Busting the Nonprofit Overhead Myth
BUSTING THE NONPROFIT OVERHEAD MYTH Embracing Trust-Based Philanthropy Nonprofits have long been haunted by the “overhead myth,” the misguided belief that an organization’s worth…
Our niche is nonprofit communications. From the strategy we provide to the content we generate, we’re always thinking about what nonprofits need to be successful. These blogs provide weekly insights to help hone your organization’s communications skills and address questions we hear nonprofits across the sector asking. Read, enjoy and share!
BUSTING THE NONPROFIT OVERHEAD MYTH Embracing Trust-Based Philanthropy Nonprofits have long been haunted by the “overhead myth,” the misguided belief that an organization’s worth…
ELECTION YEAR + EOY CAMPAIGN NUGGETS Here are our recommended dos and don’ts when it comes to planning, launching, executing, and stewarding your donors…
NONPROFIT SUPERPOWER: THE POWER OF GOOD Superheroes make a difference. It’s what they’re known for! And, we have superheroes on almost every street corner. But,…
Q1 STEWARDSHIP: PUTTING GRATITUDE ON DISPLAY So, you’ve just wrapped up the end-of-year giving season and feel like you can finally come up for…
BUSTING GHOSTS + MARKETING MYTHS THIS SPOOKY SEASON It’s October, which means spooky season is upon us. But instead of busting ghosts this October,…
SHARE YOUR IMPACT INVITE YOUR AUDIENCE TO A WINNING TEAM Everyone likes to win. Whether it’s your March Madness bracket or choosing the…
UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA GAME GET TO KNOW THE PLATFORMS AND HOW TO USE THEM If you’re like most nonprofits, at some point you’ve…
THE STATE OF NONPROFITS STATE OF NONPROFITS On a day when we nationally celebrate the love we have for each other, we’re zooming in…
SHORT-FORM CONTENT WINS Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that lately short-form content has dominated the social media world. (Don’t worry,…
Take care of your people, and they will take care of you. THE POWER OF JANUARY STEWARDSHIP Phew! You made it through another…
new YEAR, SAME MISSION Happy (almost) New Year, nonprofit family! As we enter 2023, we’re on the edge of our seats for the…
new chapter, same book chapter one Growing up, I was always a helper. My brother is only twenty-one months younger than me, but…
Five ways to optimize your nonprofit’s website content. Your nonprofit can have the most amazing website on the planet, but if nobody can…
How to tell your nonprofit’s story using your website. “Once upon a time, our nonprofit…” We believe you’re the best person to tell…
Clean the cobwebs from your website. We all have those boxes gathering dust in the corners of our basement. The boxes that we…
WHAT IS MARKETING & WHY DOES MY MINISTRY NEED IT? Put simply, marketing is the promotion or selling of a product or service. Within the…
10 Tips For Your Nonprofit Logo Design Your organization’s cause has value, and your brand’s exposure makes that value known. So how can…
20 Web Design Statistics for 2022 That will Blow Your Mind! It isn’t the early 2000s anymore. There is no excuse for having…
3 Ways to Make Your Nonprofit’s Website Viewers Happier Meeting the needs of everyone who comes to your website can be a challenge.…
5 signs you need a website redesign Digital marketing matters. And we all know the internet isn’t going away anytime soon. So for…
The Four P’s to Communicating Through a Disaster Nonprofits step into the most challenging and persistent issues that impact our world – hunger, homelessness, poverty,…
TAKING A BITE OUT OF SUMMER HUNGER Guest blog: Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Kids everywhere look forward to summer vacation. Getting out of school for three…
Neighbors Helping neighbors Guest blog: Meals on Wheels Orange County, NC As our name suggests, Meals on Wheels Orange County, NC (MOWOCNC) provides nutritious meals.…
Sitting back Slow down you crazy child. Four years ago, I cranked up my red minivan, rolled the windows down and blasted Vienna…
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month (#MHAM). As a community, maintaining our mental health is a critical part of living healthier, more impactful lives.…
Creativity through Technology (and Oreo cake) The question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” always excited me as a kid.…
The power of effective storytelling “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” – Seth Godin |…
