CONSULTANTS & SERVICE PROVIDERS
Dynamic nonprofits stretch their internal resources. One method is the use of consultants and service providers. Most are competent. A few are great. Some are losers.
In our interaction with nonprofit executives, the performance or reputation (or both) of the following have been commended. Posted in no particular order, these are astute, experienced people and organizations. When you need help from outside your organization, here are some choices you might consider. Below you will find introductions to
- eight consultants in nonprofit management, development programs, major gift programs, market research and broadcast programming;
- one inbound call center;
- one source of marketing images (photos, drawings & videos);
- two nonprofit marketing blogs;
- three associations for nonprofit professionals and organizations.
We periodically update this list, so identify any prospective members of this list and we will be happy to evaluate them.
J.C. Patrick
FOCUS: Pubradio Fundraising/marketing planning, execution and 
administration.
JC has an exceptional national reputation within public broadcasting. At the station level she held most of the important positions in institutional marketing, individual giving and corporate giving. As Station Development Manager at NPR she was a highly influential link between public radio’s Mother Ship and local stations. Philosophically she was one of the early advocates of achieving efficiency and impact by integrating fundraising, membership, corporate underwriting, development and marketing functions into a comprehensive program. Now a consultant, JC has taken on some interesting assignments that cause her to address day-to-day activities PLUS management philosophy, marketing technique and common sense.
CONTACT: J.C. Patrick ** jcpatrick421@GMAIL.COM
4118 Autumn Ridge Drive Sugar Land, TX 77479
281.491.9022 phone ** 713.504.6759 mobile
Peter Dominowski
FOCUS: Market research for all nonprofits
Peter’s colorful background includes plenty of on-air work, helping launch a 
station in one of the top 20 US media markets and helping launch a national professional association that is now a mainstay of public broadcasting. Peter is and has been involved in many of the important trends and issues of public broadcasting.
Simultaneously, he stepped beyond public radio and TV and maintained a large inventory of nonprofit clients in all mission categories and all national locations. You will find Peter can provide your organization with both qualitative research, like focus groups, and quantitative research such as carefully crafted and executed public opinion surveys. Well versed in the realities of nonprofit market quandaries and budget constraints, Peter is a joy to work with and a productive, responsive ally.
CONTACT: Peter Dominowski ** Peter@MarketTrendsResearch.com
(719) 541-5374 (office) ** (727) 421-6214 (mobile)
Website: http://nonprofitresearchinfo.org/
Strategic Programming Partners
FOCUS: Effective use of audience metrics in pubradio
This consulting venture joins two of pubradio’s veterans, Peter Dominowski (mentioned above as a market research consultant, but wearing his programming hat in this citation) and Peter’s business partner – long-time program director Scott Williams. (Scott’s photo here – Peter’s photo above.)
Under the mantle of Strategic Programming Partners, Scott and Peter have advised over 100 stations on the development of programming strategies that increase public service, build core listening and attract financial support. They assist stations in interpreting and applying Arbitron, AudiGraphics and other audience data to format design, program promotion, fundraising and market outreach. These are also the MEGS Guys – Morning Edition Graduate School, for the non-initiated.
CONTACT: These two are in daily communication. Use Peter as your contact.
IStockPhoto
FOCUS:An amazing supplier of photos, cartoons, video clips and other marketing media
Being a supplier of graphic images, you think this outfit would have a logo I can easily copy, but it doesn’t. Nevertheless, this company offers the coolest, most comprehensive library of media we have discovered. Nearly all photos in this blog have come from this source.
Here’s how it works: you prepay by buying “credits” and then search and download images until you use up those credits and have to buy more. A typical photo might cost you $10 or so. You will find appropriate images easily, but may be burdened by the range of options. The company’s keyword search capacity is so intuitive that you can search through hundreds of photos quickly. Good thing – they have bazillions on file.
CONTACT: http://www.istockphoto.com/
Public Media Partnerships
FOCUS: Socially Conscious Marketing and Fundraising
PMP is the consulting base for pubcasting veteran Mike Wallace, who has a background in marketing, audience research, fundraising and gourmet cooking. I bring him to your attention for two really impressive strengths – both of which are valued in public broadcasting and in the general nonprofit field.
Mike has developed an enviable mastery of values-based themes that are causing Americans to re-tool the way they behave and think. His work is focused on social responsibility, sustainability and related concerns. Mike has a solid skill-set in developing synergistic cause-marketing programs. His approach is to arrange mutually reinforcing collaboration between organizations, for-profits and nonprofits alike. Mike has created some large successes and earned several national and regional awards. Mike is also adept at developing marketing campaigns focused on the benefits of socially responsible practices.
