The Smart Communications Podcast
Episodes
Episode 107: How can you approach succession planning?
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 106: Protecting one's time: How can wellbeing play into decision-making?
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you describe how you make decisions in your role? Hannah Thomas, director of learning and innovation at Big Duck, talks with Fatima Jones, seni...
Episode 105: Why do government agencies need strong brands?
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do government agencies use communications to connect with the public? Listen as Ally Dommu, director of strategy, and Charlotte Levitt, director o...
Episode 104: How can you embrace the challenges of changing your name?
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why would an organization consider changing its name? Farra Trompeter, co-director, and senior copywriter, Ryan Gerhardt, dive into the joys and pains...
Episode 103: Tiny Habits: How can small changes change everything?
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a new year! Do you have new behaviors you want to adopt or unwanted behaviors you want to stop? Tiny Habits is a simple and effective method t...
Episode 102: How can you create a healthy workplace in remote settings?
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can your organization prioritize wellness and productivity? Farra Trompter, co-director, talks with Meico Marquette Whitlock, founder and CEO of M...
Episode 101: How do you know when your nonprofit has a jargon problem–and what can you do about it?
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jargon is common in the nonprofit sector. For some it can communicate knowledge, but for most people, using jargon, acronyms, and complicated phrases ...
Episode 100: How can nonprofits apply the principles of Emergent Strategy to their communications?
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Never a failure, always a lesson. Trust the people. Move at the speed of trust. These are just a few principles of Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree...
Episode 99: Who should be on your communications team?
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Durham, Big Duck’s founder, and Kivi Leroux Miller, founder and CEO of the Nonprofit Marketing Guide, share tips that will help any nonprofit ...
Episode 98: How can you build inclusive processes in branding and beyond?
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At this moment, it’s important to slow down and create more inclusive teams and processes. Join Farra Trompeter and Dr. Renee Rubin Ross as they dis...
Episode 97: How nonprofit communications have changed over the years
08 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nonprofit staff have become more sophisticated in prioritizing the goals, audiences, strategies, and tactics to guide their communications. Listen in...
Episode 96: How can you use donor personas to guide your communications?
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How can you use donor personas to guide your communications? At Big Duck, we define personas as tools that define a segment of your audience, who they...
Episode 95: Equity: How can we design organizations where everyone thrives?
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Equity helps leaders create more inclusive organizations using human-centered design and behavior change principles. Farra Trompeter talks with Minal ...
Episode 94: How can you update an iconic brand?
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A classic brand identity is hard to change. Old perceptions about your organization’s brand or internal shifts can be challenging. Listen in as Sara...
Episode 93: What can a good tagline do for your nonprofit?
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered what a good tagline can do for your organization? In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Farra Trompeter, partner and chie...
Episode 92: What’s the future of virtual events?
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
COVID-19 has changed everything and nonprofits have shifted how they offer programming and services from in-person to digital channels. Virtual event...
Episode 91: Why should you challenge urgency in your communications?
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Urgency can present itself in a number of ways and is a key characteristic of white supremacy culture. Former senior strategist Laura FIsher, and chie...
Episode 90: How can you leverage your brand to connect with your community?
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Your brand is how your organization expresses its voice. Knowing whose voices are being centered in your brand strategy and assets is a key element to...
Episode 89: How can Google Analytics help you achieve better digital results?
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Google Analytics is a powerful tool and can help you understand how people use your website. Sarah Durham sits down with Heather Wozniak, technical st...
Episode 88: What are the latest trends in nonprofit communications?
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you are a nonprofit communicator, the Nonprofit Communications Trends Report, a yearly report released by The Nonprofit Marketing Guide is a great ...
Episode 87: Should you go with fixed fee or time-and-materials for that project?
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you looking to hire an agency or freelancer and questioning whether or not to go with a fixed fee or time-and-materials for the project? This solo...
Episode 86: Is your website secure and flexible?
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is your website secure and flexible? A lot of the nonprofit sector are not techies. Sarah Durham talks with Dave Hansen-Lange, Advomatic's Director o...
Episode 85: Is it strategic?
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is it strategic? Strategy is the practice of defining what you want to achieve and identifying the best ways to achieve it. Sarah Durham and Laura Fis...
Episode 84: What norms should you challenge and disrupt?
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What norms should you challenge and disrupt? Sarah Durham and Hannah Thomas unpack “thoughtful disruption” and offer different ways of challenging...
Episode 83: Where is the community in your communications?
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Who is your community? They often tend to be more expansive than we think. Listen in as Sarah Durham unpacks the word “community” in fundraising a...
Episode 82: How do you center your community as you do research?
