How can nonprofits effectively share their stories to build trust with funders and their audience?

Yasmine Robles and Izzy Dadoski sit down with Faith Rivera, an inspiring entrepreneur and the founder of Alo Civitas Consulting.

Faith brings her extensive experience in nonprofit and small business consulting, sharing insights on how to elevate impact and income through strategic planning, grant and project management, and professional development.

Faith's diverse background in education and social services has shaped her unique approach to business and community work. The three talk about the intricacies of nonprofit marketing, the importance of storytelling, and effective strategies for building brand identity without a massive budget.

Whether you're a nonprofit leader or a business owner, this episode is packed with valuable advice on creating meaningful connections and driving positive change.

Hot Takeaways

• Share Your Story: Nonprofits should never overlook the power of storytelling. Sharing your mission and impact helps build a strong know-like-trust factor with potential funders and those who may benefit from your services.
• Consistency is Key: From your social media to your in-person events, maintaining a consistent brand message and tone is crucial. Ensuring that your organization's values are reflected across all platforms helps reinforce credibility and trust.
• Collaborate for Greater Impact: Partnering with organizations that share similar values but offer complementary services can expand your reach. It's not about competition; it's about collective impact.

Hot Moments

00:00 Journey from Education to Entrepreneurship

04:48 Universal Workplace Challenges

08:56 Nonprofit Branding: Consistency Matters

13:04 Clearly Articulate Your Organization's Impact

17:02 Strategic Planning for Organizational Success

19:30 ECHO Learning and Outreach Strategy

24:03 Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

26:09 "Effective Content Strategy Essentials"

32:09 Collaborative Impact for Texas Families

35:09 Nonprofits: Business Strategies Needed

37:10 Becoming an Industry Expert

41:40 "Nonprofit Funding & Trust-Building Shift"

43:27 Consistent Branding and Audience Leverage

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Thank you everybody for joining us on another episode of Market Like It's Hot, where we tackle all things marketing and maybe have some side conversations, along the way. With us today is Faith Rivera. Faith, why don't you go ahead and well, actually let's have Izzy, my co host introduce herself. I don't want to completely ignore Izzy and then Faith, we can, get your amazing intro.

Hi. I'm Izzy Dadosky. I handle all the SEO and social media for the Revital Marketing team. And, yeah, I'm running on Red Bull and Hope right now.

That's I think that's very legitimate. Faith, why don't you introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're running on?

Yes. So hi, everyone. My name is Faith Rivera, and I am the founder and principal consultant, for Alo Civitas Consulting, where we really focus on working with small businesses and nonprofits to increase their impact and their income through professional development, grant, and project management, and strategic planning. Today, I'm actually running on the sunshine. I am loving that it is a little bit sunny today even though it feels like four outside after all the snow yesterday.

I actually really like the snow because I think it reflects that sunlight a little bit and just makes it makes you perk up from well, at least that's my take after having so many gloomy days. Yes. Yeah. Alright. And then you mentioned your business. Do you want to dive in and talk about your story? How you how Aloe City just came around? Sure. So, I, you know, kinda have a a mixed background. I've worked within a lot of different organizations, agencies that

all really brought me to the point of where I am. I really started my career within the education space, started building programs and, working with educational initiatives for college students, and even some middle and high school initiatives as well. That was kind of my introduction into the nonprofit grant world, program development. And as time transpired, I was able to kinda go from the older kiddos and even young adults into early childhood, which is where I discovered my passion really for helping build sustainable programs and never really thought that I was going to be an entrepreneur. I grew up in an entrepreneurial household. My dad is a single father, has been an entrepreneur literally my entire life. That's all I've ever known. But, you know, sometimes we have to be stubborn, especially when we're the oldest and only girl in

the house. We have

to find our own way. But there was this calling that kept coming back to me of like, okay, Faith. You could also do this for yourself. And I've owned a business for the last ten years, so it's not that I haven't been in the entrepreneurial space. I just never thought it would be my full time gig. And so about three years ago, I started talking with my husband. I'm like, okay. I'm starting to see a lot of the same issues, needs, trends within the nonprofit space.

