Tune in for stripped down, acoustic style conversations with purposeful marketing pros (that's you!) and practitioners at cause-based and membership-based nonprofits to breakdown how they think about and do marketing. We'll also breakdown real campaigns they’ve run or worked on, what worked and what didn’t. Plus, synthesize takeaways for your next campaign. As a bonus, we curate the beats (actual songs, artists, albums) that keep them focused, inspired, and fueled while they do marketing!
Curated by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://feathr.co (https://www.feathr.co))
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Building a Durable Growth Plan for Your Nonprofit with Tobes Kelly
Season 3 · Episode 18
Tuesday, January 2, 2024 • Duration 36:57
“You need to be debriefing fast and often. What is working? What is not working? Why? How do we stop doing what's not working, or scale up what is? I think that's both an internal conversation as much as it is valuable to be having with your agencies.”
In this episode of Unplugged we’re joined by Tobes Kelly, former VP of Digital Fundraising and Marketing at UNICEF and founder of the substack Some Personal News (SPN). Tobes offers guidance on prioritizing retention, cultivating community, and leveraging brand partnerships. You’ll walk away with practical advice on balancing acquisition and retention, asking the right strategic questions, and focusing your resources on the right audiences rather than channels alone. This conversation provides a roadmap for sustainable growth through changing times. You don't want to miss it! 🎧
Episode Highlights
Tobes shares his career journey from media agency to UNICEF and his current work today (1:00)
Trends for nonprofits to watch in the new year: retail media networks, brand IP partnerships, shoppable TV ads (6:00)
Advice on building a strategic growth plan: look outside your sector for inspiration, debrief fast and often (10:00)
The importance of experimentation and embracing disagreement within teams (14:00)
Balancing acquisition and retention investments, with a focus on retention in constrained times (20:00)
Shifting from a channel-first to audience-first mindset in planning (26:00)
Leveraging social proof, ratings, and reviews to build trust with communities (32:00)
About Tobes Kelly
Tobes formerly served as the VP of Digital Fundraising and Marketing at UNICEF, and is the founder of the Substack, Some Personal News or "SPN" where he’s discovering how to leverage digital tools, platforms and ecosystems to drive incremental revenue and customer growth.
Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.
Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr’s very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.
Solution-Based Storytelling: How This Nonprofit Uses Girl-Led Activism to Grow Awareness & Impact with Kate Lord
Season 3 · Episode 17
Tuesday, December 19, 2023 • Duration 29:30
“I do always think that there is room to amplify the voices of the people that you serve and center those voices. One great way is to set up focus groups as much as you can to get those ideas and voices. To show them what you've been working on, and what you made before. And then ask them, “What do you think? What are your ideas? If you could make a campaign for this organization? What would you do?””
This week in the studio we’re joined by Kate Lord, Director of Advocacy and Communications at She's the First. She discusses the innovative Girl Activist Fellowship program launched last year that empowered 30 girls to create and lead four advocacy campaigns for the organization. Kate shares details about the campaigns around poetry, children's books, art shows, and interviews. Tune in for powerful conversation about how to create campaigns with blended outcomes across programs, communities, and donor engagement. You’ll hear best practices for designing community-driven campaigns that achieve mission impact at scale through grassroots leadership and partnership.
Episode Highlights
Kate’s journey to the work she is doing today + an overview of She’s The First (1:00)
Overview of the four campaigns led by Girl Activist Fellows (10:00)
Metrics and impact of the poetry social media campaign (16:00)
Lessons learned from this year’s campaigns (18:30)
How this year’s unique art show campaign engaged donors and communities (22:00)
Learning to expect your communities to propose bolder ideas than you could ever imagine (24:00)
Kate’s best practices and lessons learned for community-driven campaign design (26:00)
About Kate:
Kate is a social media strategist, photographer, and videographer based in Carrboro, N.C. From local newspapers to The Wall Street Journal to New York University, her career has taken her all over the globe to tell stories in newsprint, on news websites, and on social media.
In 2022, she earned my M.A. in Digital Advocacy and Brand Communication from New York University. She believes that nonprofit organizations can tell stories that lead with their values, preserve the dignity of their communities, and raise money.
