Big Duck’s team of experts regularly offers workshops and trainings and speaks at conferences. Our topics are always focused on nonprofit communications. If you’d like to arrange a workshop or training, please contact us here. Where possible, the workshops listed below include links that will allow you to register directly through the organization hosting the event.


Integrating Your Online and Offline Marketing and Fundraising Campaigns

March 9th, 2010 1:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.

Like cats and dogs. That’s how many nonprofits treat their offline and online marketing and fundraising campaigns — as separate strategies that either can’t work together or are too much trouble to train to play nice. But research and practical experience show that when you integrate your online and offline communications — and take the multi-channel marketing approach — you get better results from your supporters.

During this webinar, led by Kivi Leroux Miller, Farra Trompeter will guest speak on ways to integrate your offline and online marketing, starting with the communications planning process and good data management. We’ll look at ways to use email to increase direct mail giving, and to use direct mail to increase online giving. We’ll also look at how social media can be used to reinforce work you are doing with supporters in person or through the mail, and how to encourage your offline supporters to connect with you online.

(More)
capacity-building, online, social media

Social Media: Transforming the Way Nonprofits Communicate

March 12, 2010 1:30 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.
With all the new technology out there, organizations have more ways then ever to communicate and reach donors online. Farra Trompeter will deliver the keynote address at this conference--helping participants sort through the different channels out there by sharing examples from leading nonprofits, and suggesting ways to determine which tools will be most effective for them depending on their existing online communications goals, staff capacity, time, and budgets. She will also highlight the most popular social media tools and review some of the latest statistics and demographics on social media use. (More)

Brandraising®: One organization, many channels

March 17, 2010 2:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.
As you expand the tools you use to communicate online and off and staff's roles change, how do you ensure you're all speaking with one voice? Based on Sarah Durham's book "Brandraising: How to Raise Money and Increase Visibility through Smart Communications", (Jossey-Bass, 2009) this session, facilitated by Sarah Durham, will link vision, mission, branding and beyond, with a particular focus on websites, social media, and other online channels fundraisers can use to cultivate, solicit and steward donor relationships. (More)

How NGOs can use Social Media

March 19, 2010 1:15 p.m.- 2:45 p.m.
Social media is a great tool that civil society organizations can use to communicate with their audience, market their services, connect with their networks or improve the way they work and promote their social development agenda. The key features of social media are participation and interaction, connecting people and providing the tools necessary to have a conversation - all important components of NGOs’ day-to-day work. Farra Trompeter will deliver a workshop that looks at how the strategic use of social media helps civil society organizations reach new people, adds value to mission-driven work, supports goals to build a movement around a core advocacy issue, improves customer service or programmes, reaches new donors, and raises awareness of a nonprofit brand around the world. (More)

Intro to Social Media

March 24, 2010, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
MySpace... Facebook... Digg... Twitter... With all the buzz about social networks and social media, it is hard to know where to start. In this workshop, Elizabeth Ricca, will highlight the most popular social media tools, review demographics, explore some examples, and share a process to help you build a social media strategy — including how to listen to "manage" your brand. (More)
capacity-building, online, positioning, social media

Brandraising®: One organization, many channels

April 10, 2010, 1:30 p.m.
As you expand the tools you use to communicate online and off and staff's roles change, how do you ensure you're all speaking with one voice? Based on Sarah Durham's book "Brandraising: How to Raise Money and Increase Visibility through Smart Communications", (Jossey-Bass, 2009) this session, facilitated by Sarah Durham, will link vision, mission, branding and beyond, with a particular focus on websites, social media, and other online channels fundraisers can use to cultivate, solicit and steward donor relationships. (More)
brandraising, capacity-building, positioning

Social Networking: What’s It All About Anyway?

Thursday, April 15, 2010 5:45 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Are you feeling out of the loop in the bustling world of Social Media that your children and grandchildren, maybe even some of your friends, are so involved with? Well, help is here: this is your chance to 'get with the program' -- learn what they are, how they can be used for personal or business ends -- and why millions have found them so compelling. And, of course, whether you want to get involved. (Did you know that the fastest growing segment on FaceBook is people between 55 and 65 years old. What's that about?!) Be sure to come and hear Sarah Durham talk with us about all of the social networking sites, what they are, how applicable they may be to you, and much more. (More)

Brandraising®: Critique

May 5, 2010, 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Are your communications materials helping you raise money, conduct outreach, and establish your organization optimally? Based on Sarah Durham's book, "Brandraising: How to Raise Money and Increase Visibility Through Smart Communications" (Jossey-Bass 2009) this workshop will give you a chance to get detailed feedback on your print, video and online communications. (More)
brandraising, capacity-building, messaging

Brandraising®: One organization, many channels

June 11, 2010
As you expand the tools you use to communicate online and off and staff's roles change, how do you ensure you're all speaking with one voice? Based on Sarah Durham's book "Brandraising: How to Raise Money and Increase Visibility through Smart Communications", (Jossey-Bass, 2009) this session, facilitated by Sarah Durham, will link vision, mission, branding and beyond, with a particular focus on websites, social media, and other online channels fundraisers can use to cultivate, solicit and steward donor relationships. (More)
brandraising, capacity-building, positioning

Past Workshops

2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004