oxygen access closer to home. Tune in to learn how understanding your audience at a cultural level can result in a message that resonates and inspires action on a massive scale.

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ...Good Marketing Unplugged: Building a trusted nonprofit brand with UNICEF USA

“I think that many look for only the positive, right? What data is really going to amplify us? And of course you want that, but I think it's also important to perhaps spotlight data that shows the gap. Because in the gap, there might be some gray space where you might be able to really leverage and to tell a story that's fresh and new.”Camille Currie, VP of Marketing and Communications at NAF, joins us this week in the studio to discuss her career journey and how she's applying lessons from sports marketing to the nonprofit space today. NAF segments their audiences into 6 key groups, and Camille shares their strategies around storytelling and targeting campaigns to uniquely engage each with their mission. You'll hear how NAF analyzes their data to uncover new stories and highlights their focus on activating alumni networks. This conversation offers valuable best practices for nonprofit marketers on community engagement, audience segmentation, and leveraging data to strengthen marketing efforts and mission impact. Can't wait for you to hear it

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ...Featured itemDigital ad campaigns to fuel year-end growthSnackable snippetsHow Stop Soldier Suicide optimizes the donor journey with data

“Does everyone in your organization speak about, understand, and behave in a way that aligns with your mission? Because without that, there's no authenticity, and authenticity leads to trust. And you have to put that lens on everything.”Today we have Shelley Diamond, Chief Marketing Officer of UNICEF USA, in the studio to discuss the organization's approach to building a trusted nonprofit brand. Shelley gives us an insider's look at the balancing act of staying true to your mission while keeping the brand relevant and impactful. Throughout the conversation, Shelley emphasizes the role of marketing in driving both impact and growth through mission-driven storytelling, innovation, and authentic engagement with communities. Tune in for insights on developing brand trust and retaining relevance that can be applied to nonprofit marketing strategies of all sizes.

“We separated each of the ways that we're serving clients, as well as the way that we're fundraising into individual products. We're obviously well synced together as a team, but I really liked the way that we've been able to spread out each of those. And though we understand they work together, and it's all a part of again that master donor attorney, we've treated each of these with the attention to care that they individually need.”This episode of Unplugged features Cameron Bartlett, VP of Performance Marketing at Stop Soldier Suicide. You'll hear insights into Stop Soldier Suicide's marketing approach and Cameron's experience applying digital marketing strategies from high-growth companies to innovative nonprofits.Cameron shares how Stop Soldier Suicide has separated their fundraising channels into distinct "products" to optimize each individually, their success with Facebook fundraisers, and best practices for measuring marketing performance holistically across channels, as well as the importance of testing and experimentation. This convo offers nonprofit marketers practical advice on optimizing the donor journey with data and mobilizing supporter networks. You don't want to miss it

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ...A peek inside charity: water's marketing growth

“The marketing that you're doing is going to induce so much other giving. When we do marketing campaigns that are focused on fundraising we often see volunteerism increase, or we see food donations increase, and we see new community connections that arise.”This week we have Katie Adkins, Director of Communications at the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, in the studio. Katie shares her journey from working in higher education communications to finding her calling at the food bank. She discusses the food bank's innovative new food distribution model and the capital campaign to fund their new facility. Katie also provides insights into how the food bank runs multifaceted marketing campaigns, leveraging segmentation, digital and traditional channels. She offers tips on community building, measuring holistic impact, and overcoming challenges of competing initiatives. Nonprofit marketers will walk away with practical lessons on driving engagement and fundraising success from Katie's experiences. You don't want to miss it!Episode HighlightsKatie's career journey from higher ed communications to the food bank (1:00)Running integrated, multichannel campaigns like their Score Against Hunger initiative (6:30)Details of the food bank's capital campaign for their new facility (9:00)Leveraging segmentation for different audiences and initiatives (16:00)Balancing capital campaign fundraising with general operations support (16:00)Complimentary Direct Mail x Digital Strategies (16:30)Holistic metrics for measuring marketing impact beyond digital analytics (28:00)Community building through digital and in-person engagement (31:00)About Katie and The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri: Katie is a passionate communications professional with experience in higher education and the business sector, and is currently the Director of Communication at The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri. The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri is a regional disaster and hunger relief network that acquires and distributes millions of pounds of food annually to partner agencies across a 32-county area.As a member of Feeding America, The Food Bank is able to work with manufacturers, wholesalers, processors, growers, retailers and restaurants to secure donations and food at reduced costs.The Food Bank partners with more than 145 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other agencies to ensure food gets into the hands of those who need it most. The Food Bank also works with nearly 200 schools to help students receive nutritious food. They provide food at no charge to our partners, which means hunger-relief organizations across our service area can afford to operate.Guest links:Katie's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katlynn-adkins-300455a5 Additional links:WebsiteFacebookInstagram***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://www.feathr.co/).Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ...EOY December plan by week and channel