CONTACT: Public Media Partnerships (Mike Wallace)
Phone: (619) 723-1900
email: mike@publicmediapartnerships.com
Public Media Partnerships Inc.
1012 Lincoln Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
John Sutton & Associates
FOCUS: Audience research, marketing, on-air fundraising consulting services for public radio.
Sutton, pictured here with his partner Sonja Lee, is former director of research at NPR. In fact, John is one of the first people we got to know at NPR – we launched VisABILITY and he began work at NPR around the same time in the mid-eighties.
John has an impressive post-NPR background, including working with the great David Giovannoni at Audience Research Associates. (Giovannoni, named the most powerful man in public radio by the NYTimes some years ago, generated the research that shaped much of pubradio’s business model, including the way market-savvy stations now understand, cultivate and respond to their audience.)
You can rely on John for all the technical stuff PLUS some incredibly innovative thinking. AND – he has a secret weapon…..the “Associate” in this company’s name is John’s partner Sonja Lee, who specializes in helping stations produce successful on-air fund drives. Sonja is into fundraiser production, staff training and participation in on-air pitching.
Interesting factoid: Sonja got her start in public radio as a volunteer DJ at KFSK in Petersburg, Alaska when she wasn’t listening to the station while out at sea on her commercial fishing boat.
CONTACT: John Sutton & Associates
Sonja: 240-565-3664 * sonjalee@radiosutton.com
John: (240) 432-1885 * john@radiosutton.com
http://radiosutton.blogspot.com/
NONPROFIT MARKETING 360
FOCUS: all nonprofit marketing concerns – thus the “360” in this firm’s title, as in “360 degrees”
Here’s the deal: five professionals with experience in nearly every type of nonprofit organization and every type of nonprofit marketing, and each with his or her own consulting practice…banded together to provide the kind of collaborative skill-set reinforcement found only in big, cumbersome and expensive agencies that spend lotsa money on rent and expense accounts.
Consequently, this outfit offers a deep well of professional experience in all forms of communications – PR, marketing, graphic design, crisis management, fundraising collateral materials, social media, broadcast media, major gift cultivation systems and much more. One of the really cool things Nonprofit Marketing 360 does is publish on its blog interviews with nonprofit leaders and service providers. The accumulated interviews are filled with personal anecdotes that share and illuminate the wonders of the nonprofit public service sector.
My interactions have been few, and with only two of the group – but I have been tracking their blogs and website for a while. This is an impressive group. Check both the 360 blog and the 360 website to see the unusual range of services available from these folks. Another thing to check – the following citation about one member of the group – and my confession.
http://www.nonprofitmarketing360.com/
http://www.nonprofitmarketing360.com/blog/
Nancy Schwartz
& Getting Attention
FOCUS: Great advice on everything to do with nonprofit marketing
NUTS! This is a tough one to write.
This is why it’s tough: I want you to read the Nonprofit Branding Blog. To share it with others. To subscribe to it and eagerly await email notice of each new post. To use the content of our blog blog to enrich your career and benefit your nonprofit employer.
So it damn near kills me to recommend someone who does all the things I attempt to do…..and does them much better than I can.
Meet Nancy Schwartz, author/host of Getting Attention
I discovered her blog about nonprofit marketing while I was trying to figure out consequences of the unnecessary and destructive Komen mess and to identify the lessons that we can learn from it. (Komen/Planned Parenthood became the trigger leading to lengthy exploration of nonprofit eruptions caused by the bullying of supposed allies. Look for a long analysis on this blog. It will post in Spring under the tab HERESIES.)
As I read dozens of blogs and news reports about the Komen Fracas I found two things: Nancy Schwartz made the most sense of all…. and she appeared to be the most quoted commentator. (Cause and effect here.)
So, like I said: meet Nancy Schwartz. I have never spoken to this woman. I know little about her personally. But I have scoured her blog and website and can tell you the following: Her blog is superior, well written, informative, informed, very insightful and it targets the issues I believe are important to our own readers.
Among its features is Friday Futures,” a weekly compilation of nonprofit marketing jobs throughout the nation. Another great feature is a library of about 150 blog posts and articles under 27 topic headings. And, of course, there are her impressive, thoughtful weekly posts on topics du Jour.
