2021 AMA Nonprofit and Cause Marketing Virtual Conference

Opening Keynote: Trends That Will Be Reshaping Nonprofit Marketing: It's Happening Already

There are many emerging trends that are affecting the future of marketing in the nonprofit world. From the fast-emerging social business model that is a new approach to the commitment of cause marketing, to the social purpose efforts of the for-profit world’s commitment to cause marketing that impacts nonprofit efforts. From the upcoming seismic transfer of wealth that will empower the younger generations in new expectations from nonprofit marketing efforts to new ways to identify and create donor engagement for your nonprofit’s mission.

Clinton will showcase a case study from the International Center of Photography and its #ICPConcerned effort. During the pandemic, ICP involved its community in a new form of marketing that led to high engagement, a new exhibition, a book and new development and fundraising approaches.

Key takeaways will include:

• How can your nonprofit participate in the new social business space?
• What things can you do now to communicate with millennials who will be recipients of the great wealth transfer.
• The ICP case study and how you can adapt some of the best practices to your nonprofit

Note: Michael Clinton’s newest book, ROAR into the Second Half of Your Life – Before It’s Too Late (Atria Books/Beyond Words, Sept. 7, 2021) explores how to get the most out of your life experience in work, lifestyle and relationships. Don’t miss it!

How To Amplify Your Mission

Messaging matters (a lot)! How you market your brand in the crowded nonprofit space makes all the difference in accomplishing your goals. Consistent messaging and strategic partnerships will help you stand out from the rest. This session can help you craft the right messaging to amplify your mission and make an impact in your community.

You’ll learn:

• Developing strong key messages
• Crafting nonprofit audience personas
• Managing strategic partnerships

Using Journeys for Conversion

Nonprofits know the importance of building supporter journeys that keep supporters engaged. But how do you build and utilize these journeys to grow your organization? And beyond a welcome journey, what other kinds of journeys are beneficial to the supporter experience? Join us to learn how to expand the use of supporter journeys to drive long-term advocacy and allyship.

Marketing Operations in 2021 - Why the Future is DAM

Early last year, as marketing teams made the shift to working from home, many operations that were built with the office in mind started to crumble. Project hand-offs were more complicated, communication channels were reduced, and on-site servers were rendered useless. What’s become clear in 2021 is that the future of marketing operations is remote.

One of the most glaring gaps in marketing operations is consistent, easy and secure access to files — the logos, images, videos and graphics your team needs to do their job. Leading marketing teams are closing this gap with a digital asset management system.

This session will share how digital asset management systems (DAM) are helping lay the foundation for future-proofed marketing operations. It will share:

• Why DAM is the foundation of strong marketing workflows,
• The benefits of upgrading from a server or file sharing solution
• Real-life customer success stories

Opening Keynote: Think Differently: The Path to Marketing Success

What makes your organization different? How well do you know your audience? What can you do to think differently about how to share your best engaging stories to help enhance your impact in the world? How do you expand your brand promise to help others see you and your mission in a new light? This session helps you think about you can bring innovation into your marketing strategy while thinking differently about how to influence your marketing efforts. Join Jennifer GoodSmith, an award-winning nonprofit marketer, as she shares insights, strategies, and stories that stand out while leaning into marketing success. From flash fiction, to innovative exhibits, to puppies and kittens, this session talks about to build your strategy and pitch your story to have the most impact.

Virtual is Here to Stay: How Nonprofits Are Successfully Leveraging Virtual and Hybrid Events

During the past year, marketing and event professionals across the globe were forced to adapt to the “new normal” of virtual events. Although most of us missed our in-person meetings, we discovered some advantages of virtual events like extended reach and accessibility. This has unlocked new opportunities for non-profit organizations to build valuable relationships with their constituents and donors through live events – both virtual and in-person. We are entering the era of year-round live engagement programs and it’s important to find a long-term virtual event solution that enables you to deliver best-in-class content, connect your audience members, build community, and allow for activation opportunities along the way.

In this session, we’ll share tips and best practices on how to improve your event channel so you can deliver great virtual and hybrid events that further your mission.

During the live presentation, you’ll learn:

• The latest technology trends impacting virtual and hybrid events
• The ongoing role of virtual events in your total event program
• How to build an engaging event your attendees will love
• Best practices from your non-profit peers for virtual and hybrid events of all sizes

Accessibility and Inclusion in Web Design: The Art of Listening

Inclusive design and website accessibility are much more than buzzwords.

The World Health Organization cites that over 1 billion people live with some form of disability; the CDC states that 61 million adults in the United States, or one in every four (26%) Americans live with a disability—from physical impairments to functional challenges. And, in 2020, there were 2,523 website accessibility lawsuits filed in U.S. federal and state courts. Beyond accessibility, basic usability problems abound on the internet, frustrating users and driving away donors.

When considering inclusive, equitable, and accessible web design, the most important thing you can do is pay attention to your audience. How are you creating access for all of your users? Join Executive Creative Director Chris Cacci and UX expert and Lead Developer Andrew Ortolano as they walk through some Dos and Don’ts of accessible, inclusive web design. With user stories and insights from their own research and practice, Chris and Andrew will offer practical tips to make websites more usable to all people regardless of their abilities, identity, economic situation, age, education, or viewpoints.

Where Consumers Go, Content Must Follow: Winning Donors with Experiences Powered by Content

Building lasting relationships with donors is critical. Consumers expect emotionally satisfying experiences from their brands and personalization is key to delivering these satisfying experiences. But a common challenge for non-profit marketers today is reaching their donor market with compelling messaging that inspires action. Many miss the mark of truly personalizing their content to the right audience at the right time. It is often viewed as a nice-to-have but usually too much to actually take on. Marketers are becoming pre-occupied with producing more content, yet they struggle to get it out fast enough. Omnichannel personalization at scale has become the new expectation and marketers have been tasked to make it work and keep the cost down.

Attendees of this session will walk away with learnings on how marketers can achieve omnichannel content production and distribution at scale while creating compelling content that delivers a story that inspires and wins donors, powered by personalization and content.

After this session, you’ll be able to:

• Build content at scale and centralize content for agility
• Develop content strategy and an experience map
• Deliver experiences that connect through content

Opening Keynote: AMA Foundation Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Panel Discussion

The American Marketing Association Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Award honors extraordinary leadership and achievement in the field of nonprofit marketing. Nominated by a peer in their field, the regional and national recipients of the Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Award have achieved breakthroughs in organizing and planning in nonprofits organizations.

Join us for a panel discussion to hear insights and key takeaways on how they have transformed their nonprofit organization through creative approaches to marketing and communications.

This award is made possible in partnership with Lipman Hearne.

Adapt or Die: Lessons in Agile Marketing Success During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Closing Keynote: The Worst (Nonprofit) Marketing Advice I've Ever Received

As we start to emerge one of the craziest marketing eras of the past century, we’ve been privy to a lot of advice. Some of it’s been helpful when we’ve needed it more than ever. But it’s not all helpful. So let’s steal a few moments to reflect, call it out, and turn all of that misinformed or assumptive advice and turn it into marketing gold.

In this humorous, relatable talk, Julia McDowell of Five Ones, a career nonprofit marketer, will offer up 20 pieces of “bad advice” and how nonprofit marketers can turn lemons into lemonade.