I'm talking with my friends that work in other programs. Maybe I can bring solutions to more than just one organization. He was like, okay. Well, give it a shot. I started the LLC, did nothing with it for almost the first year, other than, like, speak at a conference. I think I spoke at one conference, and my CPA was like, this is the saddest tax return I've ever seen because I literally had, like, one check for the year. But I did it. I did it.

Right? I started the business. But then towards the end of twenty twenty two, when we started really focusing on what was next for my husband's career once he graduated from medical school, we realized chances where we were moving out of state. And not knowing how long we were gonna be wherever we ended up, we kinda started talking and thinking, okay. Maybe this is the time to really take your business full force. So started building relationships, talking with people. My employer at the time was willing to keep me on contract, which was what we needed to financially be stable enough for me to go be full time, as an entrepreneur. And so here we are almost two years later, haven't looked back, and I kinda joke now that I think I've ruined myself for the corporate world.

Yeah. I think here at Rebel Marketing, we all have ruined ourselves for the official, corporate world.

Yeah. You've already mentioned some of these things, but since you've already worked across several sectors from education to health care and social services, how has your personal journey and even being in the corporate world, shaped your approach to business and community work?

I think that the biggest thing for me has been a lot of these different sectors all deal with similar issues. You know, burnout is really high regardless of what sector you're working with. People wanna feel valued. People want to feel important and that they're making a difference. And so that's really kind of what has shaped the work that I do is trying to find those commonalities amongst industries, amongst people, and just knowing at the end of the day, we're we're all human and we all want to be respected and taken care of and, you know, feel like we're giving back to causes that are important to us. I think that's one of the biggest things is realizing that we're a lot more similar than we are different. And I would also say that it kinda gives me a little bit of an edge that I can talk to people from multiple different sectors. Like, I understand what people in the health care public health arena deal with, what people that run programs within social service and nonprofits, and then even people from the higher ed kinda education space.

Because not only have I worked in those agencies, but I've done a lot of partnership building, from previous roles and even my current role with organizations from different backgrounds.

Yeah. And so you you specialize in helping these programs, organizations, and communities create change, I'm hearing. Is that I'm assuming that's it. Yeah. Yes. So I guess taking it from a marketing perspective, we are market like it's hot, so we're gonna shift it there. What do you think these what is your biggest takeaway or what do you think these nonprofit organizations really need to do differently to be able to connect with their audience, their funders, and ultimately reach their goals?

I think that nonprofits sometimes forget that they still need to share their story. They need to share their why. They need to share how they help people. You know, that's one of the biggest ways that marketing can help, right, as you build that know, like, trust factor with, funders, with people who may need your services. And I think sometimes nonprofits forget that marketing is still important, that you don't just create the organization and people show up. You have to get your visibility out there to find the right people and to build those relationships.

And then also working in, educational institutions and early childhood providers, how can they better use marketing to engage families and communicate communities that they'd serve?

I think just like with any other organization or business, you can't just always be selling to people. Right? Like, you have to build, that trust, and you have to show yourself as the experts. And so I think sometimes, regardless if you're a business, if you're a nonprofit, it's really easy to only focus on the sales piece of what you do and, like, bringing the people to you. But how are you also bringing them value to their lives, to their worlds? And I think sometimes people forget that that's a piece of marketing too. Is it's not just increasing your numbers or increasing your funding, but it's also what value are you bringing to these people so that they think of you when a need arises or a problem arises. I know that's very similar in business. Right? It's like you want your name to be the first that comes into people's minds, and providing a direct service is no different in the nonprofit space. Like, you can't just be trying to promote enrollment for your program or funding.

You need to also show the problem that you solve for your clients and for the community so that they learn to trust you and really see you as the expert.

Yeah. And I guess pivoting that into and, we talked about how important it is for them to connect with their audience, how to how they need to tell their story and showcase their values. And when it comes to digital marketing for these nonprofit organizations, especially if they're focused on that social, emotional well-being development and well-being, How do you see their role of online presence as part of their success? And what are some of the, I guess, the things that you've seen in your experience that they could be doing better?

