Meet Allegra Mangione | Nonprofit Marketing Strategy Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Allegra Mangione and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Allegra, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Community. Certainly. It has to be, right? Your business is only as strong as your relationships. The same goes for your career. Yes, the quality of your work, your approach, your way of being, your values, they all matter. But at the end of the day, what is concrete? Your relationships with your clients, your customers, your colleagues, and your co-conspirators. My satisfaction and happiness at work has always been closely linked to the quality of my working relationships. It is people that give you opportunities. It is people that decide to renew your contract, or to expand the project you are working on. And it is people that recommend that another organization hire you. Without a supportive, strong, caring community, Catharsis wouldn’t be.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Catharsis’ mission is to empower nonprofit organizations to use values-aligned marketing to access resources, build community, and carry out their missions. In short, Catharsis exists to transform nonprofit marketing. We do this one organization at a time, and a few things set us apart in our approach. We’re nonprofits first, marketing second. As the founder, my expertise is grounded in supporting nonprofits with their marketing, not in marketing alone. In fact, we refuse to work with for profit businesses because we wouldn’t deliver as much value to that type of client! Apart from our niche clientele and expertise, Catharsis puts its values first. An abundance mindset, bold honesty, and transparency are just a few of these values. Last, we are kind. Sure, work is work, but the way we treat each other is the difference between work being motivating and work being miserable. My academic background is in Human Services, and I put my counseling skills to work with clients every day. The lesson here is to be a joy to work with and you will find joy in your work.

I’m proud of a few things. I’m proud that Catharsis’ main clientele is smaller nonprofits. To me, this means that we’ve been able to create a suite of services that aren’t just useful to nonprofits – nonprofits value them. When I see a small nonprofit investing hard won funding in working with Catharsis, I feel proud of what we deliver. I also am proud of starting a business early in my career, sticking with it, and building a financially viable model over time. There are a lot of fears and beliefs that could have held me back but I’m grateful that 25-year-old Allegra set those fears aside and went for it.

Besides a wonderfully supportive community (which I’ve already gushed about in my other answers) there were a few other ingredients that contributed to my current level of success. One is that I had a clear vision. I knew my niche well and had a clear sense of my target customer. I designed everything about my brand, marketing, and services around that ideal client. And so, when they started coming in the door, I was ready to deliver value.

Another is organization, time management, and self discipline. Those pieces have always come naturally to me, so I used those strengths to my advantage. Starting a business takes a lot of work and the motivation has to be intrinsic. But, even the best of us have lapses in motivation from time to time. Well-organized time and self-displine helped my push on to the other side of self-doubt and adversity.

The biggest challenge over the years, and a lesson that it seems I must learn over and over again is to stick to my gut. Earlier in, it was harder for me to say no to opportunities, or leave opportunities that were no longer a good fit for me. Now, I lean on my gut to know when to say “no,” “yes,” and “let’s wind down our work together.” I was always pretty good at listening to my gut – I knew what it was saying – but I ignored it. Now, while it’s never easy to say no or end a relationship with a client, I trust myself to make the right decisions. It took experience and a lot of mistakes to get comfortable with this. And besides just learning to listen to myself, there are some things I do to help. For example, I keep meticulous track of my time and revenue, so I can observe patterns over time on how I can use my time to maximize revenue. I also check in with myself monthly on how projects are making me feel – motivated, overwhelmed, excited, at ease, depleted – so I can make good decisions about how to keep a balanced, enjoyable client load. A lesson I come back to from time-to-time is, if something isn’t serving you, you’re not serving it. That’s a particularly tough one for us nonprofit folks to swallow.

Last, you have to find balance. I tried having “business owner,” “nonprofit consultant,” “founder & principal,” become my whole identity. It was unfulfilling. Even when your work is purpose driven, and it’s your passion, and you’re good at it, there is still more to life than work. Outside of work, I’m a climber and mountaineer and I let those identities balance each other out. It is certainly not “work above all else.”

And, one plug for the nonprofit sector – it needs you. Running a nonprofit is tough, tough, work and there are a lot of things working against those who have chosen to work in nonprofits. When you have resources to contribute, please be generous with nonprofits and trust them to use your dollars well. Nonprofits sometimes get a bad rap – but there is so much good work being done. Good work that needs your support!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in La Alma/Lincoln Park, which is better known as the “Arts District on Santa Fe.” And I love my neighborhood. So, the first stop would be a tour of the Arts District, preferably on a 3rd Friday, when the galleries are open but the crowds are not present. We’d stop by some favorite local businesses and nonprofits including Access Gallery for mission driven art, Tonantzin Casa de Cafe for a snack, Recreative for thrifted art supplies, Rocky Yama Sushi for dinner, and Town Hall Collaborative for interesting local events. Then, we’d have to get outside. Bike the Cherry Creek or Platte River trails, visit the Botanic Garden, or wander Baker or Five Points to take in the historic architecture. We’d then head out toward the mountains for some entry level hiking, rock climbing, or in the winter, ice climbing!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It wasn’t hard to come up with a long list of people, groups, organizations, that have shown me support, mentorship, love, over the years, and I think there is a lesson there. We tend to gravitate toward stories of daring individual accomplishments, especially when we think of entrepreneurs or business owners. But these types of stories, by their very nature, erase the contributions of others. Our stories are interconnected. And as I name those who have helped me make my dream of becoming a nonprofit consultant a reality, know that their stories, and mine, are deeply linked.

Consultants for Good – A wonderful network of mission driven consultants living the value of reciprocity as they help each other’s businesses succeed. We do it because we’re grounded in common values and we believe in paying it forward. I can’t imagine having success with Catharsis without Consultants for Good. A very special shoutout to Lauren Andraski for fostering an inclusive, worthwhile community.

Slavica Park – Who believed I could build what I was setting out to build at a moment in which others were telling me that I couldn’t. She didn’t let me doubt that I was capable.

Lydia Dean – When your first conversation feels like one with an old friend. Lydia has a unique way of pulling out the passion in everyone she comes across. I’m lucky to know her and I’m lucky she trusted me with her voice at the beginning of my journey.

Karen Bartlett – I dare you to go out and find a more talented business coach. This woman is disarming, and makes you laugh at yourself through your tears. For me, she made risk-taking feel possible and propelled me into a new chapter.

Marty Zimmerman – For graciously helping me get started. Stepping out on your own isn’t easy. I was blessed to have an organization that said, “I’ll come with you.”

Patty Breech & the Purpose Collective – I have heard some say that consulting is a lonely business. Not so when you have the Purpose Collective on your side. Patty, Michelle, and Julia were my first colleagues. I am lucky now to call them friends.

Hari Baumbach – Working alongside Hari has shown me that it would be unwise to go at it alone. What’s more, I wouldn’t want to. Hari’s talent as a designer is unmatched and she brings so much to Catharsis’ clients every day.

My Nonprofit Clients – How could I forget the incredible, unmatched nonprofit organizations that serve the Denver community and beyond? I’m blown away every day that nonprofits put their trust in me to lead a precious part of their work: telling their stories.

Website: https://www.catharsisfornonprofits.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allegra-mangione/