There is more to say about Ms. Schwartz’s services, but I’ll wrap here with this advice: if you are serious about building a career in nonprofit management and marketing, you have just been introduced to a resource that can be a game-changer.
CONTACT INFO: Nancy Schwartz & Getting Attention
Blog: http://gettingattention.org/
Library: (http://gettingattention.org/articles/nonprofit-marketing-articles.html)
Email: nancy@nancyschwartz.com
Phone: 973-762-0079
MajorGiving.com
FOCUS: All levels of support and consultation required to enable a successful Major Gifts Program – and career.
I have written two posts in this blog about major gift fundraising. (More may be coming.) They are based on my experience – beginning with incredible fear and insecurity as I contemplated and adroitly avoided this activity. In time I was forced to bite the bullet. SURPRISE! I discovered a truth which also applies to the leaders of your nonprofit – major gift activity should be the most enjoyable and financially productive aspect of a development officer’s responsibilities.
Unless you are already an experienced major gift officer, here is my suggested strategy for your consideration or for you to pass on to a colleague:
1) Read these two blog posts:
2) Then visit this summary of services offered by MajorGiving.com.
I base this suggestion on this assumption: reading the above-cited blog posts will give you the confidence to begin exploring this aspect of nonprofit marketing. On the MajorGiving website you will see that these folks have the Secret Sauce. They can provide with every level of support you need, from simple guidance and hand-holding…. through research and cultivation ….all the way to accompanying you on the ask.
3) When you understand the range of services offered by this outfit, you are ready to contact Bob Stein.
MajorGiving.Com has several experts on staff, but I think you should start with Bob. Just begin a conversation about your needs and his company’s capacity. You’ll find he is a great listener and responsive colleague. My hunch – which you’ll have to check for yourself – is that the firm specializes in arts, cultural and pubcasting venues. But the major gift process applies to all nonprofits with solid constituent relations and a viable annual giving program to serve as its base. So if you are an environmental outfit or engaged in the health field, this is still the place to start! (Also – be sure to subscribe to the newsletter and review the company’s library of excellent resources.)
rstein@majorgiving.com
MajorGiving.com, LLC
1741 Handley Avenue
Winchester VA 22601
888.625.4483
Don Akchin
FOCUS: Communications and marketing strategy and implementation
Don and his associates comprise one leg of the five-legged stool named NONPROFIT MARKETING 360, the consulting group I referenced above.
Confession: I got to know Don when he interviewed me for the blog, also referenced above. Endorsement: Don and I seem to share the same mindset about the voice and communications strategies that best serve nonprofits.
On one hand, we see marketing firms that present an overlay of academic over-think, accompanied by jargon and the mindset of “we know….and you don’t.” As a refreshing option to that approach, we have proven that successful marketing can be strategic, thoughtful, responsive and productive because it evolves from plain common sense……combined with a bit of creativity and lots of zest for the mission. The content of Nonprofit Branding Blog reflects this approach. If my blog makes sense to you, Don Akchin will make sense also.
So, from my viewpoint the above confession is honest, but immaterial. However, the endorsement is rooted in respect for a professional approach that has been successful since I abandoned a corporate career and set out to save the world in 1967. (Didn’t do the world much good. Learned a hell of a lot about marketing!) That approach provides the same benefits to clients of Don Akchin.
Check out Don’s website, subscribe to his blog and contact him when you need assistance.
Development Exchange
FOCUS: The industry resource behind much of the progress pubradio has made in marketing and fundraising over the past ten or fifteen years.
The Development Exchange (DEI) evolved from a small in-group of pubradio veterans into a cutting edge supplier of informed strategy advice on all areas of marketing and fundraising. DEI sponsors the huge Public Media Development and Marketing Conference each year – and also brings to the table a surprising range of one-on-one and small group services. Heavily into collaboration and networking, DEI gives local stations, large and small, a seat at the table when the Big Boys sit down to determine industry policy and confront industry issues.
In these tough times, when traditional sources of funding are, and will remain threatened, Janice and I think it is unwise to let stewardship over station finances force the conclusion that membership in DEI is too costly. Not so! Membership in DEI, for the well-managed station, is an investment, not an expense. If DEI services are harnessed effectively, the resulting best-practices should boost revenue far more than the cost of dues.
(NOTE: This is the outfit that serves STATIONS. I will spotlight PRADO, the outfit that serves INDIVIDUALS, later in this roster of recommendations.)
