Blog

New nonprofit marketing communications website launches today

By Marlene Oliveira
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 | Leave a comment

Today, moflow launches a new website for the nonprofit marketing communications community: www.nonprofitmarcommunity.com. The Nonprofit MarCommunity is a guide to delivering nonprofit marketing communications, also offering opportunities for members to share their own experiences and insights.

Nonprofit Technology Conference: a communicator’s 1st time

By Marlene Oliveira
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 | 2 comments

Having just returned from the Nonprofit Technology Conference in Minneapolis, I'm sharing my experience highlight through my first Storify. I'm already looking forward to next year!

Coming soon: new website for nonprofit communicators

By Marlene Oliveira
Monday, April 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

This spring has been a season of intensive learning, planning and development here at moflow. Things have been quiet here on the blog because big plans are under way for a new moflow site: the Nonprofit MarCommunity.

Podcasts for nonprofit communicators

By Marlene Oliveira
Tuesday, March 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

Podcasts have made a real comeback in my ear buds. I realize the format is not new, and I’ll admit that I’ve even been a resister because I’m more of a kinesthetic versus auditory learner. However, it seems that the quality and variety of available podcasts is both improving and increasing, so I’m making more room for them in my listening habits.

Do you really need another brochure?

By Marlene Oliveira
Thursday, February 14, 2013 | 2 comments

Does your non-profit have a ‘go-to’ tactic – and you need to get out of the rut? Is your organization’s default set to ‘brochure’, ‘buckslip’ or ‘poster’? Or has new media caused a shift to ‘e-blast’, ‘microsite’ or [shudder] ‘viral video’?

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with any of these tactics (except thinking that you can plan for a video to go viral). But when non-profits fall into the trap of jumping straight to tactics, they fail to consider what might be the best way to reach a specific audience. Jumping to a tactic is an indication of not having thought about the audience for the communication at all.

Content marketing for non-profits (and for moflow)

By Marlene Oliveira
Thursday, January 17, 2013 | Leave a comment

Next month, I’ll be attending the Content Success Summit, presented by Mike Stelzner/Social Media Examiner. When this opportunity came up, I seized it right away because I benefitted so much from attending Mike’s Copywriting Success Summit in 2008 and the Social Media Success Summit in 2009.

I’m attending the Summit for two reasons...

Mission statements as marketing: a mistake for non-profits? Part 2

By Marlene Oliveira
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

Yesterday, Sam Frank, Principal, Synthesis Partnership shared some of his expertise on mission statements [link back]; an excellent primer and case for the importance and value of articulating mission statements. I invited Sam to guest post because I wanted him to help me convince readers not to use mission statements as marketing messages. It turns out that we don’t entirely agree, and we decided to share the rest of our conversation with you.

Mission statements as marketing: a mistake for non-profits? Part 1

By Marlene Oliveira
Tuesday, December 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

I feel that mission statements are frequently abused by non-profits. Given all of the heavy lifting we expect of mission statements, I think it’s a mistake to also expect them to serve as effective marketing messages – taglines in particular. To help make my point, I invited mission statement expert, Sam Frank, Principal at Synthesis Partnership,to weigh in on the matter. I ended up getting more of a debate than I expected. In part one of this post, Sam describes what mission statements are and why they are important. In part two – coming tomorrow – we will agree to disagree.

Non-Profit Marketer Profile: Marnie Grona, Director, Marketing & Communications, Imagine Canada

By Marlene Oliveira
Thursday, July 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Marnie Grona describes herself as cause-driven, much like the organization for which she works. Marnie is currently the Director of Marketing & Communications for Imagine Canada, an umbrella organization, with a mandate to support and strengthen charities and nonprofits. Marnie’s role includes leading the overall development and implementation of marketing communications strategies, ensuring brand standards are met, overseeing media relations, and providing leadership and development of the organization’s online presence.

Non-Profit Communicator Profile: Kate Sherman, Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors

By Marlene Oliveira
Thursday, June 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

Working with trade organizations is a specialty for Kate Sherman, Director, Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors. Kate’s experience within the sub-sector has included roles at the Pennsylvania Society of Association Executives and The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society prior to her current workplace. She explains that she has been attracted by the small-office environment, the friendliness of the members and the opportunity to help brand the organizations with which she has worked.