This document outlines Kivi Leroux Miller's presentation on adopting a CALM approach rather than a BUSY one for nonprofit communications. The presentation encourages nonprofits to be Collaborative, Agile, Logical, and Methodical instead of Bogus, Unrealistic, Sidestepping, and Yoked. It discusses ways communication strategies can fall into each of these categories and provides suggestions on how to improve practices and habits to be more effective. The document is intended to help nonprofits chart a more reasonable communications plan through self-reflection and establishing better systems and processes.

1. Kivi Leroux Miller
President, Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com
CALM not BUSY:
A New Approach for Nonprofit
Communicators to Do Their BestWork
Slides: slideshare.net/kivilm

2. Thoughts or
Reactions from the
Last Session?

3. Goal for This 90 Minutes:
Help you chart a course to
a more reasonable
communications plan.

4. What about your
nonprofit’s approach to
communications doesn’t
seem reasonable now?
Jot down some ideas.

5. How does your own
personal style or work
habits contribute to the
overwhelm?
Jot down some ideas.

6. #CALMnotBUSY
Always Be
CALM
Collaborative, Agile,
Logical, and Methodical
not BUSY
Bogus, Unrealistic,
Sidestepping, andYoked

7. B is for BOGUS
Bogus = Deceptive, meaningless, or
fake.
For example, measuring your productivity
only by your level of activity, and not by the
result of that activity, is bogus.
Let’s name some bogus thinking
within your organization or your
own behavior.

8. B is for BOGUS
More ways nonprofits are bogus:
• Constantly shifting tactics or messaging.
• Falling down the rabbit hole or chasing
the bright shiny object (wasting lots of
time)
• Thinking your nonprofit and its issues
are unique special snowflakes that no
one else can understand.

9. U is for UNREALISTIC
For example, thinking that you can
accomplish a mile-long to-do list every
day.
Let’s name some unrealistic
thinking within your organization
or your own behavior.

10. U is for UNREALISTIC
More ways nonprofits are unrealistic:
• Not allowing enough time to get quality,
creative work done.
• Believing that your nonprofit should be a
household name.
• Thinking that viral videos are easily
manufactured.

11. S is for SIDESTEPPING
For example, failing to prioritize what’s
important, and instead saying all goals are
equally important.
Let’s name some situations where
you or your nonprofit is
sidestepping something
important.

12. S is for SIDESTEPPING
More ways nonprofits are sidestepping:
• Avoiding hard conversations and failing
to say NO!
• Failing to put in the time to really listen
to others, internally and externally.
• Allowing walls to build up between
departments.
• Letting personalities get in the way of
collaboration.

13. Y is for YOKED
For example, continuing to do things the
way they have always been done. Or
responding immediately when your email
or social media pings an alert.
Let’s name some instances where
you or your nonprofit is yoked to
something negative.

14. Y is for YOKED
More ways nonprofits are yoked:
• Too many layers of review.
• Communications are too conservative,
for fear of failure or offending someone.
• Too much deliberation required before
responding to breaking news.
• Our own perfectionism.

15. #CALMnotBUSY
Always Be
CALM
Collaborative, Agile,
Logical, and Methodical
not BUSY
Bogus, Unrealistic,
Sidestepping, andYoked

16. What is going well with
communications at your
nonprofit? Where are you
getting it right?
Jot down some ideas.

17. C is for
COLLABORATIVE
What does great collaboration look like
with:
Your camp staff or volunteers?
Other communications or development
staff?
Your executive director?
Your board members?

18. C is for
COLLABORATIVE
Other ways to be collaborative:
• Help people see the big communications
picture and how they fit into it.
• Create clear processes for working
together.
• Build listening into your ongoing routine.

19. A is for AGILE
Name some times when your
organization or you were especially
agile.
When did you move quickly with good
results?

20. A is for AGILE
Other ways to be agile:
• Expect the unexpected, and plan for it.
• Create agile content that can be used in
many different ways.
• Establish clear lines of authority,
delegation, and communication.

21. L is for LOGICAL
What about your communications
strategy makes perfect sense?
What do you know to be absolutely
true?

22. L is for LOGICAL
Other ways to be logical:
• Integrate communications, fundraising,
and programmatic goals.
• Ground everything in the 3 Marketing
Questions.
• Follow best practices, experiment and
learn!

23. M is for METHODICAL
What systems or habits do you
have in place that are working
well?
What’s humming along smoothly?

24. M is for METHODICAL
Other ways to be methodical:
• Use an editorial calendar.
• Set up systems and tools that others can
embrace and use, with or without you.
• Find a personal productivity system that
works for you.

25. What can you
change on your
own when you
return to work?

26. What conversations
can you start with
others to improve
the way you work
as a team?

28. Kivi Leroux Miller
President, Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com
Let’s stay in touch!
@kivilm
kivi@ecoscribe.com
NonprofitMarketingGuide.com/blog
Fb.com/nonprofitmarketingguide