10 years of learning and supporting the next generation how education + youth development nonprofits are utilizing effective marketing Time flies! We’re already three…
Communicating for Impact how nonprofits in the housing and refugee spaces are tackling marketing challenges For more than a decade, Angel Oak Creative has…
A JOURNEY HOME Typically when considering a college education, future career aspirations and the journey in between, we map out how each step will prepare…
10 Years in Review Behind-the-scenes intro… Holly here. I’m 10 months into an internship with an organization that’s been serving the nonprofit community for…
2021. The year of #NonprofitTough! It’s been a joy to see the nonprofit community continue to serve in grace and generosity during times of uncertainty.…
Charting a course for increased impact with your goals Happy New Year, nonprofit family! As we enter the new year and celebrate our…
A Match Made in Facebook… Happy fourth quarter! End-of-year giving season is upon us, which also means we’re sneaking up on GivingTuesday. The Tuesday following…
The Keys to Retaining Your Donors In the course of a recent one-hour webinar, David Chatham with Angel Oak Creative and Jeff Hensley with Armstrong…
Lessons from Ecuador on perseverance, hope and creativity I wish I could say that life was easy. I wish I could tell you you’ll…
Good directions for the way Home Meet Holly I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the term “fatal flaw” before, but when my closest…
Nonprofit Tough: Five Traits of a Strong Nonprofit Community Communities face challenges every day. Whether it’s homelessness, poverty, addiction, natural disasters or a global…
Tough as nails. A tough cookie. Hanging tough. These are all ways we use the word “tough” to describe people who stand strong in the…
2020. A year of pivoting and pressing in. When we looked back at our top-performing blogs from 2020, it wasn’t surprising to see that many…
I once had a mattress that caved in the middle and became shaped like a taco. Real tacos are great, but I hate bed tacos.…
Did the holiday season sneak up on anybody else or is it just me? With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, we who speak nonprofit know that means…
Whether or not you realize it, your most powerful tool is your annual report. So, don’t sell it short. Yes, it’s a reporting mechanism to…
As we head into event fundraising season for many nonprofits, we realize this year will be unique. Galas, auctions and large gatherings are being replaced…
Our heart and soul is helping nonprofits strategically share their unique stories with excellence and in compelling ways – ultimately drawing more people into their…
As we wrap up our final blog in our series on digital storytelling, we end with perhaps the most important ingredient in this digital recipe…
Last week we talked about embracing the authenticity that’s unique to your brand. One of the ways you can do that is by controlling the…
COVID-19 forced all of us to re-evaluate how we do marketing and storytelling. Without that face-to-face, personal interaction so many of us rely on when…
In Sickness and in Health: A Challenge from Caitlin, President of Angel Oak Creative “In sickness and in health.” What a beautiful (and powerful)…
On May 5, 2020 for the first time, a global day of giving and unity called Giving Tuesday Now will take place. This new day…
COVID-19 has interrupted our norms. The springtime I had envisioned for myself is nowhere close to my reality. Instead of grilling out, weddings at the…
With great excitement, I recently joined the team at Angel Oak Creative as the new Marketing Account Coordinator and Print Production Manager! You might wonder…
Walking Through COVID-19 Together In a crazy time where situations are constantly changing and headlines on the news can be overwhelming, here at Angel Oak…
Coronavirus. Just the word sparks a visceral response. The entire world is on alert, and it’s no different here in the Triangle. As the illness…
Encouragement. I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t like to be encouraged. Whether it’s an uplifting word or an elevating deed, we all appreciate being…
Every year seems to present its challenges. They may be personal, professional, political or planetary. And as we enter 2020, the potential for all of these…
We’re celebrating the new year by celebrating the blogs you loved the most in 2019. If you haven’t read these blogs already or you want…
Danny Rosin Band Together My name is Danny Rosin. I guess I have four sort of prongs to my stool. One is family, another one…
