Marketing with Purpose – Details, episodes & analysis

So... have you heard about these new ADA web accessibility rules yet? If your first reaction was "Oh great, another thing I need to worry about," we totally get it. But honestly? This stuff isn't as scary as it sounds, and in the end it's actually going to make your website better for everyone.

Here's the deal, the Department of Justice finally gave us actual deadlines (April 2026 and 2027, depending on the number of people you serve), and a lot of government entities and nonprofits are scrambling to figure out what this means for them.

But before you schedule a task to “Panic About Google ADA
Compliance” at 2 AM, hit pause. Monica geeked out reading through all the official ADA documents (yes, she’s that person), and you know what? They actually make sense! The government followed their own accessibility rules when writing these guidelines. Who knew?

She broke down everything you need to know to get started:

• Who actually needs to comply (spoiler: it's way more than just city websites!)
• Those blessed exceptions that mean you don't have to fix EVERYTHING from the past 20 years
• Real deadlines so you know if you're in the 2026 or 2027 group
• What happens if you ignore this (hint: it involves dollar signs with lots of zeros)
• The actual standards explained without all the government-speak
• How to get started without losing your mind or your budget

The best part? These rules aren't about making your life harder—they're about making sure everyone in your community can actually use your website. And trust us, when you follow these guidelines, your site becomes easier for EVERYONE to navigate.

Read the fully formatted blog post to accompany this episode at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/ada-title-ii-website-accessibility-rules-exceptions/

And hey, if you listen to this and still have questions, feel free to send Monica an email to monica@mayecreate.com. She loves talking about this stuff (maybe a little too much, according to her family ).

Breaking News: Humans are now the minority on the internet. 

And no, this isn’t just tech drama.

That's right. According to the 2025 Imperva Bad Bot Report, automated, aka bot, traffic has overtaken human activity for the first time in ten years, making up more than half—51%—of all internet traffic last year. 

But don't worry, this isn't a Terminator-style apocalypse (yet). In this latest episode of Marketing with Purpose, Monica is joined by MayeCreate's Chief Website Security Officer and digital guardian angel, Rebecca Thomas.

Rebecca is MayeCreate’s frontline defender who keeps over 300 websites safe through our Safe Site program. When she isn't fighting off Russian spam bots or thwarting login attacks, she's developing systems to keep client websites running smoothly.

• Why your website analytics might be lying to you (hint: those aren't all real visitors!)
• The hilarious (and sometimes terrifying) things bots are trying to do on your website
• How to tell if you're being targeted by the bad bots
• 9 simple security steps that'll make hackers move on to easier targets
• Why two-factor authentication is Rebecca's security BFF (and should be yours too)

This isn't just tech talk for the IT crowd. If you own a website (or are responsible for one), this episode breaks down complex security concepts into normal language and straightforward advice that keeps the human advantage in the bot-versus-human battle.

Read the fully formatted blog post to accompany this episode at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/website-security-essentials-for-2025/

At lunch the other day a group of business people were complaining about how annoying their Google Business Profile is to use. 

Aaaaand they’re not wrong. But managing your profile is a necessary evil…like going to the dentist - you don’t have to love it but you do have to do it.

You want to show up when people search for you on Google, right?
Your Google Business Profile determines 9% of your organic search ranking.

Ever wondered how to get your business show up on the search results map?

Your Google Business Profile determines 32% of the factors that get you on that map.

And just like everything else Google there’s a trick to getting your profile set up correctly so you can use it to it’s fullest potential.

So in this episode Monica welcomes Marilyn Jenkins, CEO of MJ Media Group, to crack the code and teach us how to maximize our Google Business Profiles.

Marilyn shares some super simple ways to:

• Get more real reviews without feeling like a pest (we’ve all been there, right? )
• Show up in Google’s “Map Pack” (the top 3 spots that customers actually look at)
• Keep your profile updated so people trust you, click on you, and, oh yeah, buy from you

And the best part? It's easier than you think, once you know the tricks. So, give it a listen! You’ll be glad you did. 

Get the full transcript and episode summary on our website: [link to episode]

When I interviewed Kimberly O’Donnell with Network for Good I thought I’d learn all about donor management software. But you know what? I learned waaaay more.

She shares inside knowledge about:

• Current fundraising trends
• How organizations can embrace text messaging to communicate with donors
• Changes in the pipe for Network for Good
• What Bonterra’s recent purchase of Network for Good means for the company
• Ways to deepen relationships with donors by meeting them where they are

You’re sure to walk away with at least a nugget or two of goodness from this interview or at least enjoy geeking out with us!

