The Smart Communications Podcast

Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Lisa Pilar Cowan, vice president of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, about the concepts of trust-based philanthropy, new ways some funders are working with nonprofits for more authentic relationships, and the connection between the community's role and the donor's role in guiding an organization.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Natalie Yelton, content strategist at Kanopi Studios, to delve into content strategy and how to create an engaging nonprofit website. They share key performance indicators to use while writing new content for your site and insights on how to lead with accessibility.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Sheleia Phillips, founder and principal consultant of SMP Nonprofit Consulting, to talk about how to better position your organization to secure funding. Hear examples of nonprofits that have better positioned themselves to receive funding and find out what the shift looked like that led to their success.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Meico Marquette Whitlock, founder and CEO of Mindful Techie, about mindfulness in the workplace and offers tips that nonprofit leaders can apply to cultivate care and resilience among their teams.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, sits down with Derrick Feldmann, managing director of Ad Council Research Institute and Ad Council Edge, who shares tips for nonprofit staff who are looking to connect awareness and action, to reach people who are hard to reach, and who want to equip trusted messengers to be amplifiers of their mission.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Nneka Allen, Camila Pereira, and Nicole Salmon, co-editors of Collecting Courage: Joy, Pain, Freedom, Love, a collection of lived experiences written by 15 accomplished Black North American fundraisers in the United States and Canada, to discuss how nonprofit staff can push for more honest, kind, clear, and direct conversations with their colleagues.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Kivi Leroux Miller, founder and CEO of the Nonprofit Marketing Guide, about the latest nonprofit communications trends, including hot topics like AI, brand archetypes, and the structure of communications teams.

What is most important, the message, the channel, or the mindset of the audience you are trying to reach? Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Ryan Gerhardt, copy director, discuss how we think about segmentation and messaging, the differences between organizational and persuasive messaging, and more.

Effective research begins with clear objectives and choosing methods aligned with your audience to answer key questions. Farra Trompeter, co-director, sits down with senior strategist, Menaka Chandurkar, to talk about the benefits research provides to in-house communications teams and how research connects to issues of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA).

Join Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Jennifer R. Hudson, president of Think Beyond Public Relations, as they discuss how nonprofit staff can create messaging that gets people to engage with that organization's mission. Together they discuss important frameworks on developing messages that bring in perspectives of all stakeholders and offer tips about training others and operationalizing core values.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Funmilayo Brown, founder and CEO of Layo Philanthropic Partners chat about redefining philanthropy for people of color and how nonprofits can effectively use communications to attract and engage their donors.

Farra Trompeter and Liz Ricca, co-directors, explore the emotional nuances of changing a nonprofit's name and break down six highs and lows of the journey.

Farra Trompeter is joined by Kerry Thompson, senior advisor for inclusion and accessibility at the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund, to discuss the significance of incorporating accessibility and inclusion in your nonprofit communications and sheds light on how she is designing DRF's internal processes, policies, and practices to serve as an example for other organizations.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Dr. Ashutosh Nandeshwar, senior vice president of data science and analytics at CCS Fundraising to talk about how nonprofits should approach AI, various use cases, and practical tips that nonprofits can use to determine how it can work for your organization.

How do you hire for a strong communications team? Co-directors, Farra Trompeter and Elizabeth Ricca zoom out and talk about communications in general, why nonprofits are investing more now in how they structure their communications teams, and talk through four questions to guide your next communications hire.

What's your next move on social media? Farra Trompeter is joined by Julia Campbell, author, speaker, and host of the Nonprofit Nation Podcast, who shares four pillars of social media management as well as three insightful questions to help your nonprofit effectively leverage digital storytelling.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Abby Jarvis, Senior Content Marketing Manager from Neon One discuss the history, the challenges, and the opportunities of GivingTuesday as a global generosity movement.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Rob Acton, founder and CEO, and Erin Pierson, director of strategic growth, from Cause Strategy Partners to discuss how to engage board members in marketing and communications from recruitment through board service to alumni status.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, sits down with Mara Mintz, consultant, and account lead, and Caitlin Corda, head of marketing, brand, and business development, from Blue Beyond Consulting to discuss the importance of change management for nonprofits, especially those going through branding, major campaigns, or strategic planning.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Alyssa Wright, founder and principal of Wright Collective, about what and who is a major donor and encourages organizations to have deeper conversations with donors about the diverse ways they contribute to nonprofit missions.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, welcomes Tania Bhattacharyya, founder of Lumos Marketing, to discuss maximizing LinkedIn for nonprofit staff and the power of personal branding. Get tips for how your organization can use LinkedIn more strategically, including the importance of sharing compelling stories on LinkedIn.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Mariah Monique, founder, and CEO of The Sponsorship Catalyst, discuss the importance of building true partnerships with sponsors and offer pointers on how sponsorships can be a game changer for nonprofits.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, delves into the topic of creating messaging and communications that embody justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) principles with Vanessa Wakeman, founder, and CEO of The Wakeman Agency.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Ally Dommu, director of service development, share insights and strategies for those starting or looking to refresh their approach to leading communications at their nonprofit. Whether you're onboarding a new communications director or seeking a fresh perspective, this episode offers valuable insights for all.