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Equity is about process and outcomes. Making sure everyone, regardless of color, has the same access and opportunity requires a skillset many of us ar...
Episode 81: How can you facilitate meetings better
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Active listening and research. These are just a couple of key facilitation skills shared in this episode of The Smart Communications Podcast with Ally...
Episode 80: How does strategic planning impact communications?
10 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
No matter what you are working towards in your organizations when approaching both strategic planning and communications it’s important to know what...
Episode 79: How do we communicate without communications staff?
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Staff cuts and running an organization on a skeleton crew have become an unfortunate effect of the difficult times we have been facing. Sponsored by B...
Episode 78: Marketing versus communications: what's the difference?
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham sits down with Samantha Campbell, marketing and communications expert and former Dir...
Episode 77: How can your values help during challenging times?
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Does your organization practice it’s values in tangible ways? Listen to this podcast to gain insight from NTEN’s CEO, Amy Sample Ward, on how to c...
Episode 76: How do you convert crisis donors into regular givers?
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is your organization looking for innovative ways to convert crisis donors into regular givers? This podcast explores how to attract and retain new don...
Episode 75: Do robots make bad fundraisers?
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do robots make bad fundraisers? In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham chats with Steven Shattuck, author of the book, “R...
Episode 74: What tagline works??
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A good tagline can inspire you to think, feel, maybe even react. In the episode of The Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham and Big Duck Copywri...
Episode 73: How do you tackle a daunting project?
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ever find yourself stuck on how to approach a big project that you have to do, but you just don't see how you're going to get it anytime soon? This po...
Episode 72: What is strategy? A refresher.
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you consider yourself a pro at setting communications strategy, or you are just getting started, this podcast, back by popular demand, offers ...
Episode 71: What are the barriers to effective communications?
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham examines some of the common barriers that make it hard for nonprofits to establish s...
Episode 70: Are events and galas still effective? Let’s revisit.
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To gala or not to gala. In this replay of a 2018 Smart Communications Podcast, Stephanie Thomas, founder of Stetwin Consulting, discusses the value o...
Episode 69: Where do nonprofits go wrong with communications?
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thought leader and host of the “Nonprofits are Messy” podcast, Joan Garry, talks about what an effective nonprofit communications strategy can lo...
Episode 67: How do you build sustainable momentum into your communications?
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Durham discusses how nonprofits generate sustainable momentum in their communications. She identifies common challenges, including bottlenecks c...
Episode 54: How do you ask for a really, really, really big donation?
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Durham and Eric Javier discuss the 80/20 rule, the ladder of engagement, and how to articulate your vision to donors. Listen in to learn how you...
Episode 68: Why is a clear voice important for nonprofits?
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Durham, CEO of Big Duck and Advomatic, goes deep into the topic of organizational voice—what it is, how to create it, maintain it, and more. B...
Episode 56: How can you make your website friendlier and more accessible?
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Advomatic’s Sarah Durham and Amanda Luker discuss how to constantly improve your website, create different ways to experience content, and run acces...
Episode 66: How can you communicate better via Zoom?
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Big Duck CEO Sarah Durham explores ways in which COVID-19 shelter-in-place restrictions have made us all increasingly dependent on video conferencing ...
Episode 62: How can you disrupt power dynamics and bring a DEI lens to your major donor relationships?
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Durham and strategist Hannah Thomas discuss how DEI plays an important role in your capital campaigns and other major donor communications. Cent...
Episode 65: What happens when people think they know your organization but they don’t?
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when people hang on to an old idea of your organization? Learn how Teresa Younger, CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, shaped and advanc...
Episode 61: What are the six elements your communications need to thrive?
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Big Duck’s latest book, The Nonprofit Communications Engine (https://amzn.to/2Tc6GOL), outlines a simple model for nonprofit communicators and leade...
Episode 60: Why should your Executive Director prioritize communications?
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Communications can have a big impact on many aspects of your nonprofit's mission, from mobilizing activists to attracting donors and other supporters ...
Episode 59: Should your logo stand out or fit in?
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Big Duck’s CEO Sarah Durham and Design Director Sandy Zimmerman discuss logos. If you are contemplating a new logo, should you go with expected imag...
Episode 63: How should your organization navigate communications during COVID-19?
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Durham shares some quick tips and resources to help nonprofits communicate and fundraise during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Episode 58: Interviews, focus groups, or surveys: which should you use?
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How does your brand resonate with your participants? Sarah Durham and Big Duck’s Senior Strategist Laura Fisher discuss the ins and outs of intervie...
Episode 57: What should your nonprofit’s communications really achieve?
