Make the Connection

Communicate early and often. This is key to philanthropic fundraising success and nonprofits need support now more than ever. Organizations need to meet donors where they are, build trust with their supporters, and cultivate strong two-way relationships.

Live events. They provide organizations with the opportunity to have personal interactions with their supporters, which is critical to the success of their mission. In 2021, live events may be scaled back, but they will be back and better than ever.

Brands evolve. Market competition changes, leadership pursues a rebrand, or an unexpected crisis occurs. Brand consistency is vital to remain effective and relevant in every situation—what story are you telling, how are you reaching your audience, and how are you managing your reputation.

Mission should be at the center of your brand. As a company, you decide what you stand for, what you support, and how you will make an impact on your community and beyond. Every company wants to do good, but a steadfast set of values can help you approach the important practice of aligning giving to your business mission.

“I hope the good found you and that the great awaits.” This year may have brought challenges, losses, and uncertainties, but as we wrap up 2020, we are struck with the shining moments of generosity and humanity that created powerful support for so many in need. People have continued to give to the missions they believe in and have proven that optimism truly does exist in philanthropy.

Virtual event trends evolve every day. Technology solutions are creating new opportunities to develop quality content that lives on and engage new supporters for your organization. With the help of the right partners, you can bring your virtual vision to life through strategy, innovation, and implementation.

The 2021 Texas legislative session will undoubtedly be like no other session before. Procedures will be different. Priorities may shift. Legislators, lobbyists, and the like will be exploring and analyzing issues from an entirely new perspective.

The live event industry will recover. It may not look like it did before, but the industry will prevail and event professionals, venues, and organizations will return to doing what they love. We must push forward; we must implement creativity, flexibility and safety to thrive once again.

Mentorship. The time spent investing in employees and mentees—teaching them, learning from them and collaborating with them—is time well spent. Successful people and businesses are built on good relationships. It’s all about creating powerful connections, working hard and creating your own luck.

Your brand. It’s who you are and what you teach others about you. And people want REAL. They want honest, sincere communication and transparency. A brand builds trust through clear and concise messages that are authentic and true to who they are at the core.

Social media is an essential piece of any marketing strategy and allows connection with an audience, increases brand/mission awareness, and elevates visibility for sponsor relationships. If you’re not telling your story, nobody else is.

In today’s market it is even more crucial for nonprofits to share their mission and the work they are doing in a way that is easy to understand and showcases how their influence stands out from the crowd.

Donor cultivation and stewardship. It’s all about listening and showing you care. The fostering of relationships year-round is how you make new friends but keep the old.

Get into politics or out of business. In a digital age where connecting with others has never been easier or more important, politics is not simply about steaks and handshakes anymore.

It’s important to remember that an event is an extension of your brand. Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. Perception is reality, making each decision you make a direct representation of who you are and how you want your brand to be seen.

One thing I’ve learned is that owning a small business is like being on a treadmill, but you can’t turn it off. You can slow it down, speed it up, add or decrease incline but you can’t push stop. If you push stop, then everything stops.

A successful board holds itself accountable to each other first and then lifts and builds the organization. Everyone must row the boat in the same direction and no one person is ever bigger than the nonprofit itself.

It’s a big year for JHL…we turned 15 in May. As our business evolves and expertise grows, I am consistently solicited for meetings for, “just 20 minutes” of advice on any number of subjects. Organization to organization and meeting to meeting, the questions are often the same. How do we build our brand’s reputation of who we are in the community?  How do we strategically integrate public affairs and traditional marketing? How do we build and manage a successful board? How do we make our event memorable and magical? What is the secret to a great auction? I want to help as many people and organizations as possible. I also have bills to pay, clients to focus on and employees who need my leadership. Time is short. The solution? We are creating a conversational podcast series to share best practices and lessons learned over the years to reach a broader audience. Can you teach an old dog new tricks? We will see!