5 Must-See TED Talks for Nonprofit Leaders

TED Talks are a little like Lay's potato chips—it's hard to just watch one. Delivered to you in just 15 minutes, these gems are packed full of inspiration and education. But with thousands of videos now on their site, navigating them to find applicable content can be a little challenging. So, I've selected just five that will be of interest to nonprofit leaders, employees, and volunteers. Take a long lunch break and consider this your ongoing education curriculum.

(PS: You don't have to be at a nonprofit to enjoy them!)

1. Dan Pallotta: The way we think about charity is dead wrong

A terrific watch for those working and serving at nonprofits. It will take a LOT of effort to turn this ship, but there are definitely some ideas worth chasing. You may not agree with everything he has to say, but he makes some incredible points to think about regarding hiring and fundraising. Even if you aren't the one in charge of making these types of decision, see what your influence can do to push the envelope a bit.

2. Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

Some of you may have already heard of his immensely popular book, Start With Why, which came after this talk. Nonprofit folks may initially dismiss this lesson, believing that the "why" is already front-and-center at their organization. But I encourage you to watch it, and then take a look at your website, emails, newsletters, and marketing to see if you've made a slight shift from "why" to "what." I see many charities make this mistake.

3. Bryan Stevenson: We need to talk about an injustice

Regardless of whether or not you agree with his work, Bryan does a brilliant job of helping the audience find common ground with his subject matter, and relating that to a topic every human struggles with at some point: identity. He also uses only a few statistics to make his point. Figure out how you incorporate this approach at your next presentation and see if it works for you too.

By the way, if you do like the talk, his book is remarkable as well.

4. Angela Lee Duckworth: Grit: The power of passion and perseverance

This talk should be an encouraging one for all of us. The lessons she derives from her students hold true for adults as well. It's easy for you to think that you don't have the support, resources, money, or ______ (fill in the blank) to move your mission forward. But this speech is a good reminder that your grit can help determine your success as well.

5. Melinda Gates: What nonprofits can learn from Coca-Cola

I love the fact that she applies corporate tactics to the nonprofit model. I believe more people should be doing this same thing. Nonprofits have a reputation for moving more slowly than their for-profit counterparts, and resisting change, but there's no reason things can't change. While you may not be able to utilize these same ideas, I have no doubt there are other business principles that you can blend with your current process. (And don't forget, I can teach you how to improve your marketing!)

6. BONUS! Derek Sivers: How to start a movement

This fun and entertaining video is only three minutes long. It'll make you smile, and also teach you a thing or two in the process.

Okay, so those are five plus one Ted Talks that I think nonprofit leaders, employees, and volunteers should see. Did I miss one that you'd recommend? Tell me in the comments below.

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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Ask the Experts: Event Planning Trends and Strategies

Each month, I invite guest contributors to speak about timely, relevant, and sought-after topics that are important for cause-focused organizations like yours to be aware of as you grow. For June, I've invited my friend and former co-worker, Kristi Collins from Coco Red Events to share about event planning since many of you are starting to prep and plan for fall events.

Q. What are the latest trends in your industry? 

A. As a foodie, I think my favorite trend right now is casual food, especially a Mexican buffet with fajitas and tacos. I mean, who doesn’t love queso? For dessert, we’re seeing more donut installations, pie bars, and bite-sized treats. Most cakes (wedding, birthday, or anniversary) are smaller with a statement design, such as tiers in geometric shapes, a colored glaze dripping down the side and marbled fondant.

For design, we’re seeing a lot of clients interested in a woodlands theme. Think muted colors like a dusty rose, ivory, and sage green paired with lots of greenery and other natural elements like moss, river rocks, and tree slices. I think a big reason why people are choosing to go this route is because it’s gender neutral and everyone can enjoy the aesthetic. And people always enjoy a good vintage piece. Whether it’s a farm table used as a dessert table or an old library card catalog used to display escort cards, these pieces will create more dimensions to the design.

Our clients are also moving away from the traditional photo booth with props, and opting for a Polaroid camera setup instead. Guests love it because they can take the photos with them, and our clients love it because it’s engaging. At the end of the event, we’ll gather the left over photos and save them for our client, who can turn them into a photo album. The photo album is a great keepsake, whether it’s a coffee table book for a newlywed couple or something to keep in a company break room for employees to flip through.

Q. What is the biggest mistake that you’ve seen people make in regards to event planning?

A. I think everyone should have a day-of coordinator for any event. And I’m not just saying that because I am an event coordinator. Trust me, I had someone coordinate my own wedding! I think it’s so important for our clients to be able to relax and enjoy everything that they’ve envisioned and worked hard to create. If you’re running around, making sure that everything is perfect, you will not have a good time. You should be able to mingle with your guests and enjoy yourself. Even if you’re DIYing your whole event, hire someone to handle the details and make sure that everything runs smoothly on that day. It’s worth every penny!

This is especially important at a fundraiser. Your guests are there because they believe in you and what you’re doing. Think of yourself as the brand ambassador and make yourself available to answer any questions that your guests may have. If they can’t find you to get more information about your cause, they are less likely to support it. We are there to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch and that you are able to reach your fundraising goal.

Q. What is your best piece of advice?

A. I think that people are naïve when it comes to the budget for any event. Many clients don’t know how much it costs to hire a good photographer, caterer, etc. so, they’ll spend money on little things and before they know it, they’re way over budget. My advice, choose your top three Items and spend the bulk of your money there. My top three are always food, music, and alcohol. I like invitations, but they aren’t the most important item to me. Now, if you’re a graphic designer or your company sells paper, the invitations are probably really important to you and that’s ok. Make invitations one of your top three. The important thing is to focus on what’s most important to you, and then build the rest of your budget from there.

Another great thing about working with an event planner is that we get discounts, which we pass onto our clients. A good event planner will save you several hundred dollars in various areas, covering some of their fee.

Additionally, if you’re just diving into the event world, be sure to cultivate relationships with other vendors early on. Find out how you can work together and offer discounts for your clients. Meet other like-minded vendors that specialize in your area and be sure to send them leads for dates that you have already booked. They’ll return the favor and help grow your business. The wedding and event industry is a small one, where everyone knows everyone else. Networking is so very important. Go to as many networking events as you can and start making those connections early on!

Q. What is one thing readers can do this week to improve?

A. If you’re an event planner or getting ready to plan an event, do some research. If I’m planning a company event or fundraiser, I always ask myself the following 5 questions:

1. What is this company’s daily mission?

2. What is their goal for this specific event?

3. What brand-specific elements can we incorporate into the event? (Awards, logo placement, etc.)

4. What is something fun and memorable that we can do during the event to increase brand awareness?

5. Is there something that guests can walk away with that will keep the brand or mission at the front of their mind?

Q. Anything else we should keep in mind?

A. No matter what type of event you’re planning, it’s important to remember the story your organization or client wants to tell. When guests walk into the event, they should be able to look around and know who or what this event is for. Everything should reflect the brand or personality. That’s what makes your event stand out from everyone else’s. And most importantly, make sure that your guests have fun!

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Kristi Collins has been involved with events for over 15 years. She has her BA in Musical Theater from Samford University. After theater, she went into retail, then coordinated events in the non-profit sector and finally found her calling in the wedding and social event industry. Kristi has received her Certifications in Wedding and Event Planning, as well as Social Media Marketing. She lives in Decatur, GA, with her husband, J.R., and her insanely cute dog, Toby.

Learn more about Coco Red Events.

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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6 Easy Marketing Tactics You Should Steal Right Now

We're wrapping up "Marketing May" here on the blog! So far, we've covered trends and strategies, marketing 101, marketing plans, and daily marketing implementation. Whew—that's a lot! Even if you started with very little understanding of marketing, you should feel a lot more confident now, and also feel more prepared to add some intentionality into your organization's marketing and communications efforts. 

Today, I'm going to take it one more step further and give you six easy marketing tactics that you should steal right now. These are pulled directly from the playbooks of your peers and organizations that we all admire. 

Okay, so stealing may sound a little dramatic. If you prefer, substitute the more flattering word emulate. The truth is, there are proven strategies and techniques that organizations like yours should be implementing—immediately. By doing so, you're setting your cause up for greater attention and success.

Don't believe me? Just check these guys out! They all have a very loyal base of followers, fans, and supporters.

And though I have categorized them into nonprofits and social enterprises, the general ideas will work for everyone!

NONPROFITS

Atlanta Dream Center reaches the lost, rescues those in need, and restores the brokenhearted through their three primary ministries: iAM (the homeless), Out of Darkness (trafficked and prostituted women), and Metro Kidz (at-risk children). 

What you should steal: Every time they rescue a woman or have ministry win, they share it on social media. It gives their supporters an opportunity to celebrate with them, see real-time updates, and for volunteers and donors, a chance to see their contribution at work. They also provide recaps and larger figures in their direct mail and newsletters.

IF:Gathering exists to gather, equip, and unleash the next generation of women to live out their purpose.

What you should steal: They do a fantastic job of showcasing their event as it is happening through social media. It's surprising to me, but many organizations don't seem to promote their event in action, only before and sometimes after. IF utilizes quotes, video, and photos through their social media that make you really want to be there. They also mobilize and empower their audience with their hashtag and a photo booth. While events are certainly not easy to pull off, they are a very simple way to get people interested in, and excited about, your cause. 

Orange provides resources and events for church leaders and volunteers to maximize their influence on the faith and character of the next generation. 

What you should steal: They regularly use guest contributors for the Orange Leaders blog. This strategy allows for plenty of content that they don't have to create themselves. Additionally, the contributors promote their post once it is published, providing additional traffic to Orange's blog and social media.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISES

Lamon Luther creates expertly crafted furniture by employing the homeless, thereby giving them a hand up, not a hand out.

What you should steal: Many people in the Atlanta area know, and love, Lamon Luther. Their furniture is always in high demand, it seems. And though they primarily produce goods for individual homes, they have done a great job at building partnerships with other businesses to drive demand, expand their reputation, and of course, obtain larger orders.

Raven + Lily is an ethical fashion and lifestyle brand dedicated to empowering women through jobs by design.

What you should steal: Everyone loves free stuff, and Raven + Lily fans are no different! Sometimes they host their own giveaway with one or two of their stylish products, and sometimes they team up with other ethical brands for a huge grand prize. Either way, I've got to assume this steadily builds their email list and social media following.

Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. For every pair purchased, a pair is distributed to someone in need.

What you should steal: They offer a fairly simple selection of eyeglasses and sunglasses, but they take advantage of holiday calendars in their marketing and make it work year-round. You'll find them reaching out to you via email or social media for back to school, summer, and even Christmas. They know holidays are on your mind, and they want a piece too.

Any other nonprofit or social enterprise marketing tactics that you recommend? Tell me what you've seen, or what's worked for you!

And if you find yourself short on time for new marketing efforts, here are five things you can stop doing this week that will free up some of your energy.

Other posts in this series:

• Ask the Experts: Marketing Trends and Strategies

• Marketing: What is it, and why do you need it?

• Marketing Plan: Is your mission missing its map? (Free Download)

• Stop Wondering What To Do Every Day

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PIN THIS POST FOR LATER:

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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Stop Wondering What To Do Every Day

Do you wake up each morning and have to reprioritize or reevaluate that day's To Do list? Are you continually getting lost in your list, or do you waste time on tasks that don't matter? Is asking you to fit marketing into your routine just crazy talk?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, hopefully today's post will help. 

It's "Marketing May" here on the blog, and so far we've covered marketing basics, like what the heck is it and why you need it, as well as the latest trends.

And last week, we also talked about marketing plans, defined them, and stressed their importance. They are a valuable document many people tend to overlook, but they can be enormously helpful in defining priorities, even at a weekly and daily level. And once the work of creating your marketing plan is done, you're way ahead of the game!

The next obstacle, now that you have a plan in place (if you don't, more below), is figuring out how to execute it on a daily basis. Small business owners and employees like you have a wide variety of items on their plate. And marketing in all its forms can often take a backseat to more "pressing" matters. I totally get it. But effective marketing is how you can get ahead. It's a key to not only sustaining your organization, but growing it. And who doesn't want that?

Even better, you can create your daily To Do list from your marketing plan! The easiest way I've found to do this is to essentially put your marketing plan document into an Excel sheet. You can even download a copy of mine here. 

How to Create Your Marketing To Do List

This Excel sheet is, of course, customizable, so I encourage you to make it your own, and add any fields that you think will help you and your organization. 