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ...Centering communications around equity

Courtney Bugler, President and CEO of ZERO Prostate Cancer, joins us in the studio to dive into how to create greater synergy between development and marketing within our organizations. In her former role at Piedmont Park Conservancy, she served as the Chief Development and Marketing Officer and has a unique perspective to speak on forming synergy between marketing and fundraising departments.She says, “Marketing and fundraising are ultimately the same thing. They're relationship building and storytelling. They just do it in different ways.”Courtney talks specifically through strategies that she's putting in place to increase productivity, efficiency, and revenue. But at the heart of all her plans are a deep commitment to the best for her team and her community. You don't want to miss this one!Bio:Courtney is the President and CEO of PZERO Prostate Cancer. She is a strategic and visionary nonprofit leader able to successfully bring organizational change, drive new partnerships, solve complex business development challenges, and manage key relationships to generate long-term growth. She's also a national thought leader on peer to peer fundraising with extensive experience in a 360 degree development shop. Her work combines expert strategic planning and business planning competencies with consistent success in achieving objectives, creating programs, leading employees, and consistently delivering strong and sustainable financial results. Guest links:Courtney's LinkedIn profile***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... Why should nonprofits focus on brand experience during EOY?How does media play a role in branding, and how can nonprofits combat the rising costs of media?What's the attention economy, and what useful info can be found in the recent study with Jonah Berger, Marketing Professor at Wharton, UPenn?Barbie, Netflix, and TikTok — what does any of this have to do with EOY fundraising?Read and subscribe to the Good Marketing Brief newsletter

“In our work, it is also about how do we scale empathy in this moment? And especially right now. What is the story that we can tell that brings folks along? We really begin at a human centered approach and community centered approach. What is the story that they want us to tell?”This week's episode of Good Marketing Unplugged is all about community-centered communications! Jazmin Chavez, VP of Innovation, Equity and Communications at Hispanics in Philanthropy, joins us in the studio to discuss how to use storytelling, digital strategies and inclusive design to further your mission (and scale empathy!). She shares how each step of her journey has shaped her understanding of using digital tools in narrative building and community organization. Tune in for inspiration on how to effectively mobilize communities, measure impact, and center equity and inclusion in your marketing and communications.Episode HighlightsJazmin's background and journey from law school to a career in communications (1:00)An overview of Hispanics in Philanthropy's mission (7:00)How Hispanics in Philanthropy uses digital strategy, communications and storytelling to further their work (11:00)A highlight on HIP's COVID relief fund that raised over $2 million for communities across the US and Mexico, with a hyperlocal volunteer strategy and digital trainings for organizations (13:00)Jazmin's for measuring impact beyond just impressions and engagement metrics (20:00)How HIP stays innovative in its digital marketing approaches in a fast changing world (24:00)Jazmin's tips for mobilizing community to help expand communities (28:00)The importance of centering equity, inclusion and communities in marketing and communications efforts (35:00)About Jazmin:A lawyer by trade, Jazmin brings over 11 years of experience in online strategy for nonprofits, social justice campaigns, online fundraising, & campaign analytics. With 14+ years experience in community organizing, advocacy, and strategic outreach in underrepresented communities, she has utilized communications and legal theory to examine new tactics for digital mobilization and movement building, using social media platforms and narrative power analysis as it relates to Latino outreach strategies. As the former Deputy Director of Public Technology and Digital Strategy for Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the New York City Council, Jazmin focused on access, inclusion, and innovation across platforms to advance the Speaker and Council's work.Born in Juarez, Mexico but raised in Denver, and a former DREAMer, Jazmin remains committed to fighting for immigrant rights across the country and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Lideres Board of LatinoJustice PRLDEF and a board member of Rural and Migrant Ministry, an organization that advocates for the rights of farmworkers in New York state. Jazmin holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Most importantly, Jazmin is a proud mama and loves being married to her best friend and partner in crime.Guest links:Jazmin's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jazminchavez/Additional links:HIP's WebsiteInstagramLinkedInYouTube***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://www.feathr.co/).Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