I think that it's really important to have a holistic approach in building that consistency of your brand and your messaging. I think sometimes nonprofits forget that they also need a brand, and they also need clear messaging. It can't just be throw everything out into the universe and hope that it sticks. Like, you can't just throw spaghetti at a wall. Right? Like, you need to have your content pillars. You need to have, your brand colors and your key messages that you're trying to get across and keeping those consistent across platforms on your website, on marketing materials, on social media, and allowing people to see you across those different platforms with that consistent messaging. I also think that sometimes nonprofit leaders forget that they often are the face of their brand, especially for the smaller organizations, and so they need to have a digital presence on LinkedIn. Maybe they wanna share information, tidbits on podcasts, on TikTok, or on Instagram reels that I think we're getting away from the days where people remove the leadership from an organization when they make the decision who they wanna volunteer with, get services from, or donate to.

The leadership of these organizations needs to be very visible or people are going to pass over them, and they they wanna hear their whys too. Each of us comes into our professional roles for different reasons and has that emotional component to it, and people wanna hear that story. Emotions buy. We know that. When people whether it's positive emotions or negative emotions, emotions buy, and that's true for nonprofits too.

And you went into the messaging and everything behind that with the last question. But with your expertise in business, consulting and nonprofit strategy, what advice would you give small, nonprofits looking to establish a brand identity and without doing so without a huge budget?

So first and foremost, I think, is drilling down to some of those core pieces, like your brand kinda kit. Like, what what are your colors? What are your key messages? What voice are you wanting to share? And keeping that consistent. You know, think of any brand that is out there. You can probably think of their logo, their colors, even their fonts without even really having to think about it. And even if you were a small nonprofit, you're still building a brand. And it's when you're when you have that lack of consistency and lack of clarity, I think people don't take you seriously. And so that's one of the first things that I always advise clients on. And even though I am not a marketing expert and I will connect them with people that are, it's tying everything they're doing back to their why.

If your why is not clear, the how and the what are not gonna be able to come through in anything that you do, and helping people to see too that you do have to spend money to make money even though nonprofits are, especially the beginning, often funded through their executive director, their founder, their board, using funds to give back to your organization to be able to build a strong brand is really, really important.

Yeah. And I think I mean, you said that you you're not the marketer, but you're helping them with obtain some kind of goal. Right? So you're you're helping them with strategy. You're consulting with them. And, ultimately, that you still need that piece in marketing even if it is to guide, let's say, the voice of how you're going to write something for them, or to better understand their goals or to just be consistent. So I think it really does work hand in hand with what you do and then just the branding piece, that messaging piece. Yeah. So when it comes to program development, how do you help organizations really hone in on that messaging and finding something that resonates with both the funders, the families that they aim to serve, or the people they aim to serve, maybe even other people outside of that in the community?

I think first and foremost is is, again, drilling down to that why and making sure that the founder, the staff are really able to clearly articulate that in a concise but still emotional way. You know, everyone wants to have that happy ending story that they can say they were a part of. And when it comes to engaging the community or engaging funders, they want to know directly how they're gonna be involved in that success story. And so with my with my clients, I often ask them, like, if a funder approached you and says, I have a million dollars for you. Do you know exactly what you could do with that, how many people you can serve, and what benefit it's gonna be to the community? And if you aren't clear on that, how are you gonna even approach people for that million dollars or even less than that if you're not really able to clearly articulate what impact those funds are gonna be able to have? And even with the general community or the the clients being served by these organizations, it's the same thing. They wanna know what they're a part of, what community they're a part of, and what good is going to come from them being involved with an organization or even accessing the services that an organization does. That kinda end goal has to be really, really clear.

When going through these nonprofits and different things that you're working with, how do you ensure that their mission and vision are communicated effectively across all their channels? So if that's social media, website, or even going in person to these events, is your tone of voice staying the same throughout, or how how do you see that currently?

