Despite the "non-profit" nature of the work most of us do, we cannot do any of that work without money and JP Moery and Patty Leeman of The Moery Company join us on Through the Noise to talk about the ways they help organizations generate revenue. Over the past seven years, The Moery Company has worked with organizations across the DC area to increase their operating budgets through strategic planning in the membership, sponsorship, and exhibitor programs. Why should someone pay to join your org...
Jul 03, 2017•38 min
Blake and Ernesto are joined by two women from the National Communication Association. Jenna Sauber represents the organization as their Media Relations & Public Outreach Manager and Dr. Paaige K. Turner who joined the National Communication Association about six weeks ago as their Executive Director after three decades in communications academia. NCA is more of a "scholarly society" than a standard trade organization and their 7,000 members across the field study the ways that people commun...
Jun 29, 2017•54 min
We're pleased to welcome Jeff Lenard of NACS, the National Association of Convenience Stores, to the show today. NACS mission is in their tagline, "Advancing Convenience & Fuel Retailing," and they represent convenience stores and their operators -- comprising fully 4% of the GDP! There are nearly 155,000 convenience stores across the United States serving 160 million people each day and NACS strives to help them become more effective and efficient so that you and everyone else can get back ...
Jun 26, 2017•46 min
Today we step back into the charity realm of our nonprofits but our guest "Dad in Chief," David Simpson of All Our Kids says that their organization is not a charity as much as a family. With their regular 28 people Thursday night dinners, it does seem like more of a family than a charity and we'll dive into what it means to approach an organization in that nontraditional way. They offer food, shelter, mentoring and help kids become the kids they need to be. They've been incorporated for a year ...
Jun 22, 2017•44 min
If the intro surprises you, stick with us -- we're welcoming Ken Jaques and Julie Johnson from the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) -- one of the podcast clients of Human Factor Media. They're now up to their 65th show with 7000 listeners! CIPE works to encourage democracy with the aim of making the countries safe for private businesses. The organization is currently working on 100 projects in 50 countries and strives to collaborate with and amplify other groups working towards...
Jun 19, 2017•45 min
Emily Bardach is the Executive Director of Women in Government Relations and we were lucky to get her on the show today between some of the 200 events her organization coordinates every year for their 1200 members. They work to advance and empower women who work with the government and to encourage more women to become involved. Join us for this conversation as Emily, Blake, and Ernesto delve into some of the issues facing micro organizations that are experiencing growth. Emily Bardach has manag...
Jun 15, 2017•37 min
Today we're pleased to welcome Mark Frieden, President of Crossbow Strategies to the show to give us some pointers. Don't worry, we haven't changed our focus -- Crossbow Strategies is not what it sounds like. We're still here for the nonprofits and associations and Mark Frieden is too. His company Crossbow Strategies helps for- and non-profit companies adopt strategies and policies to operate more sustainably. Instead of focusing simply on the profit (which most of you don't anyway!), he works w...
Jun 12, 2017•49 min
Our listeners are certainly familiar with the Peace Corps and the National Peace Corps Association is effectively the alumni association for all Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Our guest today is David Fields with the NPCA who serves as their "Social Entrepreneur in Residence" -- bringing new ideas and models to nonprofits. There's nearly 225,000 returned Peace Corps volunteers with experience working with tough problems in often difficult circumstances and he helps bridge the gap between their...
Jun 08, 2017•33 min
We're happy to welcome Christopher Crooks, a principal with Cresa which is a global real estate firm with a tenant-only focus. Mr. Crooks has been with the firm for over two decades and has recently launched a program within the company to help veterans get into real estate. Additionally, he's founded a nonprofit organization to further that same goal of helping vets into the real estate practice. Real Estate Careers for the Armed Forces (REC4AF) is the nonprofit that furthers his commitment to ...
Jun 05, 2017•42 min
Ernesto and Blake are reunited! Blake has been away preparing podcasts for some nonprofit clients (yep... you do need one too), but he's back to welcome Michael Johnson to the show. President and CEO of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, Johnson is in the association world because it's the best way to help industries cut "through the noise" (ding ding ding!) with policy makers. This informative conversation delves into the decrepit state of infrastructure in the United States and t...
