The Nonprofit MBA Podcast

It is a fact that nonprofits are known for addressing a wide range of crucial societal issues. However, to maximize their impact, they must establish a strong brand identity that sets them apart. Nonprofits can achieve this by defining their mission and values, identifying a unique selling proposition, understanding their audience, crafting a compelling brand story, maintaining a consistent brand identity, leveraging digital marketing, collaborating, and continuously measuring their efforts. Remember, a strong brand not only attracts supporters but also ensures long-term sustainability and success in fulfilling its mission. In today’s podcast, Celina Shands from Full Capacity Marketing, Inc. and Stephen Halasnik from Financing Solutions, a leading provider of business loans for nonprofits (https://financingsolutionsnow.com/), discuss how nonprofits can position their brand to solidify their niche.
Read an Executive Summary or Listen to the Podcast HERE: How Nonprofits Can Position Their Brand To Solidify Their Niche

About The Guest, Celina Shands From Full Capacity Marketing

Born and raised in North Carolina, Celina approaches business like a true southerner—relationships first, business second. She is the founder/CEO of Full Capacity Marketing (FCM), a 20+ year-old national consultancy specializing in brand storytelling and strategic communications. As a former Female Athlete of the Year, Celina attributes her love of sports as the driving force and passion that she puts into every single project. FCM’s customer-centric model has earned the company more than 75 global awards for its customers who have built sustainable and relevant brands across the nation.

About Stephen Halasnik, The Nonprofit MBA Podcast, and Financing Solutions

Stephen Halasnik co-founded Financing Solutions, the leading provider of lines of credit for nonprofits and church financing. The credit line program for nonprofits & churches is fast, easy, inexpensive, and costs nothing to set up, making it a great backup plan when cash flow is temporarily down. Mr. Halasnik is also the host of the popular, Nonprofit MBA Podcast. The podcast brings experts to discuss fundraising, nonprofit grants, executive director leadership, nonprofit boards, and other important topics. You can learn more about the nonprofit line of credit program here or call 862-207-4118.

When the National Association of Workforce Boards chose a new communications firm, we did a thorough review of our choices and could not be happier with FCM. Their dedication to us as a client is exceptional, and their eye for what we need has been superb. The measure of their excellence is demonstrated through our selection for the International Davey Award for our integrated campaign

Ron Painter – Chief Executive Officer
National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB)

Without a doubt, FCM provided our organization with the right re-branding strategy and solutions. Using a collaborative approach to engage our stakeholders resulted in an expanded awareness and understanding of our mission.

Bruce England – Executive Director
Susquehanna Workforce Network

Full Capacity Marketing has a distinct and effective style of collaboration that is highly successful in bridging gaps and finding common ground between various stakeholders. Their public awareness campaign was highly successful in improving our brand awareness, but most importantly laid the foundational groundwork for building partnerships with our most important community stakeholders within the public workforce investment system, economic development and community colleges.

Shanee Smith – Senior Planner
Virginia Employment Commission – Workforce Investment Act Division

FCM is masterful at bringing a brand strategy to fruition. Our project benefitted greatly from their expertise and we ended up with very effective, professional, on-time and on-target communication tools to engage the community with our mission.

Jason Cameron – Project 5002 Supervisor
Workforce Institute – San Jose/Evergreen Community College District

FCM has an energetic, professional, smart team that understands the world of community colleges. What I appreciate most about FCM is their responsiveness and ability to deliver quality products and services very rapidly. Our brand strategy and subsequent marketing and communications tools developed by FCM are outstanding and have helped our team achieve great success. I would recommend FCM without hesitation to any community college.

Audrey Reille, Ed. D. – Director
Center of Excellence and CTE Hub

California Corporate College hired FCM to help one of our customers with understanding their market position and how to best sell their products and services. We were so impressed with FCM’s approach, analysis and the presentation to our customer. It has far exceeded what we were contracted to do and I know the information will help our customer make an informed decision on how to best position their organization. Thanks FCM!

Catherine Swenson – Director
California Corporate College

Part of our Board’s strategy in looking at future trends and creating solutions for our community requires engaging the many public/private workforce, economic and educational partners. FCM has greatly supported this strategy that provides a two-way communication mechanism for our community stakeholders to weigh-in on our funding, our strategies, and key initiatives.

David Hollars – Executive Director
Centralina Workforce Development Board

FCM has a unique customer-centric model in approaching brand strategies. We were highly impressed with the market research and upfront strategy sessions that enabled us to tap into the needs of our ultimate users. Working with FCM was an outstanding investment, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the team at FCM. I hope to work with them again in the future.

Carolyn Jeskey – Director
Joblinks Employment Transportation Center

FCM provided thoughtful recommendations that have been instrumental in the brand awareness of the Institute. FCM was responsive, creative, and made us feel like we were their only client throughout the entire process.

Phil Jordan – Executive Director
Economic Advancement Research Institute

By far, Celina Shands is one of the most talented PR professionals that I have ever met in my 20 years in broadcast. Thinking out-of-the-box is the norm for Celina as evidenced by her cause-related marketing projects.

Leslie Groza – Noon News Producer
KFMB TV 8 – San Diego

Celina and FCM is an exceptional talent. Her ability to perceive the intellectual concept and the parameters of a problem or challenge and artfully apply solutions and expertise is astounding. She has powerful and effective interpersonal skills and consistently delivers outstanding products and service on time and without cost over runs. I strongly endorse her company and the work performed.

Booker Graves – Former Executive Director
State of Colorado – Office of Workforce Development

FCM is a resource that other workforce boards should tap. As a result of our work with FCM, we have completely re-branded our Board and restructured our customer service and communication processes. I would recommend their services without hesitation to any of my workforce colleagues.

Adam Peck – Executive Director
Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County

We worked with FCM to teach employees consultative sales techniques and to think differently about service delivery for our employer customers. In a time constrained environment, FCM kept in regular contact with our office, developed marketing materials and trained all our staff. The staff enjoyed the training while they were learning and were pleased with the professional marketing materials.

Shannon Munro – Executive Director
CPWDC

The FCM team is bright, professional, creative and highly strategic. The brand strategy and outreach materials they developed exceeded our expectations, and have been instrumental in helping us meet our goals and objectives.

Sharon Sewell – Director, Program Operations
Workforce Professionals Training Institute

The plan developed by FCM has helped position CRY-ROP to clearly communicate its benefits to each of the target groups based upon evidence of impacts. CRY-ROP would not hesitate to hire/contract with FCM in the future. Working with the responsive, professional FCM support team has been a pleasant reminder of how powerful and effective the blending of industry leading professionals and progressive educators can be.

Stephanie Houston, Superintendent
Colton Redlands Yucaipa ROP

FCM was instrumental in helping our Foundation kickoff a critical giving campaign by focusing on the development of a long-term re-branding strategy. I’d highly recommend FCM to any nonprofit looking to be more strategic and focused about their image and fundraising strategies.

Brett Lundstrom – Chair
Elgin Community College Foundation

I’ve learned in our re-branding journey with FCM that there has to be a clear alignment from all of our business processes to our brand strategy. Their organizational ecosystem is a highly effective model that has propelled our organization to the next level of performance. I’d highly recommend their talented team.

Todd Gustafson – Executive Director
Kinexus

FCM has decades of experience in workforce and education and understands the dynamics in our Strong Workforce environment in California. Their experience, coupled with innovative and cutting edge branding, marketing and communications strategies are executed effectively and result in elevating the work in our regions.

Jim Caldwell
Sector Navigator, Energy, Construction & Utilities Sector

We are so proud of the six Davey awards for our national campaign and credit Full Capacity Marketing for mobilizing both leadership and educators in all 50 states to reposition our important mission. Their team is consistently strategic, on time, and on or under budget. I highly recommend FCM in developing and executing complex education and workforce campaigns that need targeted results. We have rehired them for future phases of our project.

Sharon Bonney, Executive Director
COABE

Full Capacity Marketing is exceptional at understanding the market and knowing how to create the right strategies to engage students. They are responsive, available and highly strategic in working with our many stakeholders. Our region is very excited about their work to date and we look forward to continuing our relationship.

How Nonprofits Can Position Their Brand To Solidify Their Niche