Posts by Jenna Silverman

Do you know a Do Gooder in Brooklyn? August 18th, 2010 by Jenna Silverman

Our friends and neighbors over at the Brooklyn Community Foundation have just announced an open call for nominations for its annual Do Gooder awards. From now through September 30, 2010, the larger Brooklyn community (including us in DUMBO) is invited to submit nominations online for those who they believe best embody the Foundation’s motto (and tagline developed by us!) to “Do Good Right Here.” Nominees should display an outstanding sense of giving back locally–with time, talent, or charity.

BCF_newideas

Nominate a Do Gooder

The Do Gooders are a chance to show a little love for fellow Brooklynites and celebrate the altruism, philanthropy and commitment of five individuals who are working toward a stronger Brooklyn. The categories include: Arts for All, Caring Neighbors, Community Development, Education and Youth Achievement, and Green Communities. Public voting for the twenty finalists (each finalist represents one field of interest) will be open the first two weeks in October. The Brooklyn Community Foundation will then donate $5,000 to a Brooklyn based nonprofit or a Brooklyn Community Foundation Field of Interest Fund of choice, in honor of each of the five winners.

Winners will be recognized at the Brooklyn Does Good event on November 3 at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Palm House, where they will also celebrate the Foundation’s first anniversary since its re-launch as a public charity.

This is a great opportunity to nominate a friend, colleague, or neighbor for the great work they are doing to give back to Brooklyn. You can also “like” the awards and  join their “Brooklyn Do Gooders” group on Facebook or follow the campaign on Twitter @DoGoodBklyn and #DoGooder.

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One year of Duck Call madness July 8th, 2010 by Jenna Silverman

The Big Duck blog launched on July 1st, 2009 to help celebrate Big Duck’s 15th Anniversary. Our goals for the blog were to use it as a way to celebrate smart nonprofit communications, explore relevant issues, and have a little fun. And now a year has gone by. So to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Duck Call, I thought it would be nice to take a short trip down memory lane.

During our first year of blogging, these were the top ten most popular posts:

  1. Words for Nonprofits to Avoid in 2010
  2. Dan’s gift for 2010: Scottish tablet
  3. 10 best practices in social media for nonprofits
  4. A picture’s worth 1,000 words: information graphics for nonprofits
  5. Notable quotables — some great things we overheard @ 10NTC
  6. Farra’s gift for 2010: Getting in touch with your inner child
  7. Social Media and Technology: What Nonprofits Need To Know
  8. Liz’s gift for 2010: Budgeting
  9. What story are you telling your donors… and where are you telling it?
  10. Jenna’s gift for 2010: My favorite YouTube clips of 2009

We’ve had a great time this past year, and we hope you’ve found the Duck Call to be smart, fun, creative, and useful as well. We look forward to more of it in the years to come.

Blogs are a great way to build relationships with your audience, show your organizations personality, and convene conversations. If you are thinking about starting a blog for your nonprofit, make sure to have a clear strategy and realistic goals, and are committed to maintaining the blog before jumping in.

Do you have a favorite post from the past year? Please share any comments, feedback, or suggestions about the Duck Call. And thanks for reading!

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Where to find the ducks this summer June 9th, 2010 by Jenna Silverman

People often ask us when and where we will be speaking, so here is a quick calendar of where you can find the ducks this summer. Come meet us at one of the following events:

June 11th- Fundraising Day New York
Sarah Durham will be giving a workshop in the morning and Big Duck will be schmoozing all day in the exhibit hall.

June 15th- The Young Nonprofits Professional Network of the San Francisco Bay Area
YNPN is hosting a networking event, featuring Sarah to talk about her new book, Brandraising: How Nonprofits Raise Visibility and Money Through Smart Communication.

June 16th- Fundraising Day San Francisco
In her keynote presentation, Sarah Durham, will inspire you to embrace your inner (and outer) communicator- and use it as a powerful tool to reinvigorate your fundraising. She will also be giving a workshop later in the day.