So I think that your tone of voice is going to be a little bit different depending on what platforms or audiences you're working with. So I, you know, I think that, to me personally, your website needs to be kind of your your most professional tone that can serve across the the most wide audiences because that's where funders are gonna go first and foremost. That's often where a lot of people are gonna go, especially if you don't have a social media presence. Funders like to go to the website. Community members like to go to social media. I think social media gives you a chance to be a little bit more fun. Not that you have to have a stuffy website, but, you know, you have a little bit more freedom and flexibility with the kind of content that can be shared across social media, and what personality you can show. Because you can you know, especially if you're doing something like Instagram, not only can you have the pictures, but then you can have your stories.

You can connect links to different pieces of what you do. And then in person, I think one of the the key pieces is drawing people in with a very concise elevator speech. You know, who are you? Who do you serve? Why is it important? I I know all of us can probably think to people that we've met at in person events or virtual events where their elevator speech goes on for, like, seven minutes. And at the end, you're like, I still don't know what they do. Can we circle back to that? So I think it's really important to help these founders, help these executives know what kind of content is good across the different platforms, but then keeping their their pillars very similar of their mission, their vision, like, who they're serving, what value they're bringing to the community, and, helping them find those different avenues to share it.

Yeah. That's cool. So I think pivoting a little bit more into strategic planning, reading through your bio and looking through your site, you've worked on strategic planning, some grant writing. Can you talk a little bit about how what the importance is of aligning the marketing strategies and organizational goals and how how can organizations or nonprofits do this really effectively?

Sure. So I think first and foremost is having a plan, like a strategic plan for your organization. I think that's first and foremost the importance because if you don't know where you're going, how do you know the intentional strategies or avenues to get there? So I think that's one of the first pieces that I work with my clients is, like, what is your big goal for the year or this quarter? And then let's break it down into those tangible, actionable steps to be able to get there. And marketing is, of course, a key piece of that, especially as you're building your funnels, as you're building the community that follows you and trusts you. As you're trying to find new clients or donors, there has to be that outreach or marketing strategy to be able to help those people find you, but it shouldn't just be willy nilly, like, random things. Like, it needs to tie back to those goals and those intentional strategies of what you're trying to do and then figuring out what audiences or platforms are the best way to do that. So the kind of approach that I take with my clients is first, like, what is your really big goal for the year in terms of funding, in terms of client served, in terms of, you know, whatever other success metrics that they really want to have. And then let's tie some numbers to it.

How many clients does that mean that you need to serve? How many events do you need to host or bring in? How much money would that take to make these things happen? So then you can be intentional with the asks that you have, the grants that you write, the people that you bring in to support you, and even give your board direction if we're talking nonprofits. A board is only as good as the leadership that's guiding it. And if the board has no direction, that is one really big difference between a small business and a nonprofit is a nonprofit leader has to report to their board. They don't just get to make every single decisions without those guidance pieces. But even then, board members still need guidance from the executive director or founder.

Definitely. So you're currently involved in, echo projects. So one, could you go into what that is for everybody listening? And that those clearly focus on developmental promotion. How do you incorporate marketing into these projects that drive, family engagement and build awareness in the community?

So the ECHO model was created, I wanna say, by the University of New Mexico, but it's basically a different form of learning, a didactic and, application based learning model. So if you're doing an hour presentation with the echo model, it's, like, twenty minutes of didactic learning, which is a formal presentation with a goal, and then it's kinda twenty minutes of case based learning. So the opportunity to see what this looks like in practice and then kinda twenty minutes of discussion and next steps. It's normally centered around some kind of problem or, solution that you're trying to bring to a specific community or individual. And so when it comes to marketing for the echo projects, that I've been a part of, a lot of the time it's finding the sources of trust in the community that we're trying to serve. So one of the ones that I'm working on, with some folks in the state of Texas is specifically for, like, childcare and home visiting programs. So instead of me trying to reach out to individual programs, it's who can I share that runs associations or community groups that I can share this flyer with and that they can share it with their audiences? So, I think that is a really key strategy for people to think of is who is serving or working with or knows the audience that you're trying to reach, and how can you use already established networks to get your information out. And you have to build trust with those network builders, right, so that they're willing to share your information and the resources that you're trying to share with their community.