Mine contains:

• Item - Easy enough to pull right off your marketing plan. This could include print ads, email blasts, social media scheduling, and similar.
• Date - I like to include the public date. For example, when an ad will show up in a magazine, or when the social media post goes live on Facebook. It's usually a good idea to sort the sheet by this date so the more urgent items show closer to the top.
• Circulation - Because I was in public relations, I still like to look at these numbers. They're also helpful to see how they increase or decrease year to year. So, for a magazine ad, the circulation is how many issues are printed. But when talking about a Facebook post, you can include how many followers you have for your page or how many people saw it. Whatever you decide, I suggest including numbers that give you some perspective on how many people are seeing or interacting with your efforts. This can help indicate if your strategy and budget are working.
• Status - I like to know where I'm at on a task. Is it complete, submitted, drafted, with the designer, etc?
• Notes - Always a good idea!

Another option is to add a column for items that need to be updated later, like web graphics. If you're working on a launch, as an example, then post-launch, you'll need to go back and update your website, social profiles, and things like that. So, it can be helpful to have a column that triggers you to take that action.

Additionally, you might consider creating categories for big deadlines if you have a long-term project, initiative, or event. For example, the annual conference that I worked on had four major deadlines throughout the year. Opening day took place in the fall, we had another deadline before the end of the year, one late winter, and one early spring. So, I created categories on the Excel sheet to make everything easier to look at in a glance for each "bucket" in the timeline. To make this happen, you can simply skip a few lines between tasks for each major deadlines and use a colored line to separate them. Now, the entire event is still on the same Excel sheet, but I can see tasks associated with each deadline separately as well.

As you see, its not overly complicated. It's actually a pretty simple layout. But it is extremely productive, and will help you stay on task. Using this format was a lifesaver for me when I managed five events that each had their own deadlines and associated tasks.

Dig Deep

Be sure to add every item you can think of, even smaller details like changing staff signatures, or emailing staff and key stakeholders with updated information. Anything you can put on this list moves it out of your head, where it may have a chance to get lost.

I realize this format is unlikely to take the place of your current To Do list in its entirety. There are always other odds and ends that need to happen as well, especially if you wear multiple hats. However, it should go a long way in helping you organize your marketing and communications efforts so that they can become a larger priority in your week, rather than continually put on the back burner, never to be reheated again.

What if you don't have a marketing plan?

Many of you probably find yourselves in this category. But don't worry, all is not lost! 

Remember when you were in school and you had to create an outline for your research paper? Which did you do first? For me, it was easier to write the paper and then the outline, for some reason. The same principle applies here. Try creating your in-depth To Do list first, if you feel that needs your attention now. Then you'll be able to write your marketing plan from there. 

But I do encourage you to eventually go back and write your marketing plan. For all the reasons why, check out last week's post.

What now?

Whether you're creating your task list from a marketing plan, or starting with the list and moving backwards, this should make your day-to-day much easier.  It can be oh so helpful to see everything laid out in front of you at a glance rather than juggling a bunch of papers, separate lists, or keeping it locked up in your head.

Now you know what you need to do that day by referencing this task list because you have every item and deadline in black and white on one sheet. So, if you see that an email blast needs to go out in two weeks, you can work backward depending on how long it takes you to prepare it. Both short-term and long-term items are visible, helping you to manage your time better.

This will, of course, take some trial and error. If you are a person who loves systems, like me, you may adapt more easily. If you are used to playing your days more fast and loose, you may have more trouble initially, but implementing this idea will save you time and frustration because you'll automatically understand what each day has in store from a marketing and communications perspective.

As a result, you'll begin working further out, which removes a lot of the added stress of being in reaction mode or the frustration of working on projects in the wrong order. Your days can be tackled with greater intention, making better use of precious time.

Let me know how it goes!

And don't forget to download my task list template.

"This spreadsheet idea has saved my life, and made me so much more productive in the past year." - Erin J., Orange

Finally, you may also be wasting time on a few things that are sucking up your time, and not getting you anywhere. Wouldn't you love to free up some time and energy, so you can begin to focus more on what matters most? 

Other posts in this series:

• Marketing Trends and Strategies
• Marketing: What Is It, and Why Do You Need it?
• Marketing Plan: Is Your Mission Missing Its Map? (Free Download)
• 6 Easy Marketing Tactics You Should Steal Right Now

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PIN THIS POST FOR LATER:

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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