In this week's Good Marketing Brief, Nhu and Noah discuss ... How can nonprofits compete with EOY distractions?Using CRM data to increase year-end givingGood Marketing Unplugged with Cindee Starkie of Starlight Children's FoundationWhat do RMNs have to do with nonprofits?Uncharitable: Reframing the nonprofit overhead narrativeRead and subscribe to the Good Marketing Brief newsletter

Marketing is about making the best decisions you can with the information you have in hand. This is why marketing teams have to be comfortable, “building the plane while flying it.” Organizations change and grow, and because of this, marketers have to be ready to adapt and iterate. The best plans allow for and welcome the unexpected.Robb Lee, CMO for ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, talks through strategies for involving marketing in larger organizational decision making. He said, “That's where the advantage of marketing can come in. We know all the data… And we can apply this to a business decision… This is a pathway into those upstream conversations, whether you're invited or not.”Bio:As a CMO, Robb solves one primary mystery for association CEOs — how to create revenue that keeps on giving.Capturing market share is about one ‘simply complex' idea: creating and sustaining brand loyalty. When we deliver value better than anyone else and communicate that value through the right channels and in the right ways, people will be compelled to invest — and reinvest — in their professional future. With us.Guest links:Robb's LinkedIn profileASAE: The Center for Association LeadershipOther links:Feathr Flight School***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.

“Our best job as nonprofit marketers is understanding there's a world full of people who are looking to make a difference. They just need to know how and where. And so our job is to connect them with the how and the where.”This episode of Good Marketing Unplugged features Cindee Starkie, VP of Marketing and Communications at Starlight Children's Foundation. Cindee discusses Starlight's focus on outcome-based storytelling and how simplifying their messaging led to a 50% increase in website conversions. (mic drop!) We explore their shared, earned, paid, and owned channels and how to leverage them collectively for maximum impact. If you're looking for the emerging trends around digital marketing, this episode is for you. Episode HighlightsMarketing and communications strategies at Starlight Children's Foundation (2:30)Storytelling and donor engagement in non-profit marketing (13:00)Nonprofit marketing trends, AI, and donor alignment (16:00)Shared, earned, paid and owned channels + how to leverage them collectively for maximum impact (23:00)About Cindee:For more than 20 years, Cindee Starkie has been a strategic professional in the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Currently serving as the Vice President of Marketing & Communications for Starlight Children's Foundation, Cindee leads a marketing team to create strategic positioning through storytelling. With experience in corporate development, marketing and communications, Cindee has a proven track record of engaging donors and advocates to fuel brand growth and awareness.Guest links:Cindee's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindeestarkieAdditional links:Starlight Children's Foundation***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://www.feathr.co/).Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

Delivered weekly, the Good Marketing Brief is a guide for the purposeful (that's you!) doing marketing for good. Each week Nhu Te and Noah Barnett are in the Feathr studio to unpack this week's insights and share commentary on the curated content.This week, Nhu and Noah talk about #GivingTuesday ... here's the brief:049: Your strategic blueprint for Giving Tuesday"Who's the new person??"^ Fair question ... I'm Nhu

“What would it look like if I made more decisions and better decisions through more data, and even more importantly, better data?”Tim Lockie, founder of The Human Stack is in the studio today! Noah sits down with Tim to discuss making better decisions through data and digital transformation. Tune in as Tim shares his journey from nonprofit work to founding The Human Stack after seeing how few organizations truly use data to make decisions. He breaks down the difference between having data and using data to make decisions. Tim also introduces the concepts of the "Human Stack" and levels of digital maturity. Noah and Tim discuss how to evaluate where your organization is at in making data-informed decisions. They explore the importance of belonging in technology adoption and moving people along the spectrum from resistant to resilient users. This thought-provoking conversation provides practical tips for leaders looking to improve data use and digital transformation with a human-centered approach.Episode HighlightsUsing data to make decisions in marketing (5:00)Data-informed decision-making and evaluating data trust (9:00)Creating a “human stack” for effective team performance (15:00)Digital maturity and technology adoption (19:00)Technology adoption and organizational culture (26:00)About Tim:Tim has 20 years of organization experience as a volunteer, youth worker, camp counselor, music instructor, foster parent, getaway driver for teens in danger, board member, finance director, bookkeeper, recruiter, and community administrator…the list goes on.He has seen system deficiencies range from missed opportunities to damaged relationships in these capacities. Tim believes that Digital Transformation is affordable and scalable with nonprofits of all sizes and is obsessed with The Human Stack. You can hear more from him and his co-host Tracy Kronzak on the Why IT Matters podcast. Guest links:Tim's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlockieAdditional links:The Human StackFREE Nonprofit Digital Health Quiz***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://www.feathr.co/).Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