Dang. That's that's I don't know. That that was pretty cool. What are so, what are some strategies nonprofits can use to really help promote the work that they've been doing, and really increase that visibility within their local target market, their local community without really overspending? I guess this comes after that strategic plan, and they're starting to get their marketing in place. What can they do with or what have you seen some nonprofits do that without overspending?

So I think first and foremost is using the resources that are already there for nonprofits. So one that I always make sure to mention, is as long as they're a registered five zero one c three or nonprofit, they can apply for the Google Ad Grant, and Google will give these organizations up to $10,000 of free marketing, each month. So it's not just, like, each year. It's each month. And they're really focused on promoting click through rates. So people taking action on the content that's being shared, whether it's driving people to donate, to volunteer in an event, to subscribe to your newsletter, to follow you on social, use the free money that's out there. Like, that's I mean, that's a lot of advertising dollars from Google. So first and foremost is use that.

And then second is continuing to build that visibility in the spaces that you're already within. So if you are attending networking events or you are speaking, are you promoting your social or your email newsletter that you want people to subscribe to? Are they following you on LinkedIn? It's trying to kinda capture the audiences that you're already in front of and finding ways to have them connect with you so that you can continue to build that relationship more than just them seeing you at an event or hearing from you on a podcast. I think sometimes nonprofit leaders forget that you still have to build relationships in order to be successful. Just like business leaders have to do in order for your nonprofit to continue to sustain, to grow, to be seen as an expert, people have to know you, they have to like you, and they have to trust you.

Definitely. Definitely. Social emotional development is a key area of focus for you. How can nonprofits or businesses incorporate these values into their marketing, and why is it so important to showcase them?

Well, like I mentioned earlier, people buy or make decisions about buying often based on emotions. I am sure we have all seen sometimes where that is taken to the extreme. I I kind of jokingly talk about, like, the ASPCA commercials where you're not they're like, a hundred dollars will save a hundred puppies, and you're like, okay. Take my money. And so that you know, people buy based on emotions or feel things and then take action. So I think that's one important piece is it can't just be numbers. It can't just be, dull. Like, there has to be an emotional component.

So if you're gonna share data, if you're gonna share numbers, like, how are they tying back to impact and the the who that you're trying to serve. So if your numbers are, you know, 80% of our participants keep their job for six months, like, why is that important? Who who is benefiting from that? So I think that emotional component is important. And then I also kinda jokingly talk about that, like, we as a society are very emotionally inept people. We don't understand how to healthily deal with emotions. And so I think for the leaders that I work with, it's helping them understand, like, they have to be emotionally sound in order for the people that they're leading or serving to even possibly be emotionally sound, and giving people space to feel their feelings, whether it's your board members, whether it's your clients, whether it's your partners. We as a as a society don't do really well with sitting with emotions, especially more negative emotions like sadness, stress, etcetera. And that's gonna lead to burnout. If we just keep telling people to, like, shove it all in, eventually we're gonna explode and and no one wants that.

Speaking

of burnout, I mean, we've I've seen some people that are, you know, solopreneurs and they're doing they're starting these organizations. They are doing all of the marketing and and burnout can be a real thing, especially if they're going to not at all speaking from experience, but they're going and, like, going to a ton of events and there there's just a tendency to to burn out. So when you're working with your clients, and you're touching upon the importance of wellness and trying to prevent that burnout, what are some tools that you recommend, to help them still continue to promote to their their initiatives to their audience, but really avoid that burnout and hopefully avoid the burnout of their own audience?

I think first and foremost is making sure that, like, intentions are set into place, and boundaries are set into place, and calendars are set into place. One of the things that I think is really easy for small organization leaders to forget is that you can reuse content. And so thinking about if you're recording a podcast or you're doing some kind of content, what are the multiple different ways that you can repurpose that content and share it so that you're not having to recreate things every single time? And really honing in on what are some of those key messages that you want to do. I I know a lot of people like to batch create content, and if that is your jam, if you work better, you know, focusing on one thing for two or three hours at a time, and then your content is created for the month. Awesome. But I think first and foremost is understanding how you work and then putting that intentional time within your calendar and within your spaces to do that. And project management tools are really, really helpful to kind of keep tasks on the front of your mind and then understanding your own capacity and at what point you may need to bring on some help, whether it is a firm, a consultant, a staff person that that's what they focus on. We only have so many hours a day.

And if there are things that are not bringing you joy, are not within your area of expertise, how can you outsource them so that you're able to really focus on the areas that you need to? We can't be expected to do all things, and that's why there's agencies like y'all's. Like, I am not the expert on website creation. So, like, let me talk to the experts to make sure that I'm putting my best foot forward in that area.

I had a great transition in my head there, and then it just, like, completely went out the window. So I'm just

It's Monday. It's all good.

Yeah. It's Monday, and I and Izzy told me it's also a holiday. And I was like, oh, that's why the kids are home.

Yeah. Anyway, you work with different stakeholders like agencies, providers, and communities. How important is collaboration and marketing efforts within the nonprofit and social service sectors? And then how would you encourage organizations to team up for a greater impact?

Oh, man. I I this is a very loaded question. I think sometimes and I see business leaders do it too, but especially in the nonprofit world, I feel like there is this scarcity mentality that, like, we're all fighting for the same funding. We're all fighting for the same clients. We're all fighting for the same notoriety, which isn't completely true. I think if we operate from a scarcity mentality, we're, like, attracting that to us, which isn't good. So when you can collaborate and partner with other organizations, you're expanding your reach because you're not only being able to reach your audience, but also their audience too. So, you know, organization leaders can find opportunities to be able to collaborate.

Like, maybe you cohost an event with someone. You speak at a coalition meeting. You collaborate on a speaking engagement. So bringing people who have similar mission and values to what you to what you have, but then offer complimentary services. I think that's the key to collaboration is making sure you're not in direct competition. Like, I'm probably not going to collaborate with someone who also does grant writing unless they focus on a a specific kind of grants that I don't like to do. Like, I don't like to do federal grants. So if I collaborate with someone that does federal grants, that's great because then, you know, we can we can talk about the differences between the kind of grants I like to write and the kind of grants that they like to write.

But I think finding the strengths in which you both bring to the table and then finding ways to kind of I'm gonna say mooch, but that sounds really bad, but, like, mooch off of each other's audiences. And I think people like when they're getting information, resources from more than one person. All of us are very busy and have limited time to attend events, to find opportunities for learning. And so when we can learn from multiple people at the same time, I think people appreciate a more effective and efficient use of their time.

That's cool. That was a very nice way of just play along get along, guys.

Exactly. Exactly.

Alright. So I like, while stalking you online, I came across the Texas Act Early Deputy Ambassador Network. What is that? What it seemed like you were a part of it. And then really going back to partnerships, what role do these partnerships play in growing initiatives, and how can is can marketing help improve these collaborations?

So the Texas, Act Early Deputy Ambassador program has been around for four and a half years, and I helped start it when I was back in previous role. And I've been very fortunate to be able to continue to work on it even in a consulting role. And, really, it's bringing state and local leaders together around a common goal of improving families' access to resources and information as they raise their young children. And that initiative would not be possible without partnerships. It's not just, you know, faith running the show. Even though I lead the group, I very much rely on everyone who's around the table. And even partnerships that had already been had were how people learn to trust this new initiative that was starting in the midst of COVID. And what we really tried to do is bring experts into the digital room from all of these different, local cities, counties, state agencies around that unifying mission.

And so I think partnerships, again, kinda like I mentioned in the last question is how do you bring people together who have similar values and similar goals, but maybe approach it from a slightly different angle? And that was kind of the way that we brought this group together is you all serve different families or different providers that work with families, but how can we all use our collective knowledge, collective time to make a larger impact than each of us working individually on our own? And again, we're moving that competition mentality, but that we all really want the same thing. And as far as marketing goes, some of the pieces I think that have helped us in sustaining and some of the pieces I'm really excited about is using data to show our impact. And so we are actually in the process of creating the first of its kind impact report for the state of Texas that shows all of these agencies that have been a part of this group for the last five years. We really focused on last year in pulling data to show, like, what impact has this had, not only to the local communities but across the state with hopes of using these efforts to bring in more funding to support initiatives similar to it.