Barbara Jessie-Black CommunityWorx *Since the filming of this video, PTA Thrift Shop has rebranded to CommunityWorx. My name is Barbara Jessie-Black, and I’m the…
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means it’s time for celebration and gratitude. For many nonprofits, this season of gratitude is also a season…
Raeford Williams Healing Transitions My name is Raeford Williams. I’m at Healing Transitions. What I do is the same thing that was done to me…
It seems like there’s a day for every interest and cause! Whether it’s cancer, diabetes, homelessness, hunger or housing, there’s a period of time devoted…
Tom Vande Guchte Storr Office Environments I’m Tom Vande Guchte, CEO of Store Office Environments. I think it’s the same as with the business. I…
Danny Rosin Band Together Raeford Williams Healing Transitions Barbara Jessie Black PTA Thrift Shop Tom Vande Guchte Storr Office Environments “Are you…
Before anyone is too quick to judge me for creating an Instagram for my dog and calling it “social media marketing,” let me introduce myself.…
7 Tips for Fall Fundraising Campaigns The crisp air is gracing our mornings. Football watching is filling our weekends. The pumpkin spice latte is caffeinating…
It’s one of our favorite times of year as nonprofits rev up to kick off their end-of-year appeals. And we love being at the center…
Did you know that 28% of nonprofits raise as much as 50% of their annual revenue from their year-end ask? In other words, the end-of-year…
Ashton Smith Citrix I am Ashton Smith, and I currently work at Citrix. I’m on our marketing and sponsorship team now, but I’ve been there…
Jesma Reynolds Walter Magazine I’m Jesma Reynolds, and I was the creative director for Walter Magazine for six years. I helped start it, and I…
We planted the seed two weeks ago. It’s time to start planning for year-end giving. If you’re thinking—this early, really, isn’t that overkill? The…
Lori O’Keefe Triangle Community Foundation I’m Lori O’Keefe, and I am the President and CEO of the Triangle Community Foundation. I have been at the…
5 Reasons You Don’t Need End-of-Year Appeal Support It’s mid-July and discussions around Angel Oak Creative are turning to end-of-year appeals. No, we’re not bored…
Daniel Alexander Mission Triangle My name is Daniel Alexander, and I’m the Area Director for Mission Triangle. I’ve been there for 11 months. Now in…
Daniel Alexander Mission Triangle Lori O’Keefe Triangle Community Foundation Jesma Reynolds Walter Magazine Ashton Smith Citrix I believe that we need to ask ourselves the…
People Matter 2019 started off with four interviews all focused around one important question: “Is your board any good?” What should the relationship between a…
Kristine Sloan StartingBloc When I first started with StartingBloc, we had a board of directors made up of some StartingBloc Fellows, but a lot of…
I admit it. I’m a LinkedIn fanboy (is that possible at 52 years old?) and a regular on the platform. LinkedIn is the world’s largest…
I’ve been a Carolina Hurricanes fan since the early 2000’s. I really got hooked on them when I attended the 2006 Stanley Cup Final where the…
Susan Ross moss+ross I’m Susan Ross. I’ve been on various nonprofit boards for 35 years and now I run a consulting business where we have…
Chuck Recorr The Harvard 100 I’m Chuck Recorr. In my day job, I’m a managing director at Merrill Lynch — I’ve been there for 47…
My name is Justin Raymond, and I just joined the Angel Oak Creative team as a digital marketing strategist. I’ve always been passionate about marketing.…
Lee Whitman SAFEchild (’03-’09) Band Together (’12-’18) For me, I like my job, I’m good at my job, I spend a lot of time at…
Kristine Sloan StartingBloc Chuck Recorr Triangle Nonprofit 100 (formerly Harvard 100) Susan Ross moss+ross Lee Whitman SAFEchild (’03-’09) Band Together (’12-’18) When…
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard a client express their desire to be featured in a news story, I would be…
As you may have noticed from our content in March, we’re celebrating #BCorpMonth! In 2015, we decided to see if we had what it took…
I graduated college and started my graphic design career in the same year—1990. That was the same year Law & Order and The Fresh Prince…
Young companies can learn a lot from mature ones. No matter the size — big or small — the ones who have gone before us…
Another Super Bowl starring Tom Brady has come and gone. And can I speak for all of us when I say, thank goodness it’s over?…
Triangle, you gave more than $2 million to support missions in your community this year! This year, we worked with over 14 nonprofits, helping them with their…
We’re taking a shot at predicting five trends nonprofits should focus on in 2019. To sum up these trends in a couple words – they’d be…
Ahhh, the nonprofit annual report. Just the thought of producing one can bring an executive director to tears. There’s the obligatory ED letter, the boring…
We’re celebrating the new year by highlighting the blogs you loved the most in 2018. If you haven’t read these blogs already, check them out!…
1. Centrant: Rebrand CICCAR (Community Investment Corporation of the Carolinas) —> Centrant We loved this fresh, clean brand. The arrows resonate with the company’s drive…
For the average nonprofit management team, phrases like WordPress, SquareSpace, Magento or Drupal might as well be a foreign language. These are all examples of…
Your direct mail has landed in mailboxes, your donors have officially stopped thinking about turkey and stuffing and are instead thinking about Christmas, and you’re…
Mental illness was always a reality in my family, but frequently relegated to back-room conversations. Even when close relatives were in treatment, it was never…
When my dad was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2001, I was a freshman in college. He was only 54, and the idea that…
Triangle, we want you! We have the honor of working with some pretty cool nonprofits. Some may even say they’re incredible. Many of our clients…
“What are you doing here, midget?” The class bully questioned me in 5th grade. “Still haven’t grown?” he asks in 6th grade. “Can you even…
My family and I recently visited Emerald Isle, NC, which was hit hard by Hurricane Florence this past September. Walking the beach, I saw firsthand…
Words can’t begin to describe the pain of a mother burying her son due to suicide. Unfortunately, some of us witness it firsthand—I did nine…
As you’ve likely heard, North Carolina (where Angel Oak Creative is headquartered) and South Carolina took quite a hit from Hurricane Florence. The storm wreaked…
Addiction is a disease. It’s an epidemic in our communities. So how do we best serve those who are seeking treatment for their disease? Many…
We believe people matter. And we know that often it’s the most vulnerable in our community whose needs multiply severely in times of emergency. That’s…
WRAL’s 2017 documentary, Searching for a Fix, features the story of Trinlie Yeaman, a mother doing what any parent would do to save their child from…
The impact of addiction on people’s lives, families and communities is enormous. It’s a huge problem in the Triangle – for all ages and genders.…
I was 34 years old when I entered the doors of Healing Transitions. I was broken and desperate for a dramatic and much needed change…
Who are you, and why are you wearing that trucker hat? “Caitlin Clinard here, founder of Angel Oak Creative, a marketing firm that exists to…
Successfully completing two degrees couldn’t save me from the realities of unemployment. Neither could mid-range experience or knowing the right people. But during my year-long…
Private K-12 schools are in constant student recruitment and retention mode. Admissions is one of the most critical programs in the school for vitality and…
Like many of us, Anissa and her two daughters once lived without fear of where they were going to lay their head each evening. Then…
“I haven’t been able to find a stable job in years and have no idea what else to do. I’m losing hope.” As Deborah* sits…
There are more than one million people in Wake County, with nearly half living in Raleigh. Of that one million, approximately nine percent live in…
Have you ever had to live paycheck to paycheck? Do you know what it’s like to experience what appears to be “small problems of everyday…
The picture in Kiona’s hand was hard to look at: in the foreground, a pink and green rug and a white dresser with a lamp…
At Angel Oak, we measure success in many ways. Analytics don’t lie. For example, if we’ve been hired to improve a nonprofit’s digital presence, success…
Unless you’ve been in a total media blackout this week (or in a maple syrup-induced coma), you’ve likely heard that the iconic International House of…
The sound of boots smacking the pavement. The whip of helicopter blades cutting through the air. The sound of an American flag waving in the…
Are you a busy person? Let me guess, you are. We’re all SO busy these days, and we wear our busyness like a badge of…
Company values are what motivate us to do the work we do. They’re what get us up and out the door in the morning. Our…
Man, how many times in your professional career have you asked that question? Is what I’m doing ACTUALLY making a difference? If you’ve never asked…
We do our best at Angel Oak Creative to prove the value of marketing to nonprofits. And my part of marketing is all about the…
At Angel Oak Creative, our sweet spot is campaigns. We love helping nonprofits build and manage marketing strategies that propel their fundraising efforts forward. Though…
For any organization, undertaking a rebrand is no simple or quick task. It’s a labor intensive process that requires change, asking tough questions, developing your…
Have you heard about “A Quiet Place” yet? If not, where ya been? It’s only one of this year’s top-grossing films, earning more than $50 million in…
I literally got mad at my microwave this morning. “How long should it take to reheat a cup of coffee?” I grumbled as I hit…
Often times we think of the word quitting as a negative response – it is giving up on something, it is taking the easy way…
Ask the wrong question and you’ll get the wrong answer. But change the question and maybe you’ll smash a world record. Or double your growth.…
It’s been a little more than 60 days since Google announced some fairly big hurdles for nonprofit organizations to clear. And if you haven’t gotten…
Angel Oak Creative works with nonprofits dependent on all types of funding sources. From fee-for-service to individual donors to grant-funded organizations, each one brings with…
It’s that time of year again. Every nonprofit on a calendar year is thinking about their annual report. There are many choices to make when…
Before you say “wait a minute, step on the brakes, this doesn’t apply to me,” let me tell you – yes, nonprofits, you are a…
Facebook’s done it again. They revamped their News Feed and it’s making us question our content calendars all over again. As the world’s biggest social…
Triangle, you gave more than $1 million to support missions in your community! This year we worked with 12 nonprofits to help them close out…
I’m not sure about you, but I’m an avid fan of professional football. I’m amazed by the athleticism, skill and talent displayed on the field…
Exactly three months ago, I began my internship here. Several Yellow Dog Bakery scones later, I’ve learned a thing or two about nonprofits and what…
Remember how pumped you were last month that your eblast got a 40% open rate and 3% clickthrough rate? Jackpot! Most organizations and businesses invest a…
What better way to celebrate an incredible year than to reflect on what we’ve been learning and growing in as a company? Last year, we…
This Ad Dared Me to #CareEnough Breaking through the noise. Standing out. Going viral. That’s every marketer’s charge. Sometimes it’s the almighty dollar that moves…
Did you know: – Nearly one-third of all annual giving occurs in December – 12% of all giving occurs in the last three days of…
Triangle, it’s time to step up! We have some pretty cool locally-based nonprofit clients. Some would even call them incredible. Like most nonprofits, 12 of…
We know turnover is high for development professionals. What’s more concerning is how much we know and how nothing is being done about it. The…
Your perspective matters The lenses with which you choose to view the world matter. Those lenses are the subject matter of the author Glennon Melton…
My CORRAL story One of the things I love about CORRAL Riding Academy is the seemingly endless number of opportunities there are to volunteer. I…
The Science of Decision Making People drive engagement. Statistics, event announcements and basic information dissemination don’t. At the end of the day, it’s our emotions…
How Have You Been? I couldn’t help but shudder as I listened to Keshune talk to his Father on the phone. A father who was…
Being an entrepreneur comes with its challenges. But with that, there are also many privileges. In this week’s vlog, our fearless leader, Caitlin, shares how…
You may be thinking, ‘She’s just the intern. What does she know?’ But I’m also a young millennial fresh out of journalism school, which kind…
It’s been incredible to see communities come together in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. From fundraising to mobilizing to action, we have seen…
It’s the feeling of connection between two people. The comfort a child receives from a parent. One of five senses. It’s touch. And we crave…
The Setup My wife is very good at capturing moments. One point of contention in our relationship has always been her incessant pursuit of taking…
The era of online video domination is here. And it’s not going anywhere. Youtube has more than a billion users, almost one-third of all people…
So, you hear about that solar eclipse going down today? For the last two weeks it seems like the solar eclipse has literally eclipsed all…
What kind of leader are you? Are you winging it? Or is something guiding you? Our society is desperately in need of leadership to gather…
5 Tips to Energize Your Communications One of the biggest challenges for a nonprofit is to keep their communications fresh and engaging. Nonprofits can…
If you live in the Triangle you likely heard of our local YMCA’s chemical spill accident that sent 40 kids to the hospital. Thankfully no one…
Angel Oak Creative’s creative, here. Thought I’d try my hand at writing for a change to try to convince you guys how much visuals impact…
Freedom. It’s what binds us and defines us as Americans. It’s what we celebrated this week on the 4th of July. The great independence day…
Donor Acquisition – The Secret Formula Struggling with how to get people involved in your nonprofit? Struggle no more. Many clients come to us…
Kevin Durant is a cupcake. You should be too. “This has been by far the most challenging few weeks in my professional life. I…
It’s Time for a Reboot I’m a mom to two teenagers, wife of 23 years and a social media intern. That’s right. I said intern.…
My Top Takeaways From Leadership Raleigh My very first impression of my Leadership Raleigh class (LR34!) was one of intimidation. These people were legit. I’m…
Is Your Next Campaign Going to Sink or Swim? If you’re in the nonprofit sector, you know exactly how it feels to stress over how…
When it Comes to Media, You’re Wasting Your Time Media coverage has the potential to put you in front of a lot of eyes. For…
In March, I created my own reality show and presented my team with the Ultimate Survivor Challenge. No, they didn’t find themselves in Africa or…
What is it about a great story that moves an audience to take action? My colleagues Seth Crawford and Cate McLeane have written two great…
Stories. They just stick with us. In fact, our brains are wired to love stories and remember their fact claims. Brands that are able to…
Our mission is to… We’ve impacted countless lives through our work… Let me explain our newest program. Our data is telling us that… Just stop.…
Facebook + Video = GAMECHANGER I was meeting with a friend and mentor for lunch recently, and he pulled out his iPad to show…
Depending on the source, experts suggest it takes between seven and 12 “touches” for a donor to make the decision to support a nonprofit organization.…
Y’all, I recently did three things I’d never done before. Two of them are embarrassing to admit because they shouldn’t have felt so daunting, but…
On March 4th, in an epic 15-lead change game, UNC defeated Duke 90-83. As roused college students rushed Franklin street and celebrated by jumping over…
4 Biggest Takeaways From 2017 High Five Conference The first time I attended a conference on marketing, I was dead set on learning so…
According to Cate’s 2-part Girl Boss series a few weeks ago, a Girl Boss is smart, innovative, dynamic, efficient, motivated, intelligent…you get the picture. A…
Here at Angel Oak, we’re pretty agnostic when it comes to politics. We may comment on public perceptions or reactions to politics, but that’s about…
When Cate found herself in the midst of a job transition, she realized she had never worked for a female leader, and this bothered her. With aspirations…
Triangle, you did it! You Gave $1,000,000 in Six Weeks In December we challenged you to help eight local nonprofits close out their end-of-year fundraising…
Setting the Stage I’ve wanted to write this post for a while now. Basically, since early December when I checked out our tracking chart for the…
Another year has come and gone. And now’s the perfect time for nonprofits to reflect on and evaluate both the good and bad of 2016.…
Since you liked our seven trends for 2016 so much, we decided to do it again this year! So, we’re taking a shot at predicting…
It’s been a fantastic year for Angel Oak Creative. We’ve experienced incredible growth as a company and watched our clients grow their impact and tell…
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