Nonprofit Storytellers Mackenzie Walters

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 through the process 
The long-term strategy behind a name change 
Why she’s avoiding acronyms — but also won’t be the “name police”
And tips on how others might lead their nonprofit through the same process 
Link: https://www.ccforiowa.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.
→ More episodes and additional articles: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com
→ Sign up for our newsletter: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com/newsletter
→ Nonprofit Storytellers is published by StoryStruck Marketing. It's editorially independent. It's hosted and edited by owner Mackenzie Walters, a national award-winning journalist.
Thank you to our podcast advertisers:
→ Eden Plus — Fundraising consulting, including capital campaigns
→ International Translation Services — Interpretation and translation services via phone, video, or in-person
→ Harmony Consulting — Strategic planning, communications, and training

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 Des Moines area, key hires, and how Nelson is focusing on building a quality program that can grow and serve more students in Central Iowa. We talk about: 
What it takes to launch a nonprofit in a new location Key hires and why they’ve been critical to success Using current students to recruit new students and advise on how to use social media  How to be strategic in how you start a program to intentionally scale it later  Link: https://www.avescholarsdesmoines.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.
→ More episodes and additional articles: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com
→ Sign up for our newsletter: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com/newsletter
→ Nonprofit Storytellers is published by StoryStruck Marketing. It's editorially independent. It's hosted and edited by owner Mackenzie Walters, a national award-winning journalist.
Thank you to our podcast advertisers:
→ Eden Plus — Fundraising consulting, including capital campaigns
→ International Translation Services — Interpretation and translation services via phone, video, or in-person
→ Harmony Consulting — Strategic planning, communications, and training

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.” Like many nonprofits, Dental Connections had been operating under the radar while providing critical services, something she wanted to change. 
In the podcast, Carly talks about building out the nonprofit’s marketing efforts, launching and revamping a new signature fundraising event, and the importance of starting now to build the organization’s event and marketing infrastructure for later.
How to engage your nonprofit board in marketing  Launching a new signature fundraising event  The power of in-person testimonials during a fundraising event  Creating an informal instead of formal fundraising event   Building event infrastructure to grow for future years  Link: https://dentalconnectionsonline.com/
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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.
→ More episodes and additional articles: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com
→ Sign up for our newsletter: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com/newsletter
→ Nonprofit Storytellers is published by StoryStruck Marketing. It's editorially independent. It's hosted and edited by owner Mackenzie Walters, a national award-winning journalist.
Thank you to our podcast advertisers:
→ Eden Plus — Fundraising consulting, including capital campaigns (https://edenplus.org) 
→ International Translation Services — Interpretation and translation services via phone, video, or in-person (https://translatorsiowa.com)
→ Harmony Consulting — Strategic planning, communications, and training (https://www.harmonyconsultingdsm.com) 

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 continue to be an effective approach to introductory meetings How the captured stories of the people they serve How they share one person’s story for more than eight years without him being present at meetings Why appreciation is a critical fourth step for sustainable fundraising 
Link: https://www.mosaicinfo.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.
→ More episodes and additional articles: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com
→ Sign up for our newsletter: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com/newsletter
→ Nonprofit Storytellers is published by StoryStruck Marketing. It's editorially independent. It's hosted and edited by owner Mackenzie Walters, a national award-winning journalist.
Thank you to our podcast advertisers:
→ Eden Plus — Fundraising consulting, including capital campaigns (https://edenplus.org) 
→ International Translation Services — Interpretation and translation services via phone, video, or in-person (https://translatorsiowa.com)
→ Harmony Consulting — Strategic planning, communications, and training (https://www.harmonyconsultingdsm.com) 

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 individual’s mental health journey.
On this podcast, we talk with Johanna Dunlevy, the wellness and marketing manager at EFR, and the host of the Emotional Well podcast:
Why the nonprofit started a podcast about mental health and wellbeing  How she approaches people to share personal stories about their emotional health  How it ties back to their marketing strategy and promotes their services Their podcast set up, including software and production process  Link: https://efr.org
Podcast: https://efr.org/stay-connected/podcasts/
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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.
→ More episodes and additional articles: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com
→ Sign up for our newsletter: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com/newsletter
→ Nonprofit Storytellers is published by StoryStruck Marketing. It's editorially independent. It's hosted and edited by owner Mackenzie Walters, a national award-winning journalist.
Thank you to our podcast advertisers:
→ Eden Plus — Fundraising consulting, including capital campaigns
→ International Translation Services — Interpretation and translation services via phone, video, or in-person
→ Harmony Consulting — Strategic planning, communications, and training

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: 
Why she reached out to the media when she co-founded the nonprofit  How she’s cultivated relationships with the press  Why she was brutally honest about challenges — and decided to share her story instead of saying “no comment.” Why she continues to speak to the media to advance the nonprofit’s mission and effort to change the food system  Link: https://www.eatgreaterdesmoines.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.
→ More episodes and additional articles: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com
→ Sign up for our newsletter: www.nonprofit-storytellers.com/newsletter
→ Nonprofit Storytellers is published by StoryStruck Marketing. It's editorially independent. It's hosted and edited by owner Mackenzie Walters, a national award-winning journalist. 
Thank you to our podcast advertisers:
→ Eden Plus — Fundraising consulting, including capital campaigns
→ International Translation Services — Interpretation and translation services via phone, video, or in-person
→ Harmony Consulting — Strategic planning, communications, and training