The Smart Communications Podcast - podcast cover

The Smart Communications Podcast

Big Duckbigducknyc.com
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.

Episodes

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

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.

Mar 20, 202425 min

Episode 156: How can we have courageous conversations?

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.

Mar 06, 202421 min

Episode 155: What are the latest nonprofit communications trends?

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.

Feb 21, 202420 min

Episode 154: How can you deliver the right message to the right audience?

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.

Feb 07, 202419 min

Episode 153: How should you approach audience research?

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).

Jan 24, 202422 min

Episode 152: How do you get messaging to take hold within your organization?

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.

Jan 10, 202422 min

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

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.

Nov 22, 202323 min

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

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.

Nov 08, 202321 min

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

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.

Oct 25, 202323 min

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

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.

Oct 11, 202323 min

Episode 145: How should you approach GivingTuesday?

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.

Sep 27, 202328 min

Episode 143: How can you manage change?

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.

Aug 16, 202323 min

Episode 142: What and who is a major donor?

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.

Aug 02, 202324 min

Episode 141: How can your nonprofit staff maximize LinkedIn?

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.

Jul 19, 202323 min

Episode 140: How can you create true partnerships with sponsors?

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.

Jul 05, 202324 min

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

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.

Jun 07, 202324 min

Episode 137: What can branding really do for your org?

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.

May 24, 202320 min

Episode 136: How can we bring radical honesty to communications?

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.

May 10, 202329 min

Episode 135: What does it actually mean to show up as a "good" board member?

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.

Apr 26, 202325 min

Episode 134: Does the nonprofit sector need to rebrand itself?

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.

Apr 12, 202315 min

Episode 133: How can you center community in your communications?

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.

Mar 29, 202334 min

Episode 132: What can messaging do for your organization?

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.

Mar 15, 202319 min

Episode 131: What are the latest nonprofit communications trends?

A nonprofit’s approach to communications should strategically advance its mission. Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Kivi Leroux Miller, founder and CEO of Nonprofit Marketing Guide, about ways to refine your team’s communications initiatives

Mar 01, 202319 min

Episode 130: How should you evolve your approach to digital marketing?

Does your digital marketing strategies and tactics stall, get stuck, or succeed? Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Geraldine Zamora, account director at Community Boost discuss approaches for you to efficiently ramp up your online advertising, search engine optimization, and more.

Feb 15, 202317 min

Episode 128: How can you stop the spread of so many sub-brands?

Do the sub-brands of your nonprofit reflect your brand strategy and help you engage audiences, or do they cause confusion and limit participation? Join co-director, Farra Trompeter, and creative director, Claire Taylor Hansen, as they discuss how to use sub-brands strategically.

Jan 18, 202322 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast