Kivi Leroux MillerPresident, Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

CALM not BUSY:A New Approach for Nonprofit

Communicators to Do Their Best Work

Slides: slideshare.net/kivilm

Thoughts or

Reactions from the

Last Session?

Goal for This 90 Minutes:

Help you chart a course toa more reasonable

communications plan.

What about your nonprofit’s approach to

communications doesn’t seem reasonable now?

Jot down some ideas.

How does your own personal style or work habits contribute to the

overwhelm?

Jot down some ideas.

#CALMnotBUSY

Always Be

CALMCollaborative, Agile,

Logical, and Methodical

not BUSYBogus, Unrealistic,

Sidestepping, and Yoked

B is for BOGUSBogus = Deceptive, meaningless, or

fake.

For example, measuring your productivity

only by your level of activity, and not by the

result of that activity, is bogus.

Let’s name some bogus thinking

within your organization or your

own behavior.

B is for BOGUSMore ways nonprofits are bogus:

• Constantly shifting tactics or messaging.

• Falling down the rabbit hole or chasing

the bright shiny object (wasting lots of

time)

• Thinking your nonprofit and its issues

are unique special snowflakes that no

one else can understand.

U is for UNREALISTIC

For example, thinking that you can

accomplish a mile-long to-do list every

day.

Let’s name some unrealistic

thinking within your organization

or your own behavior.

U is for UNREALISTIC

More ways nonprofits are unrealistic:

• Not allowing enough time to get quality,

creative work done.

• Believing that your nonprofit should be a

household name.

• Thinking that viral videos are easily

manufactured.

S is for SIDESTEPPING

For example, failing to prioritize what’s

important, and instead saying all goals are

equally important.

Let’s name some situations where

you or your nonprofit is

sidestepping something

important.

S is for SIDESTEPPINGMore ways nonprofits are sidestepping:

• Avoiding hard conversations and failing

to say NO!

• Failing to put in the time to really listen

to others, internally and externally.

• Allowing walls to build up between

departments.

• Letting personalities get in the way of

collaboration.

Y is for YOKED

For example, continuing to do things the

way they have always been done. Or

responding immediately when your email

or social media pings an alert.

Let’s name some instances where

you or your nonprofit is yoked to

something negative.

Y is for YOKEDMore ways nonprofits are yoked:

• Too many layers of review.

• Communications are too conservative,

for fear of failure or offending someone.

• Too much deliberation required before

responding to breaking news.

• Our own perfectionism.

#CALMnotBUSY

Always Be

CALMCollaborative, Agile,

Logical, and Methodical

not BUSYBogus, Unrealistic,

Sidestepping, and Yoked

What is going well with communications at your nonprofit? Where are you

getting it right?

Jot down some ideas.

C is for

COLLABORATIVE

What does great collaboration look like

with:

Your camp staff or volunteers?

Other communications or development

staff?

Your executive director?

Your board members?

C is for

COLLABORATIVE

Other ways to be collaborative:

• Help people see the big communications

picture and how they fit into it.

• Create clear processes for working

together.

• Build listening into your ongoing routine.

A is for AGILE

Name some times when your

organization or you were especially

agile.

When did you move quickly with good

results?

A is for AGILE

Other ways to be agile:

• Expect the unexpected, and plan for it.

• Create agile content that can be used in

many different ways.

• Establish clear lines of authority,

delegation, and communication.

L is for LOGICAL

What about your communications

strategy makes perfect sense?

What do you know to be absolutely

true?

L is for LOGICAL

Other ways to be logical:

• Integrate communications, fundraising,

and programmatic goals.

• Ground everything in the 3 Marketing

Questions.

• Follow best practices, experiment and

learn!

M is for METHODICAL

What systems or habits do you

have in place that are working

well?

What’s humming along smoothly?

M is for METHODICAL

Other ways to be methodical:

• Use an editorial calendar.

• Set up systems and tools that others can

embrace and use, with or without you.

• Find a personal productivity system that

works for you.

What can you

change on your

own when you

return to work?

What conversations

can you start with

others to improve

the way you work

as a team?

Kivi Leroux MillerPresident, Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

Let’s stay in touch!

@kivilmkivi@ecoscribe.com

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