Nonprofit Storytellers

How an education nonprofit launched and is positioned to scale in Des Moines


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How do you launch a nonprofit, find clients, community partners, and supporters? And how do you intentionally make decisions early on so the organization can scale later?

Executive Director Noelle Nelson leads the new Avenue Scholars Des Moines organization, an expansion of an Omaha-based nonprofit that guides students through specific career exploration.

The initiative doesn't end after a student graduates high school or even a post-secondary degree or certificate, they stay with the student through getting their first industry job.

On the podcast, we talk about launching in the Des Moines area, key hires, and how Nelson is focusing on building a quality program that can grow and serve more students in Central Iowa. We talk about:

  • What it takes to launch a nonprofit in a new location
  • Key hires and why they've been critical to success
  • Using current students to recruit new students and advise on how to use social media
  • How to be strategic in how you start a program to intentionally scale it later

Link: https://www.avescholarsdesmoines.org/

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Nonprofit Storytellers features the stories of how not-for-profit professionals are sharing their organization's story. From outreach to marketing to fundraising, host Mackenzie Walters leaders on how they accomplished their goals through smart storytelling.

→ More episodes and additional articles: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com

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→ Nonprofit Storytellers is published by StoryStruck Marketing. It's editorially independent. It's hosted and edited by owner Mackenzie Walters, a national award-winning journalist.

Thank you to our podcast advertisers:

Eden Plus — Fundraising consulting, including capital campaigns

International Translation Services — Interpretation and translation services via phone, video, or in-person

Harmony Consulting — Strategic planning, communications, and training

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Nonprofit StorytellersBy Mackenzie Walters