“So how can we bring all of these together to have a solid message with a brand over a longer time span and get out of these silos and bubbles to work together?”In the studio today we have Jen Newmeyer, the digital fundraising director at PBS. Noah and Jen discussed Jen's career journey in digital fundraising over the past two decades, and how digital fundraising has changed and stayed the same over time. Tune in to hear Jen's insights on concepts like the growth funnel, collaboration across departments, acquisition versus retention strategies, and practical ways to integrate different fundraising channels like direct mail and email. You'll leave this conversation with practical strategies and lessons learned that you can apply to your own organizations and campaigns, today.Episode HighlightsThe evolution of digital fundraising and its impact on nonprofits (3:00)Digital campaign case studies from Jen's career (16:00)Year-end fundraising campaign strategies (21:00)Collaboration across different departments (28:00)Integrated digital campaigns (32:00)About Jen:Jen Newmeyer, aka CharityJen, is a digital fundraising strategist specializing in integrated campaigns and digital engagement. Through her groundbreaking work and creative approaches during her 20+ year tenure, she's raised over $10 million in online revenue while managing multimillion-dollar development budgets. Jen is the author of "The Insider's Guide to Online Fundraising: Finding Success When Surrounded by Skeptics," and host of the podcast, "From the Nest with CharityJen: Where Fundraising Takes Flight." Learn more at www.charityjen.com.Guest links:Jen's Website: https://www.charityjen.com/ Jen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennewmeyer Additional links:Jen's Newsletter Jen's Podcast: From the NestDigital Fundraising GuideGrowth Funnel GuideHouse Cleaning Guide***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://www.feathr.co/).Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

"That employee giving campaign created an internal movement. And that movement then started to ripple."In this episode, Jon and Becky share their unique journeys from graphic design and marketing into the world of nonprofit fundraising and philanthropy. They discuss how their experiences led them to view themselves as "marketers disguised as fundraisers." We explore how breaking down silos between marketing, fundraising and other roles can amplify organizational impact, and how marketing can mobilize movements for your cause. This episode is an ode to the power of marketing in connecting people, building movements, and making believers of us all.Episode Highlights-Case Study: Employee Giving Campaign (9:40)-Authentic Marketing (17:00)-Building Movements around our Causes (27:00)-The Power of Community in Marketing (46:00)About Jon and Becky:Jon McCoy and Becky Endicott are the co-founders of We Are For Good and co-hosts of the top-ranked We Are For Good Podcast.We Are For Good is a new media ecosystem for the social impact sector, and is on a path to impact more than 1 million change-makers by 2025. They gather a community around shared values, connect + amplify creators by using the power of media to storytell, teach + activate around our vision of an Impact Uprising.The We Are For Good Podcast, with more than 450 episodes, has featured interviews with inspiring change-makers, best-selling authors + disruptive thought leaders including Seth Godin, Dan Pallotta, Vik & Scott Harrison, Nancy Brinker and so many more. Today We Are For Good is recognized by ListenNotes as one of the top 1% of all podcasts internationally. With more than 500,000+ downloads - and more than 20,000 monthly listeners.Guest links:Jon's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanpmccoy Becky's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-endicott/ Additional links:We Are For Good***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://www.feathr.co/).Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

"You've gotta take a pause for a second and make sure your foundation is solid before you start stacking things on top of it!" In this episode, our guest Nicole Rodriguez stresses the importance of learning to pause and calibrate your work with the goals you're working toward. She also shares insight on the value of taking the time to learn to do something the right way from the start.Bio:Nicole Rodriguez is a people-loving marketing professional who has worked in just about every industry and marketing role. She has found her place in the association space, thriving in roles on small, scrappy teams. Currently a marketing team of one, Nicole is responsible for everything marketing and communications; from brand management to promotion of her organization's programs and events. Nicole enjoys mission-driven work, spending time with her family, and volunteering in her community. When not wearing her marketing hat, she's wearing a hard hat—currently restoring a 1957 home in South Florida.Guest Links:Nicole's Linkedin profile: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmerod/)American Epilepsy Society: (https://www.aesnet.org/)Additional Links:State of Nonprofit Marketing report: (https://www.feathr.co/nonprofit-marketing-statistics)Playlist:Now That We Found Love by Heavy DThe King of Wishful Thinking by Go WestAnything by the Backstreet Boys***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://www.feathr.co/).Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.

