The Smart Communications Podcast

Follow The Smart Communications Podcast
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

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.

Big Duck


    • May 29, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 18m AVG DURATION
    • 186 EPISODES

    5 from 62 ratings Listeners of The Smart Communications Podcast that love the show mention: communications, nonprofit, helpful, insightful.


    Ivy Insights

    The Smart Communications Podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to make a positive impact on the world. Whether you are an established catalyst for change or just starting out, host Sarah does an incredible job leading conversations that cover a wide range of topics related to building a thriving nonprofit and life you can be proud of. With guests who have actually walked the path, this podcast is highly recommended for those seeking inspiration and practical advice.

    One of the best aspects of The Smart Communications Podcast is the breadth of topics covered. From nonprofit branding and communications strategy to fundraising and internal communications, there is something for everyone in the nonprofit sector. The variety of voices represented in the episodes adds depth and richness to the discussions, allowing listeners to gain different perspectives and insights. The guests are experienced leaders in their fields, providing valuable knowledge and expertise.

    Another standout aspect of this podcast is its focus on communication. It delves into how individuals, teams, organizations, and the public can communicate better with each other for improved results. This exploration of effective communication strategies is immensely valuable for nonprofit professionals who rely on strong communication skills to drive their work forward.

    As with any podcast, there may be some drawbacks. One potential downside is that while the podcast covers a wide range of topics, it may not go into great depth on each one. Listeners looking for more detailed discussions or step-by-step guides may need to seek additional resources. However, as a weekly source of inspiration and insight, The Smart Communications Podcast strikes a good balance between breadth and depth.

    In conclusion, The Smart Communications Podcast provides valuable content for those involved in the nonprofit sector seeking to make a difference in the world. With its diverse range of topics and expert guests, it offers practical advice and inspiration for building thriving nonprofits and lives to be proud of. Whether you are well-established or just starting out as a catalyst for change, this podcast is worth listening to and subscribing to stay informed and motivated on your journey.



    Search for episodes from The Smart Communications Podcast with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from The Smart Communications Podcast

    Episode 187: How can you shape your AI brand footprint?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 18:32


    How does AI perceive your nonprofit brand? Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by George Weiner, founder and chief whaler at Whole Whale, to explore “AI brand footprints” and how to proactively shape your visibility in tools like ChatGPT and Google's AI search. They explore how traditional SEO is shifting and what you can do to revisit your content strategy.

    Episode 186: How should your nonprofit approach crisis communications?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 22:49


    When a crisis emerges, how should your nonprofit respond? Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Joanna Brody, founder and president of Brody PR, to explore how nonprofits can prepare and navigate crises with strategy, empathy, and impact.

    Episode 185: How can you approach AI with an equity lens?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 25:07


    Are you curious about using AI without compromising your values? In this episode, Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Meena Das, founder of Namaste Data, to unpack findings from the AI Equity Project and offer practical advice for nonprofits navigating this evolving technology.

    Episode 184: Should your organization consider a merger?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 24:00


    What happens when two mission-aligned nonprofits decide to merge? Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Idealist's founder and executive director, Ami Dar, about their recent merger with VolunteerMatch—and what other orgs can learn from it.

    Episode 183: How can you break free from being busy?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 30:05


    Are you constantly busy but never feel accomplished? Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Kishshana Palmer, author, discuss Kishshana's book, Busy Is a Four-Letter Word: A Guide to Achieving More by Doing Less, what it means to work smarter, not harder, and offer practical insights for how personal development is professional development

    Episode 182: How can you build resilient nonprofit organizations and teams?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 18:50


    Resilience isn't just a buzzword—it's essential for nonprofit success. Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Peter Heller, founder of Heller Fundraising Group, explore what it means when staff are resilient and supported, and how leaders can support their teams, adapt to change, and fundraise for a strong future.

    Episode 181: How do we foster healthy group participation?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 16:16


    Healthy participation is a process not an outcome. How do we create spaces where everyone feels valued and engaged? Sarita Joseph, director of accounts, and Josh Kelley, senior account manager, explore the importance of this topic and share practical tips to enhance collaboration, inclusivity, and effectiveness in nonprofit settings.

    Episode 180: Is it time to reboot your communications strategy?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2025 22:11


    Is it time to reboot your nonprofit's communications strategy? In this episode, Kivi Leroux Miller, founder and CEO of the Nonprofit Marketing Guide, and Farra Trompeter, co-director, discuss the latest nonprofit communications trends, the need to focus, evolve, and reflect on approaches, challenges staff face, and why nonprofits may need to reboot their communication strategy.