Farra Trompeter, co–director, chats with Vince Warren, executive director at the Center for Constitutional Rights, about their branding journey and what outcomes they achieved by shifting how they expressed their mission more robustly through new visuals and messaging.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Marisa DeSalles, founder of Good Tilth LLC, and Michelle Flores Vryn, chief development officer with OneStar, about radical honesty and the power of rooting truth and trust throughout your communications.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Brooke Richie-Babbage, founder and CEO of Bending Arc, and the host of The Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast, about what they find meaningful about board service and the benefits of having board members who are passionate and can be cheerleaders, ambassadors, and thought partners.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Joan Grangenois-Thomas, principal of JGT Public Relations, about misconceptions surrounding the nonprofit sector and suggestions for shifting perspectives and language about the industry.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Michelle Shireen Muri, host of The Ethical Rainmaker podcast, about valuing staff contributions, rethinking audience priorities, the importance of analysis, and ways to communicate in a more inclusive way.

A nonprofit’s approach to messaging should strategically advance its mission and engage its staff as brand ambassadors. Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Wayne Ho, president and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council, about the lasting impact of their branding and messaging work.

A nonprofit’s approach to communications should strategically advance its mission. Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Kivi Leroux Miller, founder and CEO of Nonprofit Marketing Guide, about ways to refine your team’s communications initiatives

Does your digital marketing strategies and tactics stall, get stuck, or succeed? Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Geraldine Zamora, account director at Community Boost discuss approaches for you to efficiently ramp up your online advertising, search engine optimization, and more.

Clear communication and shared strategy internally are essential to strong external communications. Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Sunil Oommen, President of Oomen Consulting LLC, about why collaboration between your teams is so important.

Do the sub-brands of your nonprofit reflect your brand strategy and help you engage audiences, or do they cause confusion and limit participation? Join co-director, Farra Trompeter, and creative director, Claire Taylor Hansen, as they discuss how to use sub-brands strategically.

Why does good work take time? Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Josh Riman, founder and president of Great Believer, talk about why it's essential to have mutual trust, kindness, and respect between nonprofit organizations and creative agencies.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Rusty Stahl, founder, president, and CEO of Fund the People, about how you can communicate the value of your organization, including the value of your staff, and how to get your funders to invest in the people who make your organization work.

Should we strive for work-life balance or work-life harmony? Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Sarah Boison, digital strategist, about how we can support our colleagues, and ourselves, when we are experiencing burnout.

How do you center equity and justice in your fundraising efforts? Founder and Chief Purpose Officer of Gladiator Consulting, Rachel D'Souza-Siebert, chats with co-director, Farra Trompeter about how to shift our relationships with donors and bring more abundance to our fundraising.

Monthly giving programs bring more stability and sustainability to an organization. In this episode, Farra Trompeter chats with Dana Snyder, founder of Positive Equation, who shares tips on how to attract and engage repeat donors.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Craig Shelley, partner and chief growth officer at Orr Group discuss different approaches to develop and apply your organization’s strategic plan.

Communicating first or at the same time with your staff as external communications roll out builds trust. Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Fatima Jones, senior director of marketing and communication, at The Apollo, about what a high-functioning internal communications team can look like.

Why is it important to center your community in shaping and representing your organization’s brand? Ally Dommu, director of strategy, talks with Farra Trompeter, co-director, about the value and practices of community-informed branding.

Clear vision, mission, and values are essential to establishing and reinforcing your brand. Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Ryan Gerhardt, senior copywriter, explore how your vision, mission, and values can help provide clarity and build stronger, lasting connections with your audiences.

How can your organization use its vision, mission, and values to guide and inform your work? Farra, co-director, talks with Ruth McFarlane, chief advancement officer at Ms. Foundation for Women about their vision, mission, and value statements and how they were created.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, chats with Elandria Jackson Charles, chief development and communications officer at Blue Engine, about their decision to rebrand and the freedom and confidence that comes from being clear on who you are and what you stand for.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Rhea Wong, fundraiser and author of Get That Money, Honey!: The No-Bullsh*t Guide to Raising More Money For Your Nonprofit, chat about how people's feelings about money impact their ability to fundraise.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with DEI thought leader and author, Rhodes Perry, about the benefits of fostering belonging and inclusion in our workplaces–and the costs when we don’t. They discuss how to build power, understand exclusion, and steps you can take to actively make things better.

Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with equity and justice practitioner, coach, and consultant, Yejin Lee to discuss how white managers can disrupt harmful and racist behaviors, the importance of identification, reflection, and accountability for transformation.

Looking to raise awareness, increase visibility, and become a household name? Before any of this can happen, it is important to conduct research to understand your organization’s brand perception. Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Ally Dommu, director of strategy, share tips on how to get started with research, ways to engage your community, and how to process insights to make changes.

Ally Dommu, director of strategy, & Key Jackson, deputy executive director for programs & power building at GLSEN dive into facilitation practices and how to create spaces where all people can engage and feel comfortable joining in the discussion.