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Big Duck’s latest book, The Nonprofit Communications Engine (https://amzn.to/2Tc6GOL), outlines a simple model for nonprofit communicators and leade...
Episode 55: Can you continuously improve your website?
06 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
From broken links to automated testing, learn how to continuously improve your website’s “hygiene” with Sarah Durham and Rory Tucker.
Episode 53: Is it really feasible for your nonprofit to raise millions?
05 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
CCS Fundraising’s Managing Director Eric Javier discusses the feasibility of your organization receiving large donations. This podcast explores fea...
Episode 52: How do you make sure your events and recordings sound good?
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus dePaula (https://www.meonlylouder.com/), audio expert and producer of Big Duck’s podcast, gives insight into the right audio professional for...
Episode 51: Who is your Director of Second Impressions?
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Making sure your clients and other key stakeholders are happy can be difficult. What do they really need and want from you? Tune in to understand how ...
Episode 50: What skills are most important on your in-house creative team
08 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What are the most important skills to have on your in-house creative team? Learn how consistency, production, breadth, and the right experience can ma...
Episode 49: How can your communications team apply inclusive branding?
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Big Duck’s Farra Trompeter (https://bigduck.com/about/farra-trompeter/) and communications professional Chris Tuttle (http://www.tuttle.co/) discuss...
Episode 48: How can you design when you’re not a designer?
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Big Duck pros Sarah Durham (https://bigduck.com/about/sarah-durham/) and Claire Taylor Hansen (https://bigduck.com/about/claire-taylor-hansen/) discus...
Episode 47: Should your nonprofit be worried about GDPR and online privacy?
23 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ochen Kaylan, Senior Developer at Advomatic and attorney, is passionate about online privacy. He discusses how to store and manage your donors’ and ...
Episode 46: How do you involve your community when rebranding?
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
“You’re never going to get 100% buy-in...” is one of many lessons Elisabeth King, Director of Communications for Lycée Français de New York (h...
Episode 45: How can your staff co-create your brand?
25 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ambar Mentor-Truppa (https://www.povertylaw.org/people/Mentor-Truppa), VP of Communications at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, chats with Big Duck’...
Episode 44: How should you work with freelancers?
11 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sandy Zimmerman, Big Duck’s Art Director, (https://bigducknyc.com/about/sandy-zimmerman/) shares her experiences freelancing for nonprofits and mana...
Episode 43: How do you let your community speak for you?
28 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Hoffman, CEO and founder of Gather Voices, (https://www.gathervoices.co/about/) shares his perspective on how nonprofits can harness community...
Episode 42: How do you use the media for advocacy?
14 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Vince Warren is the Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights (https://ccrjustice.org/home/who-we-are/staff/warren-vincent) and a fre...
Episode 41: How can interviews help you get better insights?
31 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Fisher, Big Duck’s Senior Strategist, (http://bigduck.com/about/laura-fisher/) chats with Sarah Durham about how interviews can help you under...
Episode 40: How can you be a better writer?
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Gunderman was Big Duck’s Creative Director and Senior Copywriter for over 12 years. Before moving to Scotland, he sat down with us for a convers...
Episode 39: How can you get your team to stop fighting like cats and dogs?
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Farra Trompeter, Big Duck’s Vice President (https://bigduck.com/about/farra-trompeter/), and Chris Tuttle, digital engagement strategist (http://www...
Episode 38: Can chatbots improve donor experiences?
19 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Alice Hendricks is the CEO of Jackson River (https://www.jacksonriver.com/about/team/alicehendricksjacksonrivercom), a firm that helps nonprofits harn...
Episode 37: Are your internal communications values-driven?
05 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth Toledo, President of Camino Group (https://www.caminopr.com/) and former Vice President of Communications at Planned Parenthood, is a crisis...
Episode 36: Do you need a capital campaign consultant?
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We sat down with Andrea Kihlstedt (https://capitalcampaignmasters.com/about/andrea-kihlstedt/) and Amy Eisenstein (https://www.amyeisenstein.com), cap...
Episode 35: Does your nonprofit need a new logo?
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Claire Taylor Hansen, Big Duck’s Creative Director, (https://bigducknyc.com/about/claire-taylor-hansen/) helps nonprofits answer the age-old questio...
Episode 34: How can you make a lean team more effective?
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Christine Hughes, Vice President of Institutional Advancement for Burke Neurological Institute (https://burke.weill.cornell.edu/people/christine-e-hug...
Episode 33: Should your organization produce a PSA?
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Stephanie Paul, Vice President of Marketing and Development at the American Parkinson Disease Association (https://www.apdaparkinson.org/about-apda/st...
Episode 32: What data really matters?