    Episode 179: How can a language guide help your nonprofit?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 17:30


    Language shapes how nonprofits connect, engage, and drive impact. Ally Dommu, director of service development, and Ryan Gerhard, copy director, explore why a language guide is helpful, how it differs from a brand guide, and the steps needed to create one.

    Episode 178: How can values strengthen your organization?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 19:14


    Is it the right moment to update your organization's values? Brenda Perez, Senior Account Manager, and Claire Taylor Hansen, co-director, explore how values can unify teams and organizations, guiding both internal culture and external communication. They share tips to create meaningful values that reflect your mission and spark alignment, whether you're in a nonprofit, worker-owned cooperative, or other organization with shared beliefs.

    Episode 177: How can you engage your community with campaigns?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 20:18


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Nicholas Bruneau, communications consultant and author of Engage with Impact. Together, they explore how nonprofits can use the AGILE framework to create effective campaigns, deepen community engagement, and drive real-world change. They share actionable tips for nonprofits to foster collaboration, and turn social media followers into active partners.

    Episode 176: How do you plan and communicate about leaving an organization?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 22:57


    Is succession and continuity planning a standard practice in your organization? Farra Trompeter, co-director, joins Sarah Durham, founder of Big Duck, to explore why it's smart for executive directors and senior leaders to plan their eventual departures. They discuss the key factors that influence decisions to leave, strategies for communicating exit plans effectively, and how to approach thoughtful, phased succession planning that ensures organizational stability.

    Episode 175: Should the media be an audience for your brand?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2024 21:43


    Media coverage can expand a nonprofit's reach, but with limited resources, it can be hard to know where to invest. In this conversation, Ally Dommu, director of service development, and Michelle Behar, senior strategist, explore practical tips for nonprofits to evaluate if media outreach is worth the investment and share strategies on building relationships with journalists, measuring impact, and more.

    Episode 174: How can nonprofit leaders build strong organizations?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2024 15:59


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by David Rhode to discuss his book, Passion Isn't Enough: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Leaders. They explore strategies and actionable steps that executive directors, CEOs, senior staff, and board members can take to strengthen and grow their organizations.

    Episode 173: How can you use AI for strategic communications?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2024 22:06


    How is artificial intelligence reshaping the nonprofit landscape? Alexandra M. Merceron, executive vice president at RUBENSTEIN, joins Farra Trompeter, co-director, to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on nonprofits. They discuss emerging themes, risks, ethical concerns, how to navigate AI's challenges, available safeguards, and three key implications AI has on nonprofit communications.

    Episode 172: EP172 What is the role of fundraisers in creating social change?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2024 20:14


    What lessons do fundraisers need to learn and unlearn? Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Mari Eva Mendes, chief development officer at LEAP and founder and principal of MEM Consulting, to discuss the role of fundraisers and the need to challenge problematic practices. They also explore how to partner with donors to honor their investments and ensure that their resources are contributing to systemic change.

    Episode 171: How can you start treating donors as partners?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024 15:09


    Fundraising can involve communicating to people with wealth or power with uneven dynamics. Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Emily Bishop Runeari, founder of EBR Consulting, about how to shift conversations with donors to a more partnership-oriented approach, and ways you can educate groups of prospects and donors.

    Episode 170: How can you conduct marketing and fundraising ethically?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 33:42


    Doing fundraising and communications work more mindfully requires us to move at a slower pace, ask multiple people for feedback, and truly listen to what's being shared. Farra Trompeter, Co-Director, is joined by Karen Lundgard, Interim Chief Executive Officer for Girl Scouts of Greater New York, Lindsey Cosgrove, Chief of Staff at Greenwich House, and Sasha Prado, CFRE, Senior Manager of Major Gifts at Robin Hood, to chat about their work with Girl Scouts of Greater New York's Troop 6000. They share tools and processes to address problematic language and images in marketing and fundraising contexts.

    Episode 169: How can you plan an inclusive and welcoming project?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2024 28:39


    Integrating inclusive practices into your projects leads to better outcomes. Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by account managers Josh Kelley, and Brenda Perez to discuss how to create stronger and welcoming projects from the outset. They share insights on ways to keep engagement and offer strategies for measuring success through an inclusive perspective.

    Episode 168: How can framing inform your strategy?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2024 30:19


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Dr. Nat Kendall-Taylor, CEO, and Carinne Wheedan, director of communications, at the FrameWorks Institute, to discuss how framing can inform a nonprofit's communications strategy. They share practical ways that organizations can effectively apply framing to their messaging or campaigns and provide general tips for those in the mission-driven sector.

