The Smart Communications Podcast

Episode 220: How can you accelerate planned giving?

Planned giving can feel intimidating, especially if your team is small and your days are already full. But you don’t need dedicated staff, or expensive resources. Farra T

Episode 219: How can nonprofits make videos sustainably?

Video is increasingly how people connect with nonprofits today, but many communications teams feel stuck: they lack time, budget, and skills. Ally Dommu, director of serv

Episode 218: How can you update a brand across a federated network?

Updating a brand across connected, yet independent organizations is no small feat. Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Omoiye Kinney, executive vice president and ch

Episode 217: What do leaders need to make difficult decisions?

When tasked with charting a course forward, Dr. Traci Lester, the final president of The Opportunity Agenda (TOA), chose to lead the organization through a deliberate dis

Episode 216: How can you get staff to feel seen in your communications?

Staff engagement starts with a simple principle: in order for staff to feel seen, they have to see you. Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Raine Martin, chief advan

Episode 215: Does your nonprofit really need a new name?

Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Ryan Gerhardt, copy director at Big Duck, discuss when a name change makes sense and when the real problem is something else. They cover

Episode 214: Why can’t more fundraising fix your fundraising?

Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Kevin L. Brown, CEO of Mighty Ally and author of Fundable & Findable, about why so many nonprofits get stuck in the starvation cy

Episode 213: How can you get your board to fundraise?

How can nonprofits get their board to fundraise without relying on rigid or stressful demands? In this episode, Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Amber Hamilton, f

Episode 212: How can we be brave and embrace conflict?

What if conflict could strengthen your relationships and drive meaningful change? Farra Trompeter, co-director, interviews Altagracia Montilla, founder of A.M. Consulting

Episode 211: Why do communicators need a seat at the table?

Why are nonprofit communicators so often brought in at the end of a project and treated more like an order-taker than a strategic partner? Farra Trompeter, co-director, t

Episode 210: What is the connection between your brand and hiring?

What does your brand have to do with hiring? More than you think. Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Olivia Freire, director of operations, to explore how a clear,

Episode 209: How can we build trust, bridge divides, and engage communities?

How can nonprofits connect more meaningfully with the people they serve during times of deep division and declining trust? Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Doug H

Episode 208: How can you lead an inclusive strategic planning process?

What does it take to really lead an inclusive strategic planning process, and why does it matter? Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Dr. Renee Rubin Ross, author of

Episode 207: How can you center community voices in messaging?

What does it really mean to center community voices in your messaging? Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Logan Herring, CEO of The WRK Group, about how organizatio

Episode 206: How can you use science to engage donors?

What if fundraising strategy started with the brain? Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Cherian Koshy, CFRE, CAP, author of Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decisi

Episode 205: Why is it important to change how you talk to funders?

How you talk to your funders shapes how they understand your work, your community, and your impact. Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with grant writer and fundraising

Episode 204: Is the field of nonprofit communications coming of age?

Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Kivi Leroux Miller, founder and chief strategy officer of the Nonprofit Marketing Guide, discuss insights from the 16th annual Nonprofit

Episode 203: How to bridge belonging in your narratives?

Narratives don’t just tell stories; they shape meaning. Farra Trompeter, co-director, and Sadé Dozan, vice president of advancement at Borealis Philanthropy, discuss how

Episode 202: How can you put AI to work for your nonprofit?

AI is reshaping nonprofit work, but adopting it responsibly takes intention. Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Cheryl Contee, chief innovation officer at BrightW

Episode 201: How do you approach rebranding a 100 year old nonprofit?

Insights from a major nonprofit rebrand! Join Ally Dommu, director of service development, and Brad Drazen, vice president of communications and marketing at Greater Hart