How To Design Impactful Digital Fundraising Campaigns: Insights from ALIMA's Viral “Breath For All" with Charlie Kunzer and Neda Azarfar
Season 3 · Episode 16
Tuesday, December 12, 2023 • Duration 47:48
“For us, it was figuring out all the elements of that encounter between ALIMA and the audience to make it more than a scroll through but an actual moment.”
Today in the studio, we take a deep dive into the viral "Breath for All" campaign created by nonprofit ALIMA in partnership with Nazar Works. Neda Azarfar, Founder of Nazar Works, and ALIMA USA’s executive director Charlie Kunzer share their unique paths to working in the nonprofit sector and discuss their chance meeting that led to this groundbreaking collaboration. Listen in as they explain how thorough audience research informed the development of a viral campaign focused not only on awareness, but on creating an engaging experience. ALIMA was able to bring the global issue of lack of medical oxygen access closer to home. Tune in to learn how understanding your audience at a cultural level can result in a message that resonates and inspires action on a massive scale. 🎧
Episode Highlights
Charlie and Neda’s path into working in the social impact space (1:00)
Overview of the Breath for All campaign (9:00)
Better understanding your audience + prepping for digital campaigns (14:00)
How ALIMA approached marketing this campaign across all their different channels (24:00)
Engaging influencers in your mission + campaigns (29:00)
Measuring success + impact for digital campaigns (35:00)
How to engage with the campaign + ALIMA (45:00)
About Charlie Kunzer and Neda Azarfar
Charlie Kunzer oversees ALIMA USA as Executive Director based in New York. She was instrumental in the opening of the ALIMA USA office and has been developing the fundraising department there since 2015. She began her career at JP Morgan Fleming Asset Management, then at the Science Museum in London before holding several development positions for more than 10 years with Doctors Without Borders USA in New York. Charlie Kunzer holds bachelor’s degrees with Honors in International Relations and Modern History from the University of Westminster, London.
Segmenting for Success: Reaching Multiple Audiences Through Targeted Campaigns with Camille Currie
Season 3 · Episode 15
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 • Duration 33:50
“I think that many look for only the positive, right? What data is really going to amplify us? And of course you want that, but I think it's also important to perhaps spotlight data that shows the gap. Because in the gap, there might be some gray space where you might be able to really leverage and to tell a story that's fresh and new.”
Camille Currie, VP of Marketing and Communications at NAF, joins us this week in the studio to discuss her career journey and how she’s applying lessons from sports marketing to the nonprofit space today. NAF segments their audiences into 6 key groups, and Camille shares their strategies around storytelling and targeting campaigns to uniquely engage each with their mission. You’ll hear how NAF analyzes their data to uncover new stories and highlights their focus on activating alumni networks. This conversation offers valuable best practices for nonprofit marketers on community engagement, audience segmentation, and leveraging data to strengthen marketing efforts and mission impact. Can’t wait for you to hear it 🎧
Episode Highlights
Camille’s journey from sports marketing to nonprofits (1:00)
Overview of NAF's mission and the six audiences their marketing team focuses on (3:00)
NAF's focus on "future readiness" rather than a defined path and how work-based learning supports this (7:00)
NAF’s strategies for balancing campaigns across six audiences, including dividing work and understanding where each group resides (10:00)
Details of a successful 2021 campaign called "Name Your Future" that activated their educator network (12:00)
How NAF continues to leverage the voices and stories from their communities in ongoing campaigns (18:00)
Data-informed storytelling tips (23:00)
Lessons learned from a career in sports marketing that Camille is now bringing to nonprofits (28:00)
About Camille and NAF:
Camille Currie currently serves as the VP of Marketing and Communications at NAF. NAF aims to address the economic and social disparities that have marginalized too many students in this country by bringing schools and businesses together to better prepare students — especially those in under-resourced communities — for a life of upward mobility and success.
Building a Trusted Nonprofit Brand: A Conversation with Shelley Diamond of UNICEF USA
Season 3 · Episode 14
Tuesday, November 28, 2023 • Duration 31:26
“Does everyone in your organization speak about, understand, and behave in a way that aligns with your mission? Because without that, there's no authenticity, and authenticity leads to trust. And you have to put that lens on everything.”
