Thursday Buzz: Extreme Makeover, Nonprofit Edition

Chain Reaction  (opens in a new tab), a nonprofit based in Pensacola, Florida, is seeing a chain reaction of its own, in the form of some major marketing help.

The group, which focuses on boosting outcomes and confidence in teenagers, was the recipient of $100,000 in marketing services from idgroup  (opens in a new tab) after winning the local marketing firm’s annual Brand On Us  (opens in a new tab) contest. Among other things, Chain Reaction received:

• a website and logo redesign
• free advertising from local television and radio stations, newspapers, and billboards
• strategy help that allowed the firm to boost its awareness and messaging

“Instead of worrying about a website, I can focus on helping kids,” Kristin Fairchild, founder and executive director of Chain Reaction, told the Pensacola News Journal  (opens in a new tab). Fairchild suggested that membership in the group would triple, thanks to the extra marketing.

Other nonprofits looking for similar help are in the running for idgroup’s 2015 contest. Interested parties can vote through this Survey Monkey page  (opens in a new tab).

The Right Words Matter

According to a new online tool, we should stop using the word “donate” in nonprofit marketing pitches. The reason? Too many other organizations are using it. “Bestow” might be a slightly better bet.

Such is the take of  The Wordifier  (opens in a new tab), a new Claxon Marketing online app that lets you know how often words show up in nonprofit marketing communications.

“It’s pretty simple. You just enter a word into The Wordifier and it immediately lets you know whether you should stop using the word, proceed with caution or go for it,” explains Kristina Leroux at Kivi’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog  (opens in a new tab). “It also tells you the definition of the word, a breakdown of nonprofits who use that word, and a list of synonyms.”

The result is that you get a wider picture of what’s fresh and what isn’t in the world of nonprofit marketing—and as a result, your message may stand out a little better.

Other Links of Note

Know what’s driving a lot of BuzzFeed’s traffic these days? If you said “email newsletters,” people would probably think you’re crazy. But according to Poynter, you’d be correct  (opens in a new tab).

Looking to build income from public speaking? Happy Black Woman‘s Rosetta Thurman has been there, and she has some tips to get you started  (opens in a new tab).

Sure, focus is great, but are you missing the bigger picture in the process? Inc.com contributor Michael Schein suggests it might be time to take the blinders off  (opens in a new tab).

Chain Reaction’s redesigned website. (Screenshot)