27 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
George Weiner, Founder and Chief Whaler of Whole Whale (https://www.wholewhale.com/staff/george-weiner/), a social impact tech company, sits down with...
Episode 31: Should you rename your nonprofit?
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Farra Trompeter, Big Duck’s Vice President, and Dan Gunderman, Big Duck’s Creative Director, have successfully facilitated many nonprofit name cha...
Episode 30: How do you structure a growing communications team?
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Suzanne Shaw is Director of Communications at the Union of Concerned Scientists (https://www.ucsusa.org/about/staff/staff/suzanne-shaw.html#.XEtbJM9Kj...
Episode 29: Can you legally use that photo or song?
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus dePaula, co-founder of Mixtus Media (https://www.mixtusmedia.com/who-we-are/) and producer of this podcast, is an expert in online content crea...
Episode 28: How can you facilitate better internal communications?
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nonprofit leaders must make their vision clear and get everyone—staff, board, and other stakeholders—aligned and motivated to work toward it toget...
Episode 27: How can an executive director realize their vision?
16 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Vince Warren reflects on his twelve years (and counting!) as Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights. Over the course of his tenure...
Episode 26: What is “strategy?”
02 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, two members of Big Duck’s strategy team, Laura Fisher (https://bigducknyc.com/about/laura-fishe...
Episode 25: Should your nonprofit podcast?
19 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Chandra Hayslett, Communications Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, sits down to share her experiences launching the podcast, The Activ...
Episode 24: How can you communicate better with the board?
05 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Craig Shelley, Managing Director of Orr Group (https://orrgroup.com/our-people/craig-h-shelley/), shares how nonprofit leadership and staff can foster...
Episode 23: How can nonprofit communications leaders collaborate more effectively?
28 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Elise Dowell is Vice Chancellor for Communications and External Affairs at The Jewish Theological Seminary (http://www.jtsa.edu/elise-dowell). Since j...
Episode 22: What are the ingredients of great storytelling?
14 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jenny Dyson, Ruler and Creative Director of Pencil, a creative agency specializing in brand storytelling in the UK, shares her experiences turning con...
Episode 21: How can communications help development?
31 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Durham and Farra Trompeter head to Fundraising Day to ask development professionals one question: “What can communications do to support devel...
Episode 20: How do you get affiliates to speak with one voice?
17 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Stephanie Paul, Vice President of Marketing and Development at the American Parkinson Disease Association (https://www.apdaparkinson.org/about-apda/st...
Episode 19: How can you get your new brand to stick?
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Ally Dommu, Big Duck’s Director of Strategy (https://bigducknyc.com/about/ally-dommu/), shares ...
Episode 18: Should you fire that lousy board member?
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Simone Joyaux, author of “Firing Lousy Board Members,” (https://www.simonejoyaux.com/) and organizational management, development, and fundraising...
Episode 17: How can you facilitate great internal communications?
05 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Liz Ricca, Big Duck’s Managing Director, shares tools and practices that can help facilitate great internal communications. She gives tips on how to...
Episode 16: Should nonprofits rebrand when overhauling their websites?
22 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Should nonprofits squeeze in a full rebrand when their website needs an update? In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast, Sarah Durham, CEO...
Episode 15: How do you articulate your community’s values?
08 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cecilia Clarke, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Community Foundation, shares her experiences listening to over 1,000 community members about their v...
Episode 14: Can we engage audiences with YouTube Live?
01 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Elianne Ramos, Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs at National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and prior Latino Digital Coal...
Episode 13: Should we digitize our brand guide?
24 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Smart Communications Podcast Claire Taylor Hansen, one of Big Duck’s Art Directors, shares digital brand guide trends and bes...
Episode 12: What makes a great nonprofit tagline?
11 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Gunderman, Big Duck’s Creative Director, tells all about taglines. Dan defines what taglines are, the function they serve in a nonprofit’s bra...
Episode 11: How can nonprofit leaders take successful sabbaticals?
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director of National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, shares her experiences planning for her sabbatical a...
Episode 10: What words should you avoid?
27 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Word choices are important! Tune in to learn what words and phrases nonprofit communicators should avoid, gleaned from our popular “Words to Avoid”...
Episode 9: Why is it so hard to raise awareness?
13 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
To successfully increase their organization’s visibility through campaigns, nonprofit leaders need to ensure they’re grounded in strategy—with c...
Episode 8: How are organizational values and personality different?
30 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Organizational values and brand personality are related but very different, and often get confused. We’ll define and differentiate them in this podc...
Episode 7: Are events and galas still effective?
16 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Special events and annual galas may no longer be a nonprofit’s best bet for fundraising. Why? The world is changing rapidly—and so are audiences’...