Today we have Shelley Diamond, Chief Marketing Officer of UNICEF USA, in the studio to discuss the organization's approach to building a trusted nonprofit brand. Shelley gives us an insider’s look at the balancing act of staying true to your mission while keeping the brand relevant and impactful. Throughout the conversation, Shelley emphasizes the role of marketing in driving both impact and growth through mission-driven storytelling, innovation, and authentic engagement with communities. Tune in for insights on developing brand trust and retaining relevance that can be applied to nonprofit marketing strategies of all sizes. 🎧
Episode Highlights
Shelley background and journey to UNICEF USA (1:00)
UNICEF's brand challenge of being well-known but not well-understood (4:30)
Examples of innovative programs that showcase UNICEF USA's brand strengths (12:00)
Role of innovation and keeping marketing aligned with strategic goals (16:00)
Specific initiatives like the "We Won't Stop" campaign and its performance (22:00)
Advice for other nonprofits in building trusted brands (25:00)
About Shelley:
Shelley Diamond is a passionate builder of global brands and businesses, with expertise across an integrated array of communications disciplines. As one of the highest ranking female executives in advertising (named the 11th Most Powerful Woman in Advertising by Business Insider, among other accolades), Shelley has helped champion marketing transformation for domestic and global clients in both the consumer and B-to-B spaces.
UNICEF is on the ground in 190 countries and territories, providing children with the lifesaving supplies and assistance they desperately need. UNICEF won’t stop until every child is healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Shelley and her team are responsible for building the UNICEF brand and communicating its mission "to be the leading child rights organization" to the US market.
Using Digital Marketing like Fast-Growing Companies to Optimize the Donor Journey with Cameron Bartlett
Season 3 · Episode 13
Tuesday, November 21, 2023 • Duration 33:00
“We separated each of the ways that we're serving clients, as well as the way that we're fundraising into individual products. We're obviously well synced together as a team, but I really liked the way that we've been able to spread out each of those. And though we understand they work together, and it’s all a part of again that master donor attorney, we've treated each of these with the attention to care that they individually need.”
This episode of Unplugged features Cameron Bartlett, VP of Performance Marketing at Stop Soldier Suicide. You’ll hear insights into Stop Soldier Suicide's marketing approach and Cameron's experience applying digital marketing strategies from high-growth companies to innovative nonprofits.
Cameron shares how Stop Soldier Suicide has separated their fundraising channels into distinct "products" to optimize each individually, their success with Facebook fundraisers, and best practices for measuring marketing performance holistically across channels, as well as the importance of testing and experimentation. This convo offers nonprofit marketers practical advice on optimizing the donor journey with data and mobilizing supporter networks. You don’t want to miss it 🎧
Episode Highlights
Cameron’s background and experience in the social impact space (1:00)
Stop Soldier Suicide's marketing structure and Cameron's role (15:00)
How the organization has separated fundraising channels into distinct "products" (16:50)
Their success with Facebook fundraisers and engaging supporters without donations (17:00)
Best practices for building the donor journey and testing optimizations (5:00)
Applying digital marketing mindsets from high-growth companies to nonprofits (10:00)
Measuring marketing performance holistically across channels and over time (21:00)
The importance of testing, experimentation, and sharing both successes and failures (25:50)
Emerging trends like engaging supporters through non-monetary activations (29:00)
About Cameron:
Cameron has led award-winning digital marketing and fundraising campaigns for social good. He's a fractional CMO / Marketing Director and who unlocks team's potential helps them grow quickly — often helping them 2-3X revenue in their first year together. He's worked with nonprofits like New Story, IJM, Compassion, Cure, World Vision and uses digital marketing like fast-growing companies do to fundraise more for their cause.
Multichannel Marketing that Drives Results: A Food Bank Case Study with Katie Adkins
Season 3 · Episode 11
Thursday, November 16, 2023 • Duration 34:05
“The marketing that you're doing is going to induce so much other giving. When we do marketing campaigns that are focused on fundraising we often see volunteerism increase, or we see food donations increase, and we see new community connections that arise.”
This week we have Katie Adkins, Director of Communications at the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, in the studio. Katie shares her journey from working in higher education communications to finding her calling at the food bank. She discusses the food bank's innovative new food distribution model and the capital campaign to fund their new facility. Katie also provides insights into how the food bank runs multifaceted marketing campaigns, leveraging segmentation, digital and traditional channels. She offers tips on community building, measuring holistic impact, and overcoming challenges of competing initiatives. Nonprofit marketers will walk away with practical lessons on driving engagement and fundraising success from Katie's experiences. You don’t want to miss it!