Jun 01, 2017•54 min
David Lusk, Founder, and CEO of Key Advocacy joins Ernesto on the show to talk about how he helps nonprofits and associations become more effective advocates. Planning a lobbying day on the Hill? Try to bring your members and not just your professional lobbying staff. Hearing directly from constituents (the ones who can vote them out of office) is the most effective. Don't miss this episode to grab some more insights from a professional who has been helping organizations advocate for themselves ...
May 29, 2017•32 min
Today we're excited to welcome back a guest from the early days of the show -- Jim Starr of America's Charities. When we had him on the show previously, he was serving as the COO & Chief Business Development Officer but he's recently been put in charge of everything and now runs the show as the President and CEO. America's Charities is kind of like a fundraising agent for nonprofits. They help nonprofits raise money through coordinated workplace giving campaigns. Since people are more likely...
May 25, 2017•53 min
Your friendly association podcast Through the Noise won an award! As part of the Trending 40 series honoring people making a difference in the Washington, DC region. Ernesto and Blake were recognized as Association and Nonprofit Innovators and so we invited Douglas Anderson, CEO of DCA Live that runs the program to speak with us on the show today. With decades of experience in media and events planning, Douglas has been using his skills working behind the scenes to elevate those who have been in...
May 22, 2017•32 min
Blake is back! Ernesto and Blake are together in the studio again and recently won a "Trending 40" award for businesses contributing to the Washington, DC area and that's how they originally connected with today's guest -- Nicole Araujo, Director of Business Development for BrightKey. BrightKey is a company that makes other companies (and associations) look good by taking care of some of the more mundane aspects of running an organization. Need to spiff up your membership? Or send out a ton of m...
May 18, 2017•41 min
On this week’s episode of Through the Noise, host Ernesto Gluecksmann is flying solo as he talks to returning guest Kristy Kaufmann, Executive Director and co-founder of the Code of Support Foundation. One year after her first appearance, Kristy has a lot of great new stuff to share about all things non-profit. Join Ernesto and Kristy as they talk about the US military veteran services provided by the nonprofit Code of Support Foundation. Kristy talks extensively about the Foundation’s coordinat...
May 15, 2017•48 min
Ernesto runs the show solo again today while Blake is creating a podcast for another organization (need help with yours? Get in touch!). We're excited to chat with Janet Koster, Executive Director for the Association for Women in Science, the only organization in the United States working at the intersection of STEM and gender. Women have traditionally been underrepresented in the sciences and as recent as the 1960s and 1970s were not even admitted to many of the prestigious science programs. AW...
May 11, 2017•49 min
Ernesto flies solo again from the host chair as Blake is away traveling. We're excited to welcome back to the show Bethany Henderson, the Executive Director of DC SCORES, a Washington, DC-based organization that inspired a national organization and chapters around the country. DC SCORES provides free after-school programming to children in Washington, DC that includes team-based learning and activities like soccer and creating spoken word poetry. They have recently become a community partner of ...
May 08, 2017•31 min
We're happy to welcome Helena Berger of the American Association of People with Disabilities. She joins us today in her role as President and Chief Executive Officer for AAPD, but over the past (nearly) two decades, she has been held many crucial leadership positions within the organization, as well as advocating for disability rights for a quarter century. The AAPD recently acknowledged that the traditional membership plan used by most associations just wasn't a great fit for their community an...
May 04, 2017•42 min
Today's guest is Linda Darr of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. Passengers are The ASLRRA represents the business owners of the 565 short line railroads carrying freight throughout the U.S. Many are small business owners, including smaller, family owned short line railroads. These also include short line excursion cars such as the ones used for Whistle Stop tours for politicians like Franklin Delano Roosevelt nearly a century ago. Passengers are not a consideration for ...
May 01, 2017•34 min
We're happy to welcome Blake back to his host chair and theproper operation of the sound effects for Through the Noise. Shannon Steene ofthe Carpenter's Shelter in Alexandria, VA also joins us again on the show. We spoke with him over a year ago when he was new to the role of Executive Director and today we get to see what he's been working on in the past year. They have made major progress on expanding their services, offerings, and have a pretty big announcement to share with the Through the N...