Hydrocephalus isn't as widely-known as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, although about one million Americans live with a diagnosis. And because of this, sharing the stories of those who live every day with the condition makes what was once invisible, visible.Amanda Garzon is the COO of the Hydrocephalus Association. The work of sharing people's stories, connecting the community, and advancing research is close to her heart. Amanda received the diagnosis for her daughter after spending their first 90 days together in the hospital. For Amanda, her strategies about expanding reach and engagement center around empowering and serving her community. But she also believes that there are things to learn from the for-profit world. She said, “We have to think like a for-profit because we are selling this incredibly valuable service, for free! So even though we aren't measuring our profit margins, we are selling ourselves. And it is priceless what we are selling.” Bio:As the Chief Operations Officer, Amanda is responsible for developing and implementing operations strategies that allow the Hydrocephalus Association (HA) to meet its strategic goals and vision. She works in partnership with the CEO and management team to find innovative ways to grow revenue that support the diverse research and patient-focused programs of the association. She oversees the development and oversight of education and advocacy initiatives, patient-centered support services as well as the management and implementation of an aggressive communications and marketing strategy. Amanda's passion for the mission of the association stem from a personal connection to the condition as the mother of an adult daughter with hydrocephalus. In her spare time Amanda enjoys being a mom of two wonderful daughters, yoga, evenings with good friends and food, and leading her high school daughter's Girl Scout troop.Guest links:Amanda's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-garzon-646b408/ Hydrocephalus Association: https://www.hydroassoc.org/ Additional links:SickKids: https://www.sickkids.ca/ Michael J. Fox Foundation: https://www.michaeljfox.org/ Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: https://www.cff.org/ Parkinson's Foundation: https://www.parkinson.org/ Advocate like a Mother: https://www.advocatelikeamother.org/ Playlist:Live Like We're Dying by Kris Allen1979 by The Smashing PumpkinsPeace by O.A.R***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.

What have you learned from recent initiatives?Noah sat down with Brady Josephson, marketing & growth lead at one of the strongest nonprofit brands around: charity: water. Brady talked through struggles and successes he's experienced and expanded the idea of what it means to be a nonprofit brand. He also breaks down ways charity: water is testing new ideas and gives advice for how every organization should be learning from their current initiatives.---------------Bio:Brady helps lead Marketing & Growth at charity: water — a nonprofit focused on ending the global water crisis in our lifetime — where he and his team are responsible for growing the consumer audience with a focus on their subscription-giving program, The Spring. Guest links:Brady's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradyjosephsoncharity: water: charitywater.orgPlaylist:Make You Feel My Love by Bob DylanNo Diggity by BlackstreetAmazing Grace by John NewtonFrom Brady: “Those are my 'shower songs' so I gotta have em. I'm not sure what it says about me... I like a lot of things? I'm pretty open? I have no distinct taste in music? I love people, I'm fun, and my faith is important? I dunno... I may need a therapist to help me unpack this…"***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.coFeathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.

We're back! Season 3 of the podcast is officially launching next Tuesday, September 19th

"You've gotta take a pause for a second and make sure your foundation is solid before you start stacking things on top of it!" In this episode, our guest Nicole Rodriguez stresses the importance of learning to pause and calibrate your work with the goals you're working toward. She also shares insight on the value of taking the time to learn to do something the right way from the start.Bio:Nicole Rodriguez is a people-loving marketing professional who has worked in just about every industry and marketing role. She has found her place in the association space, thriving in roles on small, scrappy teams. Currently a marketing team of one, Nicole is responsible for everything marketing and communications; from brand management to promotion of her organization's programs and events. Nicole enjoys mission-driven work, spending time with her family, and volunteering in her community. When not wearing her marketing hat, she's wearing a hard hat—currently restoring a 1957 home in South Florida.Guest Links:Nicole's Linkedin profileAmerican Epilepsy SocietyAdditional Links:State of Nonprofit Marketing reportPlaylist:Now That We Found Love by Heavy DThe King of Wishful Thinking by Go WestAnything by the Backstreet Boys***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, The Good Podcast Co, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

