Donations and support increased after a nonprofit published an annual magazine
Release Date: 04/11/2023
Why a nonprofit changed its name — and avoided acronyms in the process
Nonprofit Storytellers
Changing the name of a nonprofit is tough. There’s often an affinity or long history to an organization’s name, and it’s not uncommon for an executive director to encounter at least some skepticism when proposing the switch. Executive Director Emily Shields didn’t shy away from a name change, however. She lead the effort to update the name of her organization, from Iowa Association of Community College Trustees to Community Colleges for Iowa. On the Nonprofit Storytellers podcast, we talk about: What prompted the name and brand change How she walked the organization...
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How an education nonprofit launched and is positioned to scale in Des Moines
Nonprofit Storytellers
How do you launch a nonprofit, find clients, community partners, and supporters? And how do you intentionally make decisions early on so the organization can scale later? Executive Director Noelle Nelson leads the new Avenue Scholars Des Moines organization, an expansion of an Omaha-based nonprofit that guides students through specific career exploration. The initiative doesn’t end after a student graduates high school or even a post-secondary degree or certificate, they stay with the student through getting their first industry job. On the podcast, we talk about launching in the...
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Launching a new nonprofit fundraising event
Nonprofit Storytellers
Dental Connections provides critical dental services to low-income individuals in the Des Moines area, as well as school-based dental services to students who might otherwise fall through the cracks. It’s hard to concentrate in school when you have a toothache; some students even contemplate pulling their own tooth before they learn about — and access — Dental Connections school-based or mobile clinics. When Carly Ross was hired as executive director, part of her goals was implementing a marketing strategy and raising awareness of what supporters saw as a “best-kept secret.”...
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A nonprofit's simple, sustainable, four-step fundraising and friendraising model
Nonprofit Storytellers
How do you consistently attract new donors, supporters, volunteers, and connectors? Mosaic is a nonprofit that supports adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Their simple, four-step fundraising model has impacted their organization and created a cycle of new supporters of their services. Bryanne Lang, the Resource Development Manager at Mosaic for its Central Iowa services, shares the fundraising model, and it has been so successful. Our conversation includes: The four steps of introduction, cultivation, solicitation, appreciation How monthly Zoom meetings...
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How a nonprofit's podcast is reducing the stigma of mental health while promoting their services
Nonprofit Storytellers
How do you reduce the stigma of mental health while raising awareness about your nonprofit’s services? Employee & Family Resources hosts a monthly podcast called Emotion Well, which shares stories of mental health challenges and how individuals have sought support and community through their journey. From cancer diagnosis to a loved one’s suicide, the episodes paint a raw picture of mental health while also tying back to EFR’s services as an employee benefits provider. Offering mental health and wellness services through the workforce is often a first stop on an...
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Why a nonprofit built relationships with the media — and stoked a local controversy
Nonprofit Storytellers
Eat Greater Des Moines is best known for its food rescue program, but the nonprofit is working to do far more — such as change the food system to make it better for everyone. In this interview with Executive Director Aubrey Alvarez, we discuss the importance of nonprofits reaching out and working with the media, regardless of the public relations or marketing budget. Alvarez has earned a reputation for being bold in sharing (sometimes controversial) stories with newspapers, television stations, business journals, online news outlets, and others. In the podcast, we talk about: ...
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How a nonprofit leverages partnerships for their campaign to reduce the stigma of mental illness
Nonprofit Storytellers
The Iowa Healthiest State Initiative is a nonprofit that wants every Iowan can live a healthy life. They work to create awareness and integrate solutions to improve the physical, social, and emotional well-being of Iowans. In May each year, they launch a statewide Mental Health Awareness Month campaign called Make it OK. The goal is to reduce the stigma of having a mental illness. Every nonprofit has a limited budget, and the Healthiest State Initiative is no different. What’s unique is how they’ve developed partnerships across businesses, media, sports, entertainment, and other industries...
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How a statewide nonprofit explains their 40 programs in three words
Nonprofit Storytellers
Have you ever struggled to articulate what your nonprofit does in a clear and concise way? That’s the challenge YSS was facing before they implemented a tagline that helped consolidate their message. More than just a nice sentence, their tagline has become the foundation of their marketing and communication efforts. Since rolling it out, YSS has structured its annual report, a video series, and presentations around a sentence — really, three words — that encompasses its 40 programs. On the Nonprofit Storytellers Podcast, we talk to Kayla Choate, director of marketing and...
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How Des Moines University’s president approached the nonprofit’s board about building a new campus
Nonprofit Storytellers
As president and CEO of Des Moines University, Angela Franklin has led the medical school through one of the most significant changes in its history: Building a new campus west of its current location near downtown Des Moines. On the Nonprofit Storytellers Podcast, Franklin talks about the Purple and Proud Campaign, what presenting such a large vision to the board was like, and how she handled naysayers. On the podcast, you’ll find a full interview that includes the following: How she approached her first year as president How she walked through a mission, vision, and value process...
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Why sharing survivor stories are critical to change, even at nonprofit galas and fundraising events
Nonprofit Storytellers
Ever wondered how sobering your nonprofit's gala speach should be? When Richard Schoeberl, the US team Lead for Hope for Justice, speaks at an event, he doesn’t view at it as entertainment. He wants people to leave with a better grasp of a horrendous crime of human trafficking. He recently was in Iowa to speak at their fundraiser. Some audience members were crying, they were so moved by the stories he shared of individuals — young girls, older women, and others — who had been enslaved. In this podcast, Host Mackenzie Walters talks with Richard about: How the...
info_outlineWhy would a publish an annual report that doesn’t look or feel like one?
Nonprofit Storytelles host Mackenzie Walters talks with Kate Hayden, who she knows from her journalism days, on an annual magazine that EMBARC published in November 2022.
The magazine carried a big announcement: EMBARC was splitting into two organizations. One focuses on serving all immigrants, while one continues to focus on the Burmese community.
A former business reporter, Kate is the marketing manager at RIVA, a new name for the nonprofit previously known as EMBARC, as the name EMBARC is being transferred to the new nonprofit.
On the podcast, we talk about the following:
- Why they launched an annual magazine instead of an annual report
- How they planned the editorial calendar and empowered staff to write stories
- How donations increased after the magazine was sent, and other reactions
- Why they also sent it to nonprofit grantmakers
- Why it was necessary to not just share their story, but to celebrate the stories they shared
To learn more:
→ 2021-22 Annual Magazine (Annual Report): https://www.embarciowa.org/2021-2022-report
→ EMBARC (now RIVA) website: https://www.embarciowa.org
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Nonprofit Storytellers features the stories of how not-for-profit professionals are sharing their organization’s story. From outreach to marketing to fundraising, host Mackenzie Walters leaders on how they accomplished their goals through smart storytelling.
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