3 Blogs Just Like Mine

As it turns out, I’m not a very good salesperson. I am pointing my readers out there in the direction of blogs that are exactly what my blog is going to be about: nonprofit communications. But it is my hope that while you do take pleasure in my three favorite blogs, you venture back once in a while, if only in recognition of my supreme recommendation skills.

#3: A Student’s Best Friend: Nonprofit Jobs

“This is the official jobs blog for The NonProfit Times, the leading publication for the nonprofit sector in the United States. This blog will contain helpful tips on how to break into the nonprofit world.”

Now I know you’re asking the question: Why not just talk about The Nonprofit Times? Well, as you can see on their About Me page, this blog is dedicated to executive members of nonprofit organizations that make approximately $10 million in revenue. And honestly, I’m not quite there yet.

I am, however, a college student at The Otterbein University. I know from first-hand experience that graduation looms in front of students from their very first day of orientation, and Nonprofit Jobs can help.

Giving a Helping Hand

Nonprofit Jobs not only has job postings, but also interviewing tips, marketable skills and links to social media sites for instant updates. The site is user-friendly with clear links. Information from the Career Center page takes users to the Job Seeker Page where information can be accessed via employers or postings by individuals seeking positions.

#2: A Guide to Faith-Based Nonprofits: Church Marketing Sucks

My ideal job is to work for a nonprofit faith-based organization, so this site is right up my alley. While this site is a blog, it functions more like a news website by breaking information on the church circuit.

Interestingly, the site is run by a nonprofit organization, the Center for Church Communication. This nonprofit was created to help other churches use communications, public relations and marketing to spread the gospel clearly an effectively. What a cause!

How It Works

Church Marketing Sucks defines its purpose to frustrate, educate and motivate. They are clear in their purpose to “offend into action.” While many nonprofit experts would turn up their noses at offending their potential clients, and the fact that church audience is notoriously easily offended, makes this website title and mission a creative approach to a website strikingly unique.

They defend their use of “sucks” in their title on the About Us page, and they give a little grace to churches who have their marketing on point, but they’re right, most church marketing suffers because it’s not in the budget or Bible. The website itself is a great model for positive marketing. It is user-friendly in that it is scannable, has plenty of headlines and subheadings and clear navigation that sits on each page the same way. It’s not hard to tell where you are or where you’ve been on the site.

They can play up the irony, as long as they have the goods to back it up, and they do.

#1: The Expert Opinion: Kivi Leroux Miller’s Blog

A failed salesperson, I am now pointing you in the direction of an expert in my niche. This is a blog that young communications professionals like myself can read and learn from.

Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog is centered around start-up and small nonprofits. (Small as in under $250,000 annually.) Individuals who want to make a difference but aren’t sure what it really means to be a nonprofit can learn a bit about the do-it-yourself marketing biz.

Why She’s the Expert

Kivi Miller’s tagline: Author, Trainer, Coach, Consultant really shines through the screen as she details her next book, provides insight into her world of nonprofits, and provides advice, webinars and other training tools to her subscribers. She’s focused on the business of nonprofits as well as the little things. Her blog details nearly every facet of nonprofit work, from the start-up, to the social media, to the business, and more. This blog is holistic, and that’s what makes it great.

Kivi Miller is not only a qualified expert, but her blog really shows off her personality. For example, at the end of every week, a series blog called “Mixed Links” that gives links to other blogs and websites that provide insight on a variety of topics. She gives her expertise a spin that’s funny and relatable, but also packed with useful information.

3, 2, 1…Blog!

Those are my top three blogs on nonprofit communication, but there are dozens out there. The “How-Tos” and the “Tip Givers” are helpful, but these blogs each provide a unique perspective to their niche. I hope to provide you with that perspective as my blog continues as a student learning about the world of nonprofit communications and a passion for the greater good. What blogs would you recommend that have that extra something? Let me know, and I’ll be sure to check them out!