This week we're mixing things up. Recorded LIVE during this year's AFP ICON, Jon McCoy and Becky Endicott from We are for Good are in the driver's seat, asking our weekly host, Noah Barnett, about key findings from the recently released State of Nonprofit Marketing report.The report is 24 pages full of statistics and insights built directly off responses from over 400 marketers, fundraisers, leaders, and experts in the nonprofit and association sectors. One of the biggest takeaways: marketing and fundraising aren't just line items — they have the unique opportunity of making an impact on an entire organization's health. From program to supporter impact, when marketers put the Good back into their marketing, communities win.Guest links:We are for Good Jon's LinkedIn profile Becky's LinkedIn profile Noah's LinkedIn profileAdditional links:The State of Nonprofit Marketing reportThe Good Marketing FrameworkFeathr***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, The Good Podcast Co, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

Hydrocephalus isn't as widely-known as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, although about one million Americans live with a diagnosis. And because of this, sharing the stories of those who live every day with the condition makes what was once invisible, visible.Amanda Garzon is the COO of the Hydrocephalus Association. The work of sharing people's stories, connecting the community, and advancing research is close to her heart. Amanda received the diagnosis for her daughter after spending their first 90 days together in the hospital. For Amanda, her strategies about expanding reach and engagement center around empowering and serving her community. But she also believes that there are things to learn from the for-profit world. She said, “We have to think like a for-profit because we are selling this incredibly valuable service, for free! So even though we aren't measuring our profit margins, we are selling ourselves. And it is priceless what we are selling.” Bio:As the Chief Operations Officer, Amanda is responsible for developing and implementing operations strategies that allow the Hydrocephalus Association (HA) to meet its strategic goals and vision. She works in partnership with the CEO and management team to find innovative ways to grow revenue that support the diverse research and patient-focused programs of the association. She oversees the development and oversight of education and advocacy initiatives, patient-centered support services as well as the management and implementation of an aggressive communications and marketing strategy. Amanda's passion for the mission of the association stem from a personal connection to the condition as the mother of an adult daughter with hydrocephalus. In her spare time Amanda enjoys being a mom of two wonderful daughters, yoga, evenings with good friends and food, and leading her high school daughter's Girl Scout troop.Guest links:Amanda's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-garzon-646b408/ Hydrocephalus Association: https://www.hydroassoc.org/ Additional links:SickKids: https://www.sickkids.ca/ Michael J. Fox Foundation: https://www.michaeljfox.org/ Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: https://www.cff.org/ Parkinson's Foundation: https://www.parkinson.org/ Advocate like a Mother: https://www.advocatelikeamother.org/ Playlist:Live Like We're Dying by Kris Allen1979 by The Smashing PumpkinsPeace by O.A.R***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, The Good Podcast Co, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

Limited time and budgets too often keep nonprofits and associations from the marketing success they're aiming for. This is why AI has become such a hot topic. Unlocking AI could fundamentally change the way teams work and boost productivity and results.But what are smart ways of using AI and what's taking a good thing too far?Nicole Leffer is a CMO AI advisor who empowers teams with skills and strategies for effectively leveraging AI. And Tim Lockie is the CEO of The Human Stack, a company dedicated to making tech easier for humans to use.Together they joined the Feathr team and talked about their unique perspectives on AI, but they also dove into practical tips like how to optimize prompts within ChatGPT and what projects are a better fit for people at the moment. Nicole's bio:Nicole collaborates with tech CEOs, CMOs, VPs, and other senior marketing leaders to empower their marketing teams and organizations with cutting-edge AI marketing skills and strategies essential for success in 2023 and beyond. She is passionate about helping companies harness the power of AI to stay competitive and thrive in today's fast-paced business landscape.Tim's bio:Tim is the CEO of The Human Stack.Call it what you want — user experience, adoption, change management, digital transformation, digital maturity, data literacy, digital culture but the next big thing is Human-centered tech.This is a movement: human-centric, tech-savvy, and shame-free. It's for busy executives who crave change, and for fundraisers who want to create meaningful donor experiences. It's for those who are tired of watching money and resources drain away when organizations adopt tech without investing in user education.Guest links:Nicole's LinkedIn profileTim's LinkedIn profileAdditional links:Nicole's websiteThe Human Stack***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, The Good Podcast Co, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