Yeah. That's awesome. So going into just a little bit more of the challenges, sorry to take a horrible not so positive turn. It's okay. What's the biggest challenge nonprofits face when it comes to marketing, and how can they overcome it? I know that's a loaded and broad question.

Yes. Yes. I think especially for smaller nonprofits, you know, big nonprofits often have, like, an entire marketing team. And the smaller ones, it's often, like, the executive director or they have, like, a part time person. So I think that the biggest challenge that a lot of folks often face is just finding the time to build that brand and consistency within their messaging and across different platforms. So how they can overcome it? Of course, it would be great for all of these organizations to have a dedicated marketing person. But if they can't, how can you outsource it or even find someone for your board that that's their their total focus? And outside of just having the time, I think oftentimes, and I see business owners that do the same thing, it's they are almost afraid to show their face as the face of the brand and see themselves as that true expert. Like, there's obviously a reason you're leading this organization or even found did this organization.

So how are you gonna share that with the general public so that they can really understand why what you do is important, and they can start to see you as a thought leader, as an expert in this area.

So okay. So how do you address then the perception that nonprofits, especially those in, like, social services or health care, are sometimes seen as less professional or underfunded, compared to for profit businesses?

Nonprofit leaders, I think, sometimes forget that nonprofits are also a business. There's just a different way in which their accounting, and funding comes into play. So nonprofits still need to be run like a business in the perspective of having funding coming from multiple different avenues, not just putting all their eggs in one basket, especially with what's happening at a federal level. It shows even more why it's important for organizations to have funding coming from a variety of different sources to be sustainable. And I think that that, less professional aspect is often more internal than external. I think a lot of it is those self limiting beliefs and how people who are running these organizations choose to show up. With nonprofits being run slightly different, you know, I think it brings to the point kind of something I mentioned earlier with their boards is sometimes nonprofits will just, like, select random people because you need at least three board members to file the paperwork to be a registered nonprofit. But the people who are leading your organization will directly tell you if it's going to fail or succeed.

Just because you have a warm body does not mean it's a good body. And so as you're thinking strategically and intentionally, it's like, who are the leaders that you have around the table to make sure that you're putting the best foot forward for your organization? And then how are you building out those multiple diverse funding streams so that you can really sustainably grow?

K. Going into the social impact and different things that you have been involved in, you were a part of the inaugural, Pritzker Fellowship, which brought you into a league group of early childhood leaders. How can organizations in similar spaces use marketing to build thought leadership and expand their influence?

So for me, I was very fortunate that I was kind of thrown into that group just based on the job that I had, and I know not every organization is connected with these national leaders. But it's building I think one of the thing that organizations can do is finding those key leaders, thought leaders, experts in the area that they're trying to grow within and try to build partnerships and, you know, really show themselves as that expert. And I think one of the ways that they can do that is obviously through their marketing. So maybe it's, through connecting with people who have a podcast in the area that you're really trying to build your reach within, or it's trying to speak at or vendor at conferences that are gonna put you in front of the right people. Not everyone is going to have the opportunity, you know, to be a part of a mentorship program like that, but see if there are programs like that within your field, whether it's through your city, your county, your state, maybe, you know, professional development organization, if you're really trying to build those skills to see yourself as an expert. Because once you see yourself as an expert, it's a little bit easier to convince other people that you are an expert too.

So I guess for these leaders, both I mean, they could be in business or nonprofit. When when they're starting to think about their strategic plan, what are some of those first steps that they can take to ensure that they're on

the right path? First and foremost, I mean, I say this for anything, whether it's marketing or just business growth in general, is really nailing down your why, your who, and your what. So why are you doing what you're doing, Who are you serving? And then what are you doing to serve them? I think it's really easy in today's digital age to get really distracted and feel like you need to be like everyone else, and there's a lot of comparison out there. But people want authenticity, and they want to know why you're unique and why you are best suited to be able to support them. So I think that's really key before even getting into any intentional strategies. How you're in a market is figuring out those key pieces and then bringing the right people along to help you. Because, again, we can't be experts at everything. And even if you are just starting out, like, understanding where your gaps in knowledge, resources, expertise are, and then finding people who are willing to support you along your journey.

