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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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In this episode, I'm thrilled to share my conversation with Farra Trompeter, Co-Director and Worker - Owner at Big Duck. Not only is Farra just delightful to talk to, every time I talk to her it's like a masterclass in strategic brand building. She - and her colleagues at Big Duck - have been the go-to for nonprofit brand building for as long as I can remember. I used to devour their resources when I was an ED, because they helped me come to see my organization's brand as more than just its logo and website. And that's what we're talking about today. We discuss how an effective brand - one that actually serves as a driver of growth and funding and impact - is so much more than your visual aesthetics. It's about how you define and articulate your organization's identity, your impact strategy, and your daily practices. Farra dissects the elements of an effective brand and offers both practical advice for organizations of all budget sizes to enhance their branding efforts and excellent examples of what an effective brand strategy looks like in practice.Enjoy.What Listeners Will Learn:The difference between brand, brand strategy, and branding, and their impact on nonprofits.The nuts and bolts of developing a strong brand identity and strategy that resonates with your target audience.Practical steps small nonprofits can take to improve their branding with limited resources.Key Takeaways:Branding is more than visuals; it's about crafting your organization's identity and perception.A strong brand strategy aligns with the organization's goals and communicates its core values effectively.Consistency in branding helps build recognition and trust among your audience.Small nonprofits can benefit significantly from focusing on clear, strategic branding.Regular brand evaluations can ensure alignment with organizational objectives and audience expectations.Step-by-Step Process:Elevator Pitch Exercise: Engage your team in describing the organization to gauge consistency and clarity in branding.Materials Review: Assess current branding materials (print, digital) for consistency in color, imagery, and messaging.Strategic Review: Revisit the organization's strategy and see how branding can support its goals.Resources Mentioned:Big Duck: A strategic communications firm specializing in nonprofits. They offer services in branding, communications, and fundraising/outreach campaigns. Visit Big DuckBrandraising by Sarah Durham, Big Duck's founder: A book offering insights into nonprofit branding. Find the Book
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.
As Big Duck's Co-Director, Farra ensures that Big Duck is a healthy, thriving company—that we're creating a great work environment, are financially stable, producing work that successfully meets or exceeds client's needs, and that diversity, inclusion, equity, and antiracism are centered in all we do. She directs Big Duck's marketing and business development efforts, seeking to build relationships with nonprofits who want to use communications to achieve their mission.Farra has led dozens of organizations through major brand overhauls, fundraising campaigns, and much more since joining Big Duck in 2007. She's a frequent speaker around the country, training nonprofit staff and board members on branding, communications planning, and engaging donors at all giving levels. Key Takeaways:Organizations often present an outdated or aspirational version of themselves online, which can lead to a disconnect between their digital presence and reality. Seek to understand your primary audience for effective branding and messaging. Create a clear and consistent organizational narrative and equip the entire team with access to this messaging. Organizations may unintentionally confuse their audience by creating campaigns that don't connect to their overall brand or mission.When building or rebuilding a brand, involve people who are outside of your senior staff or board. At the very least, inform the entire staff. Building a brand using the feedback of your community is a powerful way to enhance your connection to your community and the strength of your branding. “If an organization goes through a process, and they say, ‘we intentionally want to be seen this way, felt this way, thought of this way, experienced this way', then it can look at how it's, in fact, expressing that in its visuals, and its messaging and across its channels.” “Nonprofits have lots of audiences including a very passionate and committed staff and board potentially volunteer donor, other participant audience who feels very close to the organization. And that's just an important thing to acknowledge in a branding or communications process.” “Thinking about branding is a chance to build something that really connects to your community so that when you do reintroduce the organization with whatever the updated branding, is it like to your point it feels built by them and shaped by them” - Farra Trompeter Reach out to Farra Trompeter at:Website: https://bigduck.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farra/ Ask for and receive all you want need and deserve without feeling rejected, ineffective, or pushy. Learn to manage your mindset, lead yourself and others more effectively and have the meaningful conversations that drive your most important work. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Book your quickie intro call with Maryanne here! Connect with Maryanne Dersch: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Farra Trompeter of Big Duck Communications joins Amy and Andrea to talk about branding your capital campaign and other important aspects of campaign communications. Learn how to express the power of your campaign so it feels new and special without undermining your regular communications. Listen to these three experts as they explore the power of excellent communication.
Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Marisa DeSalles, founder of Good Tilth LLC, and Michelle Flores Vryn, chief development officer with OneStar, about radical honesty and the power of rooting truth and trust throughout your communications.
Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Brooke Richie-Babbage, founder and CEO of Bending Arc, and the host of The Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast, about what they find meaningful about board service and the benefits of having board members who are passionate and can be cheerleaders, ambassadors, and thought partners.
Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Joan Grangenois-Thomas, principal of JGT Public Relations, about misconceptions surrounding the nonprofit sector and suggestions for shifting perspectives and language about the industry.
Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Michelle Shireen Muri, host of The Ethical Rainmaker podcast, about valuing staff contributions, rethinking audience priorities, the importance of analysis, and ways to communicate in a more inclusive way.
A nonprofit's approach to messaging should strategically advance its mission and engage its staff as brand ambassadors. Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Wayne Ho, president and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council, about the lasting impact of their branding and messaging work.