Introducing Kimberly O’Donnel and Network for Good - 0:41
Fundraising trends - 10:23
Should we text donors? - 18:36
Exploring ways to connect to encourage donations - 23:15
The importance of communicating authentically - 26:40
Finding time to do the work - 32:36
Listening to customers to improve Network for Good - 38:23
Resources available through Network for Good - 46:55
Becoming “anti-fragile” - 52:52
Where to find more about Network for Good - 54:34

For a fully-formatted blog post of this episode, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/the-future-of-fundraising-with-network-for-goods-kimberly-odonnell/

How did an all-volunteer organization raise $20,000 in one month? We sat down with Michelle Ribaudo and Laura Wakefield from MoDE Foundation to find out. They share things that worked, things they’d do differently, and why planning ahead and training made all the difference to their success. 

Introductions of Michelle, Laura and MoDE Foundation - 2:13
Getting started with CoMoGives - 8:04
Using training and templates to raise $20,000 - 10:14
What would they change or keep for next year? - 15:28
Creating a mini-event within the campaign - 17:28
Utilizing targeted peer-to-peer giving - 21:42
Reaching donors through personalized thank you notes - 27:33
Advice for others participating in year-end giving campaigns - 32:10
Gaining momentum through cooperation with other organizations - 34:55
Learn more about MoDE Foundation - 41:00

For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/year-end-giving-success-story-missouri-disability-empowerment-foundation/

We're talking about donor management systems again! In this episode, we welcome Wende Wagner, Director of Philanthropy for the Missouri Symphony, who discusses their system of choice, Bloomerang, how they chose it, and her favorite and not-so-favorite parts of the platform.

They converted over from Neon and really like the data management and integration tools Bloomerang offers. Join me as I interview Wende to learn why!

Introduction to the Missouri Symphony - 1:31

Donor Management before Bloomerang - 5:14

Functionality of Bloomerang - 11:14

Using Bloomerang for Events - 13:59

Fom building capabilities in Bloomerang - 15:40

Bloomerang integration with accounting software - 24:48

Reporting in Bloomerang - 29:39

Using Bloomerang for printed mailings - 35:37

What Bloomerang costs and advice - 39:00

How to contact Wende - 43:15

For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/bloomerang-from-a-users-perspective-with-guest-wende-wagner/

We’ve been told Network for Good can be an expensive, but amazingly comprehensive donor management system. So, I reached out to one of our nonprofit friends who uses it to find out if it’s worth the cost.

Spoiler Alert - for Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, it totally is. From ticket sales to donor data management to text reminders, Network for Good helps them market with purpose. 

Billy Polansky and his team at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture had been using a cobbled together system revolving around Microsoft Access which was better than nothing but not what they needed. After reviewing 3 or 4 systems they decided on Network for Good. Hear how they use it and why they love it as I interview Billy in this episode!

Introduction to Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture - 1:49
Why invest in a donor management system? - 4:25
What does Network for Good do? - 6:40
How does Network for Good integrate ticket sales and giving? - 10:53
How easy is it to import existing data? - 15:08
How easy is it to learn and use Network for Good? - 17:17
How often does Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture use the communication features? - 22:00
What customization options are available? - 25:20
What is customer support like? - 27:04
Is Network for Good a good value for the cost? - 28:37
Where to learn more about Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture - 36:40

For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/network-for-good-from-a-users-perspective-with-guest-billy-polansky/

While everything is getting back to “normal,” I don't want you to forget the things you learned when you couldn't fundraise the same way you always had. 

We shouldn’t leave the skills we developed out of necessity on the table. 

Let’s review some tech-easy online fundraising event ideas we talked about way back in 2020. Those events, those activities, can fill in the gap for you. They can boost your fundraising. 

Read the blog post at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/tech-easy-online-fundraising-event-ideas/

Download 14 Tech-Easy Online Event Ideas for Fundraising

This is the first major change in over a decade. My frenemy Google keeps emailing me about how stuff is changing, and my greatest fear is all those emails get stuck in your junk mail. 

Google is trying to create something that will be an equally awesome as the Universal Analtyics tracking system we've enjoyed for so long without making people use cookies to track user behavior on the websites. 

Having a deadline is great and all but here’s the deal. We don’t know how long your current account is going to exist, and we don’t know how long you’re going to have access to it. We all need to get on board and make the switch ASAP. In this episode I'll tell you who need to worry about it, who doesn't and what to do to keep the data rolling in!

Read this episide in blog form at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/google-analytics-4-the-time-to-freak-out-is-nigh/

Organizations find all kinds of ways to manage donor data.  Some use a subscription service. But Enola’s organization is an amazing example of working with what you have. Instead of paying additional fees for another system, Enola found out she could use Square, a point of sale program, as a customer relationship management tool. Let’s find out how she does that — because if you’re not ready to invest in a dedicated donor management program, this might be a great option for you!

For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/using-square-as-a-crm-with-guest-enola-white/