Blog

Thoughts, theories and talking points. Join the conversation.

Let’s Discuss…the Value of Content

“Let’s Discuss… The Value of Content” In the second video of our “Let’s discuss…with ParsonsTKO series”, we dive into content. Is content still queen? Does your content help your audience realize you are a trusted source? Are you personalizing your content? And the real burning question…what do baloney and Baywatch have to do with any

Audience Engagement & Acquisition

Don’t just have a taxonomy, use your taxonomy

Nate Parsons | 3 minute read

Part 2: Using taxonomy to point the way Taxonomy is not just a point on the map, it’s a guide for your journey If you’ve read part 1 of this blog series (and if you haven’t give it a read now), we hope we have convinced you of the superpowers of taxonomy. How do you

Content Strategy

Don’t just have a taxonomy, use your taxonomy

Nate Parsons | 5 minute read

Part 1: Using taxonomy to grow Why is such an ancient and omnipresent feature of the web so poorly used and understood by so many? Pop quiz… You use your website taxonomy to: Decide what content you should write next month Explain what concepts you think are related to your audiences Visualize organizational shifts in

Analytics & Optimization

Let’s Discuss… Machine Learning Applications

3 minute read

In our first ever “informed, but informal” conversation video, Stefan, Nate, and Tony discuss the latest trends in machine learning from the recent DATAx San Francisco conference, get real about how organizations can (but aren’t) using data to drive change and throw a little shade on Google for teaching us bad search habits on how

Audience Engagement & Acquisition

Engagement Architecture- a visual model for audience interactions

Nate Parsons | 6 minute read

If you’ve visited ParsonsTKO, you’ve probably seen Engagement Architecture mentioned frequently in our writing. It’s an approach we use across our work, it connects technology, internal processes, staff expertise, content, and outreach tactics into a holistic strategy for audience engagement. During a recent presentation, I shared the graphic below to illustrate the value of this

Strategy & Governance

Adaptable transformation starts with knowing the order of operations

Tony Kopetchny | 6 minute read

My wife and I still live in a fixer-upper that we bought 11 years ago – and somehow it seems like we are “always fixing, never upping!” As it is with many first-time homebuyers, a lot of our early experiences with “pros” weren’t too positive. We didn’t really know how to shop for the services

Planning and Roadmap Development

Transformation is a hands-on activity

Tony Kopetchny | 2 minute read

The hardest part of change is that even a better world is a different world than the one people are used to. Change happens, ideally, when a choice has been made proactively, but it happens more than we’d like because the choice not to change is taken off the table. When organizations talk about transformation,

Analytics & Optimization

How to adopt a data driven business culture

Tony Kopetchny | 7 minute read

A Data Strategy Subscription to catalyze change Many mission-driven leaders already see that a data-driven culture of analytics is their most sustainable path to improved organizational performance. However, if you’re like some of the overworked people we know, your attention is pulled in a million directions each day. You may intellectually understand that data strategy

Business Intelligence & Reporting

What prevents your organization from putting its data to use?

Stefan Byrd-Krueger | 4 minute read

Last week I had the pleasure of presenting—nay, of hosting a collaborative learning session—with the Oakland Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) about the challenges and opportunities of putting data to work at nonprofit organizations. My co-panelists, Sarah Vig from the Sierra Club and Sarah Wunning from GLIDE SF, shared stories about how to gradually enhance data

The best of both worlds: Why we value remote work AND in-person connection

Patti DeBow | 4 minute read

I’m typing this from a small, 50 acre farm in Cottage Grove, OR – there are rolling vistas, hiking trails, and a herd of chickens just outside the door. It’s the perfect place to recharge after a whirlwind two week work trip, visiting colleagues and clients in San Francisco, and attending the Nonprofit Technology Conference