Courtney Bugler, Piedmont Park Conservancy's chief development and marketing officer, is in a unique position to speak on forming synergy between marketing and fundraising departments. She says, “Marketing and fundraising are ultimately the same thing. They're relationship building and storytelling. They just do it in different ways.”At her organization, everyone from programs to finance understands the role marketing plays in making an impact. Part of this clarity comes from having a powerful mission statement: “Our job is to create and form relationships with people to help them take the next step in supporting our mission.” Courtney talks specifically through strategies that she's putting in place to increase productivity, efficiency, and revenue. But at the heart of all her plans are a deep commitment to the best for her team and her community.Bio:Courtney is the chief development & marketing officer at Piedmont Park Conservancy in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a strategic and visionary nonprofit leader able to successfully bring organizational change, drive new partnerships, solve complex business development challenges, and manage key relationships to generate long-term growth. She's also a national thought leader on peer to peer fundraising with extensive experience in a 360 degree development shop. Her work combines expert strategic planning and business planning competencies with consistent success in achieving objectives, creating programs, leading employees, and consistently delivering strong and sustainable financial results. Guest links:Courtney's LinkedIn profilePiedmont Park ConservancyPlaylist:Girl On Fire by Alicia KeysBoogie Shoes by KC and the Sunshine BandNessun Dorma by Giacomo Puccini***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, The Good Podcast Co, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

Marketing is about making the best decisions you can with the information you have in hand. This is why marketing teams have to be comfortable, “building the plane while flying it.” Organizations change and grow, and because of this, marketers have to be ready to adapt and iterate. The best plans allow for and welcome the unexpected.Robb Lee, CMO for ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, talks through strategies for involving marketing in larger organizational decision making. He said, “That's where the advantage of marketing can come in. We know all the data… And we can apply this to a business decision… This is a pathway into those upstream conversations, whether you're invited or not.”Bio:As a CMO, Robb solves one primary mystery for association CEOs — how to create revenue that keeps on giving.Capturing market share is about one ‘simply complex' idea: creating and sustaining brand loyalty. When we deliver value better than anyone else and communicate that value through the right channels and in the right ways, people will be compelled to invest — and reinvest — in their professional future. With us.Guest links:Robb's LinkedIn profileASAE: The Center for Association LeadershipOther links:Feathr Flight School***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, The Good Podcast Co, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

We mixed things up this week and had a studio full of fellow feathren (what we call our colleagues here at Feathr). Ariana Aragon is the director of Services and Talia Pate is on the same team as their team and operations lead. They have unique insights gained from managing Feathr's many partnerships with nonprofits, seeing first hand what works and what doesn't.Testing is at the heart of good marketing, and questioning the assumptions organizations have about their audiences allows them to better understand and engage with those people.Ariana said, “You don't have to get it right or perfect the first time. You can test those assumptions and really identify who this online donor audience is and what type of messages we want to try to reach these people with.”Ariana's bio:As Senior Director of Services at Feathr, Ariana oversees the Services department at Feathr, growing the team to 40+ full-time employees that have successfully fulfilled over 10,000+ marketing campaigns. With a background in digital advertising, publishing, performance, and entrepreneurship, Ariana geeks out about the role of storytelling to build meaningful connections. Whether she's directing a team, developing a marketing plan, or curating a performance, Ariana loves to bring a creative vision to life. When she's not helping nonprofits grow, she's messily cooking, planning themed parties, reading Mary Oliver, dancing, kayaking the wetlands of Florida, backpacking across mountains, and rapping Hamilton lyrics.Talia's bio:Energetic activator with a passion for people and performance.I believe the customer experience and journey is the #1 most important piece of SaaS success — and totally geek out about human-centered design. I love creating customized & creative strategies to increase the branding, membership, advocacy, donor acquisition, & E-commerce efforts of non-profits worldwide.Guest links:Ariana's LinkedIn profileTalia's LinkedIn profileAdditional links:Open Doors Canada case studyPlaylists:Ariana's Mix:When a Fire Starts To Burn by Disclosure Across the Universe by The Beatles Kanou by Fatoumata Diawara Talia's Mix:Blue Monday by New OrderShoop by Salt-N-Pepa Mother by Danzig***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, The Good Podcast Co, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