Episode Highlights
Katie's career journey from higher ed communications to the food bank (1:00)
Running integrated, multichannel campaigns like their Score Against Hunger initiative (6:30)
Details of the food bank's capital campaign for their new facility (9:00)
Leveraging segmentation for different audiences and initiatives (16:00)
Balancing capital campaign fundraising with general operations support (16:00)
Complimentary Direct Mail x Digital Strategies (16:30)
Holistic metrics for measuring marketing impact beyond digital analytics (28:00)
Community building through digital and in-person engagement (31:00)
About Katie and The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri:
Katie is a passionate communications professional with experience in higher education and the business sector, and is currently the Director of Communication at The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri.
The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri is a regional disaster and hunger relief network that acquires and distributes millions of pounds of food annually to partner agencies across a 32-county area.
How To Create Greater Synergy Between Development And Marketing (Rewind) — Courtney Bugler
Season 3 · Episode 10
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 • Duration 43:05
Courtney Bugler, President and CEO of ZERO Prostate Cancer, joins us in the studio to dive into how to create greater synergy between development and marketing within our organizations. In her former role at Piedmont Park Conservancy, she served as the Chief Development and Marketing Officer and has a unique perspective to speak on forming synergy between marketing and fundraising departments.
She says, “Marketing and fundraising are ultimately the same thing. They’re relationship building and storytelling. They just do it in different ways.”
Courtney talks specifically through strategies that she’s putting in place to increase productivity, efficiency, and revenue. But at the heart of all her plans are a deep commitment to the best for her team and her community. You don't want to miss this one!
Bio:
Courtney is the President and CEO of PZERO Prostate Cancer. She is a strategic and visionary nonprofit leader able to successfully bring organizational change, drive new partnerships, solve complex business development challenges, and manage key relationships to generate long-term growth.
She’s also a national thought leader on peer to peer fundraising with extensive experience in a 360 degree development shop. Her work combines expert strategic planning and business planning competencies with consistent success in achieving objectives, creating programs, leading employees, and consistently delivering strong and sustainable financial results.
Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.
Centering Equity in Communications: A Discussion on Inclusive Campaign Design - Jazmín Chávez
Season 3 · Episode 10
Thursday, October 26, 2023 • Duration 45:29
“In our work, it is also about how do we scale empathy in this moment? And especially right now. What is the story that we can tell that brings folks along? We really begin at a human centered approach and community centered approach. What is the story that they want us to tell?”
This week's episode of Good Marketing Unplugged is all about community-centered communications! Jazmin Chavez, VP of Innovation, Equity and Communications at Hispanics in Philanthropy, joins us in the studio to discuss how to use storytelling, digital strategies and inclusive design to further your mission (and scale empathy!). She shares how each step of her journey has shaped her understanding of using digital tools in narrative building and community organization. Tune in for inspiration on how to effectively mobilize communities, measure impact, and center equity and inclusion in your marketing and communications.
Episode Highlights
Jazmin’s background and journey from law school to a career in communications (1:00)
An overview of Hispanics in Philanthropy's mission (7:00)
How Hispanics in Philanthropy uses digital strategy, communications and storytelling to further their work (11:00)
A highlight on HIP’s COVID relief fund that raised over $2 million for communities across the US and Mexico, with a hyperlocal volunteer strategy and digital trainings for organizations (13:00)
Jazmin’s for measuring impact beyond just impressions and engagement metrics (20:00)
How HIP stays innovative in its digital marketing approaches in a fast changing world (24:00)
Jazmin’s tips for mobilizing community to help expand communities (28:00)
The importance of centering equity, inclusion and communities in marketing and communications efforts (35:00)
About Jazmin:
A lawyer by trade, Jazmin brings over 11 years of experience in online strategy for nonprofits, social justice campaigns, online fundraising, & campaign analytics. With 14+ years experience in community organizing, advocacy, and strategic outreach in underrepresented communities, she has utilized communications and legal theory to examine new tactics for digital mobilization and movement building, using social media platforms and narrative power analysis as it relates to Latino outreach strategies. As the former Deputy Director of Public Technology and Digital Strategy for Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the New York City Council, Jazmin focused on access, inclusion, and innovation across platforms to advance the Speaker and Council’s work.