I think you've already touched on a lot of advice that you could give us before. But how like, what advice would you give them, if they are looking to amplify their current impact or expand their reach through effective marketing? If you wanna pull this

point. Yeah.

I'm like, what have I not already said, or what can I reiterate? So I think it's looking at the places in which you're already operating. And is there any way that you can be a little bit more strategic or intentional? So, you know, are you already attending networking events or a part of collaborative groups that maybe you could change your ask? Maybe it's about a collaboration. Maybe it's about being on a podcast, doing a workshop, presenting yourself as a thought leader in one area. And then, again, making sure that all of the efforts that you are doing, that it's staying grounded in who you are as a leader and what your organization is, uniquely capable of doing. I I can't tell you how many times I see people who completely change everything that they're doing just because they saw a trend on social media, and then they lose all credibility or a lot of their credibility with their audience because it feels like they're just trying to be like everybody else.

Completely fair.

So looking ahead, what I guess you talked a little bit about this, about the trends or innovations. Let's talk about non profits and any innovations or trends that are coming up for them. Do you what do you think will have the biggest impact on the non profits, on social services sector in the next three to five years? Is it that really just honing in on that strategic plan? Is it more? Oh, man. Knowing that a lot of things could change

Yeah. Currently changing. I know. I think part of it is really hard to guesstimate just based on there so many changes and potential changes happening at a federal level. So first and foremost, I think this is a a really big wake up call to nonprofits to make sure that your funding is diverse, and that you're building strong relationships with donors, with organizations that can support the work that you do and not just rely on federal funding since we don't really know what that looks like right now. And in terms of marketing, I think even with some of the changes that we're seeing to certain social media platforms is that really big focus on community building and authenticity. I know there's been even been some changes, like, within Instagram with some of the features that they're offering this year that it's kind of that movement away from these, like, mega influencers who have millions of people that follow them, but, really, how can you use your influence to build community and trust amongst the people that are connecting with you? So that would be just kind of my biggest recommendation for leaders is build your community, do it intentionally, and really help people to know you and to trust you and your organization because that can transcend across different platforms and across different marketing modalities, but then it's still gonna keep people tied to the work that you do, and it's gonna make it more likely for them to become donors, volunteers, maybe once they hit the jackpot if they wanna give money to your organization. But all of that first comes down to them trusting you and really seeing you as the expert.

That's cool. That's cool. So last question. How do you market like it's hot?

Oh my goodness. I'm like, I was thinking about all the, you know, advice I was gonna be everyone else and not talk about myself too much. But, I would say some of the biggest things that I have helped with my success in marketing, is, like I've already said, keeping that message and branding really consistent and making sure that regardless of what platform I'm showing up on, you can kind of hear my voice throughout, whether it's an Instagram post or LinkedIn on a podcast that you get the same faith regardless of where you're hearing her from. But then it's really also looking at the audiences which I'm showing up in for networking and pieces like that and seeing how can I leverage the relationships and networks that I've already built to be able to further expand my reach? So if I'm, you know, presenting at someone's event, making sure we're both sharing it on social media and tagging each other or sharing it on LinkedIn, sharing it through my newsletter. Because when I am able to help them grow their audience, it also benefits me since I'm speaking to their audience.

Yeah. That's great. So remind us, like, all the cool things that you do for for all the things for organizations, and where can we find you?

So I would I'm gonna start with the second question first because I'll forget if I don't say it. But the best ways to find me would first be on LinkedIn. I love connecting with folks on LinkedIn, and then you can go to my website alosavitas.com. You can find information on how to connect with me, book a virtual coffee chat, send me an email. And a lot of the things that I do, like I mentioned at the beginning, is really helping to, work with small business leaders and nonprofit leaders to elevate their impact and their income through strategic planning, grants and project management, and professional development.

Alright. Perfect. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Faith, on this episode of Market Like It's Hot. And everybody go check out all of the great work she does. She is incredible. And, yeah, thank you so much, and we'll catch you in the next episode.

Awesome. Thank you.