Community Highlights: Meet Dawn Crawford of BC/DC Ideas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Crawford

Hi Dawn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In 3rd grade, I knew I wanted to be a writer; in college, I had the epiphany that I could tell nonprofits’ stories through communications. After a layoff and a cross-country move, my husband and I started BC/DC Ideas, a boutique communications agency that amplifies nonprofits’ stories.

BC/DC Idea’s scrappy team of nonprofit communicators works to bring creative voices to the world’s most important projects. We’re working with local and national nonprofits to promote volunteerism, save cats’ lives, improve people’s health, and change the world.

During the pandemic, I stepped back from my company to join the Wake County communications team to ensure that our community was vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine. I have always loved the power of vaccines, and it was important to me to be part of this historic moment to protect so many lives.

I recently published a book, Kindly Review: The Secret to Giving and Receiving Feedback to Make Your Ideas Great. In it, I help creative professionals infuse kindness into every step of their process, making their work—and their workplace—more harmonious and productive.

I love living in the Triangle. It’s our chosen home. We moved here on purpose to enjoy the creative community and vibrant city.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a small business owner is always a challenge. Over the last 14 years, BC/DC Ideas has worked with over 100 nonprofits nationwide. We’ve created jobs for local communications professionals, designers, web developers, and videographers. Working with so many personalities over the years, I’ve learned to interact with countless personality types and find kindness in collaboration, giving feedback, and nudging people to do their best work. I’m thankful for every challenging personality and project we’ve encountered.

It’s always a struggle to live in this space of focusing on the work versus winning the work. We’re our worst promotion company, which is ironic since we’re marketers. As many small businesses are experiencing, we’re feeling the slowdown in 2024, which is on the heels of the 2020 slowdown. It’s always an ebb and flow with work. I know the next big thing is right around the corner. That undying optimism is critical for entrepreneurship.

As a working mother, I also experience the push-pull of being a mom while being an entrepreneur. I’m proud to be a role model for my daughter, showing her that you can pursue your dreams and take significant risks, but she sees the struggle and scrafice that goes into it every day.

I wouldn’t trade my life for anything, but it’s not all unicorns and rainbows over here. I’m kinder, tougher, and more efficient because of the struggles we’ve met.

We’ve been impressed with BC/DC Ideas, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
BC/DC Ideas is a communications agency dedicated to supporting nonprofits. We’ve called the Triangle our home base since 2010 and have worked with over 100 nonprofits across the county.

We help nonprofits amplify their mission through strategic planning, social media, websites, videos, media relations, and more. Basically, we can do anything a Communications Director should, would, or wishes they could.

Our virtual team promotes the most important stories in our community. We work with nonprofits on a variety of missions. Right now, we are working to amplify the value of volunteerism, save cats’ lives, improve people’s health, conserve our state’s land, and help build a stronger safety net for our children. It’s pretty special to spend our working week changing the world.

We also host an annual conference, Create Good, which attracts nonprofit communicators to spend 3 days in Durham to meet their people and gain professional skills. The conference has impacted over 800 nonprofits in 45 states.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Nonprofits are the most critical industry in our state. These organizations work to solve unfundable problems, with too few angel investors waiting to fund them. The issues that nonprofits solve touch all of us every day. Finding a nonprofit you believe in and investing your money, time, and attention is the best way to change the world.

The BC/DC Ideas team is here to help nonprofits refine and improve their communications. Contact us at [email protected] or @bcdcideas on all social media platforms.

Pricing:

• We’re priced by project

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bcdcideas.com
• Instagram: @bcdcideas
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bcdcideas/
• Twitter: @bcdcideas