How Marketing Leaders Can Help Steer Their Organization Toward Growth (Rewind) — Robb Lee
Season 3 · Episode 9
Tuesday, October 17, 2023 • Duration 47:13
Marketing is about making the best decisions you can with the information you have in hand. This is why marketing teams have to be comfortable, “building the plane while flying it.” Organizations change and grow, and because of this, marketers have to be ready to adapt and iterate. The best plans allow for and welcome the unexpected.
Robb Lee, CMO for ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership, talks through strategies for involving marketing in larger organizational decision making.
He said, “That’s where the advantage of marketing can come in. We know all the data… And we can apply this to a business decision… This is a pathway into those upstream conversations, whether you’re invited or not.”
Bio:
As a CMO, Robb solves one primary mystery for association CEOs — how to create revenue that keeps on giving.
Capturing market share is about one ‘simply complex’ idea: creating and sustaining brand loyalty. When we deliver value better than anyone else and communicate that value through the right channels and in the right ways, people will be compelled to invest — and reinvest — in their professional future. With us.
Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.
She serves as the Director of Advocacy & Communications at She’s the First, a nonprofit that teams up with grassroots, women-led organizations to ensure that girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard.
Kate has shared, “I believe that there is a better, more inclusive way to communicate about our campaigns. It is possible to successfully raise money for a cause while keeping the focus on the needs of local people rather than the needs of donors. We can, as nonprofit communicators, create marketing that doesn’t exploit. We can include our clients in the storytelling process from beginning to end. “
Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.
Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr’s very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.
Neda Azarfar is the head of Nazar Works, the agency that managed the campaign strategy, creative and production, messaging, media planning and buying, and influencer engagement strategy and outreach. With a background in the start-up tech space, Neda was a key member of the team that helped relaunch Myspace as a music discovery platform in 2011. Shifting gears, she transitioned to the non-profit world in 2014, when she became the Vice President of Marketing Communications at the Recording Academy, the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards. Working at the nexus of entertainment and social good, Neda helped to pass pro-creator music legislation, launch donor communications platforms, and establish digital fundraising programs.
Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.
Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr’s very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.
After earning her Bachelor’s in Mass Communication from Delaware State University and a Master’s in Public Relations from West Virginia University, she took her passion for writing and communications to the sports and fashion industries.
After a decade, she wanted more. She wanted to align her personal beliefs with her career and dedicate her work to impactful outcomes and solutions for under-resourced communities and individuals.
“Joining NAF is the next chapter in a career committed to supporting opportunity and access for students. Helping young people during a pivotal time in their lives, like high school, is a great honor.”
Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.
Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr’s very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.
Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.
Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr’s very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.
He’s helped organizations use social media digital to reach over 125M people and innovative digital fundraising strategies to raise millions of dollars for important global initiatives. Including for some of the world’s most influential nonprofits, musicians, thought leaders and innovative businesses.
His work has been featured on Mashable, The Next Web and Apple's Top 100 apps.
He’s currently serving as the VP of Performance Marketing at Stop Soldier Suicide. The military suicide rate is 57% higher than the national average, and thye’re here to change that.
Hosted by the brilliant team at Feathr (https://www.feathr.co/).
Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.
Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr’s very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.
As a member of Feeding America, The Food Bank is able to work with manufacturers, wholesalers, processors, growers, retailers and restaurants to secure donations and food at reduced costs.
The Food Bank partners with more than 145 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other agencies to ensure food gets into the hands of those who need it most. The Food Bank also works with nearly 200 schools to help students receive nutritious food. They provide food at no charge to our partners, which means hunger-relief organizations across our service area can afford to operate.
Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.
Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr’s very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.
Born in Juarez, Mexico but raised in Denver, and a former DREAMer, Jazmin remains committed to fighting for immigrant rights across the country and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Lideres Board of LatinoJustice PRLDEF and a board member of Rural and Migrant Ministry, an organization that advocates for the rights of farmworkers in New York state. Jazmin holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Most importantly, Jazmin is a proud mama and loves being married to her best friend and partner in crime.
Feathr is the nonprofit marketing platform designed to help mission and member-based organizations build purposeful connections with their community to grow impact with confidence.
Special thanks to our producer, We Are For Good Studios, and to Feathr’s very own Max Anderson, who wrote and performed our theme song.
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