Check the list of benefits DEI offers your station at this page of the DEI website: http://deiworksite.org/join-dei/member-benefits
ACD Direct
FOCUS: ACD Direct is an inbound and outbound call center and customer service shop.
The odd thing is that, along with one consultant on this list, we don’t know anybody at this company.
At the annual Public Media Development and marketing Conference in 2011, this outfit had a booth in the general vicinity of the VisABILITY exhibit. We overheard a long time client of impeccable integrity talking with another of equal caliber. The conversation was about their experiences with ACD Direct. The company served both of their organizations. Their praise was so enthusiastic we were really surprised that ACD Direct had escaped our notice. So we began to ask others about the company. It turns out that clients of this outfit, the half-dozen or so we spoke with, are universally enthusiastic about the way it handles their needs.
Unfortunately, their website does not give a phone number – an odd quirk for a call center. Nevertheless, they should be a Must-Check resource for anyone needing call center services. The internet address below will take you to a place where you can email the company.
http://www.acddirect.com/contact.cfm
Jim Moore
FOCUS: Full-Bore management, marketing and fundraising resource for Colorado Nonprofits
Moore is a partner at CommUlinks of Colorado, an outfit that offers marketing, communications,management training, fundraising support and leadership services for nonprofit organizations. Like ACD Direct, we have never met Moore. There’s a story here….
For years we have participated in the Listserv sponsored by the Colorado Nonprofit Association (CNA) – another organization on this list of recommendations. (see below) All sorts of issues were posed on the Listserv by nonprofit executives of varying degrees of experience – each one asking for advice from colleagues in the public service sector. Time after time, usually when the issue was complicated or posed risk – Jim Moore stepped up with thoughtful, detailed, enormously insightful responses.
You need to understand the personal dimension to attach appropriate value to this recommendation: A nonprofit colleague posted a request for assistance. I would usually sit there and think “Well, if I get some time later today, or perhaps tomorrow, I will write an explanation for this person and post it to the CNA listserv. Long before I got off my butt to write a response, Moore would have posted the most informative, clear and comprehensive answer – one that was far better than the one I was thinking about, but never took the time to write. This happened frequently, so that now I think: “Great question. This person needs help. Moore will take care of it….”
As I said,Janice and I never met or talked with Moore. But I am an admirer. With good reason. When your organization needs assistance, check out Jim Moore and CommUlinks of Colorado.
303-400-3456
Colorado Nonprofit Association
FOCUS: Membership organization of colleague organizations and leaders focused on improving the competence and productivity of the Colorado nonprofit public service sector
If you are managing an aspect of the nonprofit landscape in Colorado, it is just a poor idea to try and handle your responsibilities without becoming a member of the Association. There is little chance you will encounter professional challenges that won’t benefit from assistance you’ll find through CNA.
In addition to the boost you will receive professionally and the potential impact on your organization’s resources and performance – there is another benefit to belonging to CNA. You are in the business of seeking support for a mission. So is CNA. And your membership helps CNA provide enormous support to the statewide nonprofit landscape through legislative action, public relations campaigns and through influential relationships with those at the highest councils of Colorado stakeholders. So, just as you ask others to support your mission, membership in CNA is a way to support your profession of nonprofit management.
Phone: (303) 832-5710 or toll-free in Colorado (800) 333-6554
Email: info@ColoradoNonprofits.org
Web: www.ColoradoNonprofits.org
PRADO
Public RAdio Association of Development Officers
FOCUS: Membership organization for public radio marketing and development people with an incredible level of useful service and unrelenting commitment
PRADO is the ultimate professional networking outfit. Just as DEI provides support to stations, PRADO does the same for individuals!
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2012, PRADO’s members are pubradio professionals who are the most accomplished, the most nurturing and the best looking in public broadcasting. This is the group you want to hang out with.
The neat thing is that this outfit is completely a volunteer enterprise, yet it sponsors big league services. PRADO operates the listserv for pubradio marketing, membership and development folks (an essential tool), manages the Development Professional of the Year Award, organizes an incredible mentoring program, raises funds to provide scholarships for small-market folks to the annual Public Media Development and Marketing Conference AND – at that annual conference PRADO sponsors the Newcomer’s Breakfast, the Cyber Cafe and the beloved IdeaHouse.
Janice and I have watched selfless leaders develop PRADO into an essential vehicle for success. The $60 membership fee is an incredible bargain for any professional committed to a career track in the public radio industry.
