Driving Participation Podcast: What Is Working in Marketing & Fundraising | Nonprofits | Schools | Associations

Love it or hate it, technology has made a big impact on communication and relationships. Mark Mehling joins in this session to share his take on whether or not technology has made a positive impact. To him, technology and social media have been "killing relationships," but there are ways to fix that. He and Beth explore how nonprofits can use technology better, segmenting strategies that will yield better results and stronger relationships, what he calls "visual dissonance" and much more—including Star Wars.

David Rhode didn't set out with the intention of his organization, Pitch In For Baseball, to become known for its disaster relief efforts. However, the work they do in providing softball and baseball equipment to communities with kids in need hit a home run as the organization was founded right after Hurricane Katrina hit. David joins in this session to talk about how a sense of urgency can elevate the importance of an organization's mission and message, as well as attract a new audience. He and Beth discuss the organization's communications program, how Pitch In collaborates with larger organizations, and more.

When your company undergoes a big change—a CEO transition, for example—there are ways to ease your staff, volunteers and supporters through it smoothly. Cassie Dennis, director of agency Monday Loves You, joined this session to share tips and tactics for organizations experiencing such a shift and how to best equip everyone involved for the new chapter. She and Beth discuss what can cause a CEO transition, creating an effective transition plan, the best and "least destructive" approaches to announcing such a big change, and much more.

Empowering employees to be the best they can be reflects not just in their performance at work, but also in the way they present the work they do to the wider community. Tara Collins, director of communications and resource development for RUPCO, shares how RUPCO encourages its staff to become ambassadors for the organization. Through photos on social media and in e-newsletters, staff members are incentivized to connect with each other as well as their constituents to put a face to the organization—and have some fun. Tara shares tips and tactics to inspire employees to also become brand ambassadors.

Is it possible to add personality to your emails? Nate Adams certainly thinks so. However, he notes, there are ways to do it effectively and still keep your messaging sounding authentic. Nate, chair of communications for Young Involved Philadelphia, joins Beth to explore adding voice and vibrancy to email communications, training the next generation of leaders, why email is still valuable and ensuring your messaging appeals to the right audience while also relaying information.

When you're in charge of getting the word out about a global event, what should be your first steps? What tools should you use? Lizanne Pando served as director of communications for the 2015 World Meeting of Families during the papal visit in Philadelphia, and she joins in to discuss the role of social media in the endeavor. She and Beth explore how public relations and social media intersect, how to include more than one language in your communications, and much more.

This week, author Dorie Clark joins Driving Participation to talk about personal branding—on an individual level as well as for an organization. How does a leader's personal brand align with the impression of an organization as a whole? Can they be separated? Dorie and Beth dig into what personal branding actually means, how it can impact your reputation, and how—or if—your personal brand changes as you choose different career paths throughout your life.

Julia Campbell has two pillars to her content strategy, which she divulges to Beth on this session of Driving Participation. Julia, an author and nonprofit consultant, joins in to talk about the elements that make up a sustainable content strategy and how social media plays into it all. She shares the three things that you should be using your digital marketing for, how social media has "revolutionized" human communication, how to post more provocative content beyond just news and announcements, and much more.

Monica Montgomery wants to help liberate organizations from what she sees as limited thinking, which could be caused by any number of things. She should know a thing or two about creative thinking as the founding director of the Museum of Impact, which is a social justice museum that is completely mobile. She joins Beth to talk about the mentality of scarcity and how that translates to limitations in thinking, as well as how to create "irresistible" experiences for your audience and why you shouldn't be afraid to use the word "agenda."

When RoiAnn Phillips became the communications director for HealthConnect One, a newly created position, she had some questions to work out. Namely, what will that mean for the organization? What value will this role bring? She joins Beth to discuss her new position and how she got there, even with an unconventional background as a theater major. They explore the questions you should be asking yourself about your organization, misconceptions about what marketing means, and more.