Apr 27, 2017•29 min
On this episode of Through the Noise, it’s the return of the Revenue Architect himself, Dave Wakeman of Wakeman Consulting Group. As always Dave specializes in helping everyone from nonprofits to Fortune 1000 companies to political advocates to fully realize their support bases. This week, Dave talks to hosts Blake and Ernesto about the challenges inherent to working with donors for charities and nonprofits. When the name of the game is garnering buy-in support for your project, Dave Wakeman is ...
Apr 24, 2017•37 min
So you’re thinking about jumping out of a plane - for fun, of course. But how easy is it to pull that off, let alone pull the ripcord? On this week’s episode, hosts Blake Althen and Ernesto Gluecksmann talk skydiving with guest Nancy Koreen, Director of Sport Promotion with the United States Parachute Association (USPA). With both a national and international presence, the USPA is a nonprofit organization committed to helping educate and facilitate all things skydiving. Nancy explains her role a...
Apr 20, 2017•27 min
What do boating, flooring, wine, guitars all have in common? Wood is the easy answer. But the industry behind wood is far more complex, and there’s a lot to learn for anyone looking to get into it. For this episode of Through the Noise, Blake and Ernesto talk with Cindy Squires, Executive Director for the International Wood Products Association (IWPA). Whether you’re an emerging business or an emerging country, it is vital to understand the legal and ethical aspects of international wood sales a...
Apr 17, 2017•46 min
Chris Abraham of Gerris digital is a recognized leader in digital marketing and he joins us on Through the Noise for the second time to talk strategies nonprofits can employ to get their work out and get the word out too. He last joined us in June, 2015 so we're pleased to chat with him again and see what's changed since then. Pick up some useful strategies for getting more attention online and how to get the best kind of attention. What is earned media? Why should it matter to you? How can you ...
Apr 13, 2017•51 min
Mickey Panayiotakis joins us again as a guest host during Blake's absence as we welcome Justin Draeger, the Executive Director of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. While paying for college and student loans are two of the most stress-inducing topics for families, NASFAA works to ease the process by providing training and assistance to over 20,000 professionals at 3,000 colleges that offer financial aid to students. Since the federal government provides the bulk of...
Apr 10, 2017•47 min
During Blake's absence, we've invited a guest host, Mickey Panayiotakis, of Infamia as we welcome our guest Patrick Atagi from the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association. Wooden pallets are one of those unique items that many people do not think about often but without which, the hauling of freight of all varieties would not be possible. There's nearly two billion pallets in the United States at any given time but they are in a constant state of use, degradation, rebuilding, and recy...
Apr 06, 2017•38 min
Today we bring you an unusual show -- Ernesto hosts Through the Noise alone while Blake is away. Our guest is Ronald Painter, CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards. Representing nearly 550 Workforce Development Boards and their more than 12,000 members, the NAWB strives to ensure that the workforce has the training and resources available to become effective employees in the rapidly changing work environment. Besides appropriate training, there's a tremendous number of other factor...
Apr 03, 2017•51 min
Rebecca Vandall and Dawn Williams of the Mortgage Bankers Association join Blake and Ernesto in the studio to talk about their work representing all members of the real estate finance industry. Ms. Vandall is the Director of Program Development and Dawn Williams is the Vice Present of that department and they are part of a team that pulls off an impressive 20 major meetings per year as well as 5 major conventions with expo halls. Find out how they successfully coordinate so many conferences with...
Mar 30, 2017•41 min
Water is crucial to every form of life -- water is life, according to many -- and has been in the news quite a bit recently, so we've invited someone on the show to talk about water irrigation for both agriculture and landscaping. Deborah M. Hamlin is the CEO of the Irrigation Association which represents 1700 companies involved in every aspect of irrigation from manufacturers of parts to installation experts. The organization uses a variety of methods to do outreach and to counter common miscon...
Mar 27, 2017•40 min
Elissa Myers takes a break from solving the problems of many nonprofits in order to join us today on Through the Noise to talk about revenue generation -- something we all need to hear. Though her email signature identifies her as a "Marketing Wizard," her official title is "Director of Revenue Generation" with the Drohan Management Group. We'll address the prevalent -- and damaging -- misconception among nonprofits that making money is not important. It's simply impossible for anyone to make an...
Mar 23, 2017•38 min