    Episode 167: How do you activate change in a network?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2024 24:36


    Join Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Stacy Van Gorp, PhD, partner-owner at See What I Mean Consulting, as they discuss how change comes about in a network, how good communications is essential to creating change, and activation moments, tools, and activities related to communications that you can integrate into your everyday work.

    Episode 166: How did DEI go wrong and what can we do now?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2024 23:52


    DEI work is about building bridges across differences. Join Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Minal Bopaiah, founder of Brevity + Wit, as they discuss the state of DEI four years after the murder of George Floyd and share tips for how organizations can build a strong internal culture that advances DEI efforts on an ongoing basis.

    Episode 165: How can my nonprofit benefit from launching a podcast?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 18:05


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Marcus dePaula, audio engineer, podcast producer, and consultant, as they explore what an organization needs to launch a podcast as a part of its nonprofit communications strategy. They discuss factors organizations should consider before starting a podcast series and tips for how to manage podcasts once you get started.

    Episode 164: How can you design and facilitate incredible workshops?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2024 16:08


    Join Ally Dommu, Director of Service Development, and Dr. Myriam Hadnes, facilitator, and founder of Workshops Work, as they discuss the power and importance of facilitation. Discover steps facilitators can take to harness benefits and create respectful and inclusive spaces.

    Episode 163: When and how should you share branding work in development?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024 16:58


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Sarita Joseph, director of accounts, to discuss sharing nonprofit branding concepts and what questions to ask before inviting others to view and provide feedback on branding work in progress. Get tips on what to avoid and what to emphasize.

    Episode 162: What is the smallest viable audience for nonprofits?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2024 18:48


    Join Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Michelle Flores Vryn, CFRE, head of development at iNaturalist, as they discuss how to prioritize audiences and share examples of how being more limited in your approach to audiences ties to branding and communications.

    Episode 161: How can you challenge the power and practices of philanthropy?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024 19:17


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Lisa Pilar Cowan, vice president of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, about the concepts of trust-based philanthropy, new ways some funders are working with nonprofits for more authentic relationships, and the connection between the community's role and the donor's role in guiding an organization.

    Episode 160: Why does your website need a content strategy?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2024 15:38


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Natalie Yelton, content strategist at Kanopi Studios, to delve into content strategy and how to create an engaging nonprofit website. They share key performance indicators to use while writing new content for your site and insights on how to lead with accessibility.

    Episode 159: How can you better position your organization for funding?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2024 19:52


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Sheleia Phillips, founder and principal consultant of SMP Nonprofit Consulting, to talk about how to better position your organization to secure funding. Hear examples of nonprofits that have better positioned themselves to receive funding and find out what the shift looked like that led to their success.

    Episode 158: How can staff take care of themselves while changing the world?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2024 28:29


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Meico Marquette Whitlock, founder and CEO of Mindful Techie, about mindfulness in the workplace and offers tips that nonprofit leaders can apply to cultivate care and resilience among their teams.

    Episode 157: How can you raise awareness and build trust?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2024 24:57


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, sits down with Derrick Feldmann, managing director of Ad Council Research Institute and Ad Council Edge, who shares tips for nonprofit staff who are looking to connect awareness and action, to reach people who are hard to reach, and who want to equip trusted messengers to be amplifiers of their mission.

    Episode 156: How can we have courageous conversations?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2024 21:24


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Nneka Allen, Camila Pereira, and Nicole Salmon, co-editors of Collecting Courage: Joy, Pain, Freedom, Love, a collection of lived experiences written by 15 accomplished Black North American fundraisers in the United States and Canada, to discuss how nonprofit staff can push for more honest, kind, clear, and direct conversations with their colleagues.

    Episode 155: What are the latest nonprofit communications trends?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2024 20:02


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Kivi Leroux Miller, founder and CEO of the Nonprofit Marketing Guide, about the latest nonprofit communications trends, including hot topics like AI, brand archetypes, and the structure of communications teams.

    ceo ai marketing nonprofits farra trompeter kivi leroux miller
    Episode 154: How can you deliver the right message to the right audience?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2024 18:48


    What is most important, the message, the channel, or the mindset of the audience you are trying to reach? Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Ryan Gerhardt, copy director, discuss how we think about segmentation and messaging, the differences between organizational and persuasive messaging, and more.

    Episode 153: How should you approach audience research?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 22:25


    Effective research begins with clear objectives and choosing methods aligned with your audience to answer key questions. Farra Trompeter, co-director, sits down with senior strategist, Menaka Chandurkar, to talk about the benefits research provides to in-house communications teams and how research connects to issues of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA).

    idea audience research farra trompeter
    Episode 152: How do you get messaging to take hold within your organization?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2024 21:47


    Join Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Jennifer R. Hudson, president of Think Beyond Public Relations, as they discuss how nonprofit staff can create messaging that gets people to engage with that organization's mission. Together they discuss important frameworks on developing messages that bring in perspectives of all stakeholders and offer tips about training others and operationalizing core values.

