The Smart Communications Podcast

The strongest teams are built on honesty, care, and trust. Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Desiree Adaway, founder and principal of The Adaway Group, and Jessica Fish, facilitator, educator, and researcher, about moving from a culture of nice to a culture of care, where people can speak openly, share real feedback, and trust one another. They explore how organizations can extend the same care to their staff that they show the people they serve, the skills teams can build to strengthen trust, and how slowing down leads to better work. You’ll also get practical steps for leaders and for staff without formal authority who want to help their organization’s culture thrive.

Awareness months can bring a flood of attention to your cause, but that attention can fade. Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Elana Silber, CEO of Sharsheret, the national Jewish breast and ovarian cancer organization, about how Sharsheret treats Breast Cancer Awareness Month as the start of a relationship, not a one-off moment. They explore ways to creatively use events to educate your community and how to adapt materials for different audiences without changing the facts. You’ll also learn practical ways to segment and follow up with the people you meet during an awareness month so they stay engaged all year.

Nonprofit swag can be something that people want to use and wear. Carl Glenn, director of communications and strategy at Grand Street Settlement, talks with Farra Trompeter, co-director, about turning merchandise into a storytelling tool. They explore how to make affordable, wearable swag that staff and community members actually want, how a fundraiser tapped into local themes that turned products into program stories, and how a children’s book became a relationship-building tool. Get practical, budget-conscious ideas for making your brand something people want to carry with them.

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 Trompeter, co-director, talks with Tony Martignetti, evangelist for planned giving and author of Planned Giving Accelerated, about why planned giving is easy, accessible, and affordable for organizations of any size. They explore Tony's three-step launch framework, and discuss why donors who include you in their will actually increase their annual giving. You’ll also learn how to reframe planned giving from a "death conversation" to a joyful legacy conversation and practical low-lift marketing tactics. Get actionable advice for launching a planned giving program this month—with no additional staff.

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 service development, talks with Ben Nathan, filmmaker and founder of All of Us Films, about making accessible, authentic video storytelling a regular part of your nonprofit's communications strategy. They explore why authenticity resonates more than polished content, how to ethically capture stories from clients and donors, and the right and wrong ways to use AI in nonprofit video. They also talk about Impact Reel, Ben’s scalable model designed for nonprofit budgets. Get practical advice on starting with what you have, interviewing techniques that feel natural, and one simple challenge to get your video practice started this month.

Updating a brand across connected, yet independent organizations is no small feat. Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Omoiye Kinney, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for United Way Worldwide, about managing a global brand refresh across 1,000 local United Ways in 30+ countries. They explore how United Way conducted an 18-month data-driven process that centered trust and listening with network leaders and balanced brand consistency with local autonomy. Omoiye shares lessons on phasing brand rollout, empowering brand ambassadors, connecting brand to fundraising, and why your brand is more fragile than you think. Get practical strategies for any organization managing a nonprofit brand.

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 dissolution rather than let it persist in a weakened state. Farra Trompeter, co-director, talks with Dr. Lester about what leaders need to make difficult decisions, from embracing ambiguity to building collaborative decision-making processes. They explore how Traci communicated internally and externally through the crisis, the importance of vulnerability and support systems, and why emerging leaders should still lean into this work. Get honest insight into leadership, change management, and what it really takes to thrive.

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 advancement officer at Brooklyn Community Services, about building internal communications that work. They explore practical tools to boost staff morale and recruitment and strengthen external messaging. Get actionable steps to make your staff feel heard and connected to your mission.

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 how to conduct a brand audit, the power of consistency, where taglines fit in, and the hidden financial costs of solving the wrong problem. Get practical tools to assess your brand before making an expensive decision.

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 cycle and how brand strategy offers a way out. They explore the power of vision, the importance of clarity and brand personality, and the action steps nonprofits can take to become both fundable and findable. Get practical tools to help your organization rethink its approach to fundraising.