June 16th- NTEN Communications Roundtable
The monthly NTEN communications roundtable will be lead by Farra Trompeter, to answer your questions and listen to your comments on creating user centric websites.

June 17th- Inland Empire AFP, Riverside, CA
Sarah will be providing a workshop on how to link vision, mission, branding and beyond, with a particular focus on websites, social media, and other online channels. Register for the event here.

June 18th- Desert Communities AFP, Palm Springs, CA
To help celebrate their 50th anniversary AFP will host Sarah for a Brandraising session, followed by a luncheon. To learn more email: afpcadesert@gmail.com

June 23rd- DonorPerfect webinar
DonorPerfect is hosting a free Brandraising webinar for its members, as part of its series of industry experts, led by Sarah.

July 14th- NTEN Communications Roundtable
Farra will lead the monthly NTEN communications roundtable to answer your questions and listen to your comments on integrated outreach campaigns.

July 27th- Bridge conference, Washington, D.C.
As a part of the Marketing, Branding, and Communications track of the conference, Sarah will be leading a session on Brandraising online.

August 24-25th- DMA conference, New York, NY
Sarah will be joining Jeff Brooks on a blogging panel at the DMA conference in New York.

For a complete list of upcoming workshops and presentations visit our website: www.bigducknyc.com

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Team Conan January 14th, 2010 by Jenna Silverman

It seems like everywhere you look these days someone is writing about Leno, Conan, and NBC’s Late Night debacle. I don’t really watch late night television, but my sister interned for Conan before he moved to LA, and has been enjoying keeping me up to date as the drama unfolds.

Basically, NBC has decided to cancel Jay Leno at 10 p.m., move him to the 11:35 spot, then push back The Tonight Show back to 12:05 a.m., knocking Jimmy Fallon and the Late Night Show to 1:05. This idea has caused an uproar to say the least.

Conan released a statement on Tuesday (click here to read the entire statement) that outlined his feelings about moving to 12:05 a.m. In it he says, “I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show.”

He spent the majority of his career working and striving to sit at the desk made famous by Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, and Jay, but he’s not just concerned about himself.

my sister and I hanging out on the Late Night set last spring

My sister and I hanging out on the Late Night set last spring

Conan is talking about the Tonight Show brand—what it stands for and what it means to represent the long history of the 11:35 time slot. Conan is not willing to abandon the vision, mission, and values of the show. Sound familiar? If not, then you haven’t read Sarah’s book.

Conan is willing to give up his dream job to protect the Tonight Show brand. A few things to consider: What are you willing to do protect your brand? Would you damage a 60-year history to accommodate the whim of a major donor? What are you doing now, so that 60 years down the road, people still feel a deep connection to your organization and what it stands for? Are you building a brand worth fighting for?

Nobody knows how this is going to end up or what is going to happen to the Tonight Show, but Conan has a few options.

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Jenna’s gift for 2010:
My favorite YouTube clips of 2009
January 6th, 2010 by Jenna Silverman

I thought that this year for the holidays I would share my favorite YouTube clips. I thought long and hard about which videos over the past few years really made me think, roll on the floor laughing, or get up and start dancing (which is not a pretty sight). I hope you enjoy a few of my top picks, and if you’re interested in the top videos of 2009, YouTube just published the 10 most played videos of the year.

1. Flute Beatbox- I will never understand how this is physically possible.

2. T-Pain Obama Auto-Tune- Really made me chuckle.

3. Lost Generation- Maybe there is hope for the future.

4. Arianna Dancing to Single Ladies- Little kids are cute, but she has real talent.

5. Beijing Welcomes You- It’s a couple years old, but it holds a special place in my heart.

6. Muffins- It’s a Big Duck favorite.

7. Charlie bit my finger- This one never gets old.

8. Inbox Zero- I now  swear by it or at least my inbox does.

9. Sony Bravia (Bouncy Balls)- YouTube doesn’t do this one justice, but it’s one of my favorite commercials.

10. I’m Yours (Ukulele)- What a talented little kid; he plays the Ukulele better then he speaks.

More Big Duck new year gifts

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