Podcast appearances and mentions of peter panepento

This is a story about invisible infrastructure—the kind you only notice when it's gone. Peter Panepento started his career covering planning board meetings for a weekly newspaper in upstate New York, watching in real time as the binding agents of community life dissolved. Now he runs a communications agency working with community foundations, institutions that have operated in nearly every American community for over a hundred years but remain mysterious to most people. The puzzle he's trying to solve: How do you create recognition for something designed to fade into the background?Panepento's solution was counterintuitive. Instead of emphasizing how different each of the 900 community foundations is, he found the common thread: they all "Make More Possible." It's a template simple enough to be universal but flexible enough to contain multitudes. His team also conducted the first field-wide benchmarking survey of community foundation communications and found something troubling—93% lack adequate budgets, half expect resources to decrease, and most have no crisis plans. At the exact moment when clear communication has become existentially important, the people responsible for it are being asked to do more with less.Peter joins Carrie this week to explore two models of community-building that work precisely because they're ordinary. The Chicago Community Trust hosts "On the Table"—thousands of simultaneous conversations over meals where neighbors discuss what matters. The Black Belt Community Foundation in Selma, Alabama, has moved over $100 million in 20 years by giving actual grant-making power to local volunteers in each county. They were practicing trust-based philanthropy before anyone coined the term. These aren't flashy programs—they're deliberately low-tech interventions designed to restore something simple: the habit of looking your neighbors in the eye and finding common ground.The broader lesson isn't really about community foundations at all. It's about the challenge of making essential infrastructure visible. Whether it's local journalism, public health systems, or civic institutions, the things that hold society together tend to be the things we notice only when they break. We're living through what might be called the great unbundling of American civic life—the institutions that once created shared spaces have either disappeared or fragmented into a thousand digital pieces. Community foundations are one of the few remaining institutions with the potential to be what Panepento calls "community conveners." But they can only play that role if people know they exist.Links & NotesTurn Two Communications & First-Ever Communications Benchmarking SurveyFind your local community foundationChicago Community Trust - On the Table initiativeBlack Belt Community Foundation, Selma, Alabama (00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward (01:59) - Introducing Peter Panapento (05:39) - The Role of the Community Foundation (12:07) - "Make More Possible" (15:01) - Survey Results (27:09) - A Community Foundation in Action _____This episode is supported by The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread. At their Frank Lloyd Wright–designed campus, Wingspread brings leaders and communities together to turn dialogue into action. Learn more at johnsonfdn.org or wingspread.com.This episode is also brought to you by Positively Partners. When HR starts to slow down your mission, it's time for a better solution. Positively HR is the fully outsourced HR partner that understands nonprofits—and acts like part of your team. Learn more at PositivelyPartners.org.

Community foundations have long been the quiet force behind local philanthropy, but how can they step into the spotlight and inspire action on a national scale? In this episode I sit down with Peter Panepento, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Turn Two Communications and Elyse Hammett, Vice President, Marketing and Communications at Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta to discuss the groundbreaking Make More Possible campaign—an effort to create a true national brand for community foundations.Peter shares insights on how social good organizations can align their messaging with their mission and values to better connect with audiences. He also dives into the power of strategic storytelling and why today's donors need a fresh, engaging approach to philanthropy. If you're looking for ways to amplify your nonprofit's message and make a greater impact, this conversation is a must-listen.Key Takeaways:The role of community foundations in strengthening local and national philanthropy.How the Make More Possible campaign is changing the narrative around community foundations.Why storytelling is crucial in engaging modern donors and inspiring action.Strategies for aligning your organization's messaging with mission and values.How nonprofits can elevate their visibility and influence through effective communication.Resources and Links:For more information on Turn Two Communications the agency behind the campaign: https://www.turn-two.co/For more details on the Community Foundation Awareness Initiative and the “Make More Possible” campaign, visit MakeMorePossible.org.For more information on the Greater Atlanta Community Foundation: https://cfgreateratlanta.org/Take my free masterclass: 3 Must-Have Elements of Social Media Content that Converts

How can you ensure your stories reach the right audience and have a good impact? Understanding the four pillars of digital communications is a great way to start. We speak with expert Peter Panepento about these factors and also about the upcoming trends in digital communications to look out for in 2020.

Host Peter woolfolk interviews nonprofit PR expert Peter Panepento on internal matters they should consider before hiring a PR firm, then what to look for in a potential firm before selecting one. Podcast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV71euL8Y-c&t=14s --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/peter-c-woolfolk/message

“If you are not on social media, participating in conversations, your voice is absent as a nonprofit.” Peter Panepento, Philanthropic Practice Leader at Turn Two Communications joins Alexander Haas President and CEO, David King to share tips for strengthening donor relationships and generating awareness via social media, the press and other media outlets on this edition of Futures in Fundraising.

Tony’s guests this week: Peter Panepento & Antionette Kerr, co-authors of the new book, “Modern Media Relations for Nonprofits.”   There’s more at tonymartignetti.com 

Digital strategist Peter Panepento shares the findings, some surprising, of his recent survey on how fundraisers are mixing and matching from the growing menu of tools to reach donors.