    Episode 151: Why and how are nonprofits diversifying their donors?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2023 25:22


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Funmilayo Brown, founder and CEO of Layo Philanthropic Partners chat about redefining philanthropy for people of color and how nonprofits can effectively use communications to attract and engage their donors.

    Episode 150: How can you navigate the highs and lows of the naming journey?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2023 22:58


    Farra Trompeter and Liz Ricca, co-directors, explore the emotional nuances of changing a nonprofit's name and break down six highs and lows of the journey.

    Episode 149: How can you bring accessibility and inclusion into your communications?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2023 22:45


    Farra Trompeter is joined by Kerry Thompson, senior advisor for inclusion and accessibility at the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund, to discuss the significance of incorporating accessibility and inclusion in your nonprofit communications and sheds light on how she is designing DRF's internal processes, policies, and practices to serve as an example for other organizations.

    Episode 148: What do nonprofits need to know about AI and data science?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2023 20:38


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Dr. Ashutosh Nandeshwar, senior vice president of data science and analytics at CCS Fundraising to talk about how nonprofits should approach AI, various use cases, and practical tips that nonprofits can use to determine how it can work for your organization.

    Episode 147: How do you hire for a strong communications team?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 23:06


    How do you hire for a strong communications team? Co-directors, Farra Trompeter and Elizabeth Ricca zoom out and talk about communications in general, why nonprofits are investing more now in how they structure their communications teams, and talk through four questions to guide your next communications hire.

    Episode 146: What's your next move on social media?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2023 22:50


    What's your next move on social media? Farra Trompeter is joined by Julia Campbell, author, speaker, and host of the Nonprofit Nation Podcast, who shares four pillars of social media management as well as three insightful questions to help your nonprofit effectively leverage digital storytelling.

    Episode 145: How should you approach GivingTuesday?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2023 27:55


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Abby Jarvis, Senior Content Marketing Manager from Neon One discuss the history, the challenges, and the opportunities of GivingTuesday as a global generosity movement.

    Episode 144: How can communications help you recruit and engage board members?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2023 30:37


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Rob Acton, founder and CEO, and Erin Pierson, director of strategic growth, from Cause Strategy Partners to discuss how to engage board members in marketing and communications from recruitment through board service to alumni status.

    ceo engage nonprofits board members recruit farra trompeter cause strategy partners
    Episode 143: How can you manage change?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2023 22:50


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, sits down with Mara Mintz, consultant, and account lead, and Caitlin Corda, head of marketing, brand, and business development, from Blue Beyond Consulting to discuss the importance of change management for nonprofits, especially those going through branding, major campaigns, or strategic planning.

    Episode 142: What and who is a major donor?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2023 23:50


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Alyssa Wright, founder and principal of Wright Collective, about what and who is a major donor and encourages organizations to have deeper conversations with donors about the diverse ways they contribute to nonprofit missions.

    Episode 141: How can your nonprofit staff maximize LinkedIn?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2023 22:36


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, welcomes Tania Bhattacharyya, founder of Lumos Marketing, to discuss maximizing LinkedIn for nonprofit staff and the power of personal branding. Get tips for how your organization can use LinkedIn more strategically, including the importance of sharing compelling stories on LinkedIn.

    nonprofits maximize farra trompeter
    Episode 140: How can you create true partnerships with sponsors?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2023 23:30


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Mariah Monique, founder, and CEO of The Sponsorship Catalyst, discuss the importance of building true partnerships with sponsors and offer pointers on how sponsorships can be a game changer for nonprofits.

    Episode 139: How can you create messaging and communications that reflect the principles of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2023 16:35


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, delves into the topic of creating messaging and communications that embody justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) principles with Vanessa Wakeman, founder, and CEO of The Wakeman Agency.

    Episode 138: How should new communications directors approach their role?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2023 23:32


    Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Ally Dommu, director of service development, share insights and strategies for those starting or looking to refresh their approach to leading communications at their nonprofit. Whether you're onboarding a new communications director or seeking a fresh perspective, this episode offers valuable insights for all.

    director nonprofits farra trompeter
    Episode 137: What can branding really do for your org?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2023 19:40


    Farra Trompeter, co–director, chats with Vince Warren, executive director at the Center for Constitutional Rights, about their branding journey and what outcomes they achieved by shifting how they expressed their mission more robustly through new visuals and messaging.

    Claim The Smart Communications Podcast

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel