Allison Carney Consulting

Category: Uncategorized

  • How to Create a Nonprofit Communications Plan from Scratch (Part 1)

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    This month, YNPN Seattle is posting blogs about “starting from scratch.” They’ll be giving you tips and advice on how to build things from the ground up—without burning out. My installment in is focused on creating an attainable, effective, and measurable communications plan. If you’re anything like me, starting from scratch is terrifying. You’re watching…

  • Thanking Rick Cohen

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    A great loss reverberated throughout the nonprofit sector this morning when Nonprofit Quarterly announced Rick Cohen’s passing. I don’t know how to process what his death means to philanthropy, nonprofits, or even journalism as a whole. Frankly, what I’m thinking of is when I first met him, when I asked him to speak at an event.…

  • Why Demi Lovato is Right about Nonprofits

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    Nonprofit leaders are constantly writing about the unequal relationship between nonprofits and the people and institutions which fund them. Pieces like Dan Pallotta’s famous TED Talk, the Overhead Myth, NCRP’s blog post on reverse grantmaking, Chronicle of Philanthropy op-eds, and Nonprofit with Balls’ Nonprofit Hunger Games all show specifics ways this plays out in the…

  • The Easy Elevator Pitch for your Nonprofit (Part 2)

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    Last week, I shared a simple equation for making an easy elevator pitch for your nonprofit. Take a quick look at that post before reading this one. We all know that creating a plan is half the battle. Implementing is where it can get very tricky. This blog post will detail how to implement it…

  • The Easy Elevator Pitch for your Nonprofit (Part 1)

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    There is one question that can strike fear into a nonprofit employee’s heart. “Oh and what does your nonprofit do?” We all know, of course, what we do. But everyone’s answer may be a little different.  And there is nothing worse than hearing a board member or volunteer’s response and immediately thinking, “Where did THAT…

  • 4 Easy Things You Can Do to Measure Your Nonprofit’s Communications

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    In PR, variables and exceptions go on forever. There’s no one answer to any question, and there really aren’t any blanket statements that help your nonprofit (except maybe don’t give your social media passwords to your intern). So when a nonprofit wants to improve their communications, it takes some research. There are too many variables…

  • Nonprofits Are All the Same (and Other Totally, Definitely True Things)

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    A few years ago, I was working with an organization which was having trouble with messaging, and I brought in a few communications firms to pitch a rebranding campaign. At the end of one such pitch, I asked what type of research they proposed doing. They responded with, “Well, we’ve worked with many nonprofits, so…

  • Happily Ever After: Why Nonprofits Should Commit to Communications

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    It has become common knowledge all nonprofits need to invest in communications. At the very minimum, they need to have a website and some messaging. Steps above that may include social media, traditional media relations, branding, e-mail marketing, and much more. But many of these investments are made as a big, one-time investment (i.e. “We need…

  • Why Millennials Are Not your Target Audience

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    Every organization is looking to reach more people. Companies are looking for more clients, nonprofits are looking for donors, and millennials (people aged 18-33) seem like a great target group. But there’s one problem. Just like all 60 year-olds are not the same, neither are 30 year-olds. Millennials are not an audience. There are about 92 million…

  • 4 Questions to Ask When Redesigning your Nonprofit Website

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    This week, I was writing some recommendations for an organization on the design of their new website. It had a beautiful look and feel, but the content was rather disorganized and confusing. And the truth is, it’s easy to find yourself in a similar situation. While there are many low-cost website options (WordPress, SquareSpace, Wix, etc.), most nonprofits don’t…