Stories are pure gold, but they have to be molded with results and recipients in mind to truly shine. Julia Campbell is a master storyteller and host of the podcast Nonprofit Nation. And she wants to equip nonprofits to tell better stories because, “Stories raise more money, more awareness, more reach and engagement than any other form of content.”Julia has faced resistance from organizations for wanting to tell impact stories because they immediately think of sick puppies and locked-up kittens. But the objective of a story — and something statistics and reporting just can't do — is to foster empathy, not sympathy. Stories have the unique ability to connect people through their shared humanity. And telling compelling stories is essential for nonprofits that want to engage on a deeper level with their communities.Bio:Named as a top thought leader and one to follow by Forbes and LinkedIn for Nonprofits, Julia Campbell is a nonprofit digital consultant, speaker, and author on a mission to make the digital world a better place. Host of the acclaimed Nonprofit Nation podcast, she's written two books for nonprofits on social media and storytelling, and her online courses, webinars, and talks have helped hundreds of nonprofits make the shift to digital thinking.Guest links:Nonprofit Nation podcastJulia's websiteAdditional links:Feathr's Good Marketing FrameworkZoe for PresidentPlaylist:Freedom! ‘90 by George MichaelTelephone (feat. Beyoncé) by Lady GagaTilted by Christine and the Queens Explaining her song selections, Julia says, “I love pop music, having fun, and getting a catchy tune stuck in my head!”***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.co.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.Special thanks to our producer, The Good Podcast Co, and to Feathr's very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.

At Feathr, we believe that Marketing is Good. And one thing that makes Good marketing so Good is the quality of the people doing the work. We were so lucky to have some of the most incredible people sit in the Feathr studio over the last 12 episodes. And I've personally learned so much from tuning into these conversations.The Nonprofit Marketing Unplugged team includes me, William Henry, the content marketing manager here, Emily Purvis, the marketing designer, and your favorite weekly host, Noah Barnett, our VP of marketing. We had a hard time covering all the amazing conversations this season, but here are a few of our biggest takeaways:Serving your community is at the heart of Good marketing, and nearly every guest offered practical insights for how they meaningfully engage with their audiences. At the heart of service is humility, and this same humility has led our guests on journeys of listening and learning. By testing and trying new things, and listening closely to your community's input, nonprofit marketers can better engage with their audiences and together make the world a better place.Guest links:Noah's LinkedIn profileWilliam's LinkedIn profileEmily's LinkedIn profileAdditional links:The Inflight BriefingFlight SchoolPlaylists:Emily's Playlist:Hello In There by John PrineRed House by Jimi HendrixAnxiety by Megan Thee StallionWilliam's Playlist:A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam CookeUntitled #8 by Sigur RosMr. Tambourine Man by Bob DylanAnd check out episode 11 to see Noah's playlist!***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.co.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.

Taking risks and standing up for what you believe in pays off. Marketing isn't about creating a position that's popular or easy to digest. It's about understanding the moment and sharing your values in a powerful and compelling way.Kia Croom lived through generational poverty, and she won't allow her experiences to be silenced. She believes strongly that her experiences are a critical part of the dialogue that will push nonprofits forward. Talking about diversity, she believe it's a moral issue, but it affects everything in the organization; “If you look at it purely from a business case, it's like watching your favorite basketball game or football game, and you've got this rich talent that's on the bench that never gets an opportunity to get off the bench and make a play.”Kia believes that if these people are given the opportunity, they're going to hit home runs, and her life is a testament to that conviction. Bio:Kia Croom is an experienced fund development executive with over 20 years of experience. To date she's raised nearly half a billion dollars for nonprofits of all sizes nationwide in a variety of cause areas including STEM, housing and homelessness, youth development, education, HIV/AIDS, and more. She's worked in a host of development functions including but not limited to major gifts, grant writing, creative messaging, content writing, digital marketing, and her favorite — brokering high-impact corporate strategic partnerships.Kia is incredibly passionate about racial and philanthropic justice in philanthropy and interested in working with agencies committed to addressing anti-black racism specifically by uplifting, strengthening, and supporting Black-led nonprofit organizations.Guest links:Kia's LinkedIn profileThe Black Fundraiser's PodcastKia Croom Fundraising & DevelopmentAdditional links:Million Dollar Consulting***Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr.co.Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.