I believe even the hardest things, misunderstood tools, complex stories, or painful experiences, can be turned into a force for good. That’s what drew me to social media: a space that’s often written off as shallow or overwhelming, but when used well, can move people to act, connect deeply, and create real change.

After a decade working on hundreds of social media campaigns, I’ve seen both sides of it. The impact side and the frustrating side. I’ve watched leaders pour time and resources into social without results, feeling like they’re shouting into the void.

I often hear:
"Social isn't working for us."
 "This is so frustrating."
 "You're my last stop before I throw in the towel."

That’s exactly why I founded Cause Fokus—a social-first thought leadership agency that helps executives and founders step confidently into their story, build trust, and turn their influence into impact.

We use empathy-driven strategy, grounded in human psychology, to get you in the room with the people who matter most to your mission. I’ve had the privilege of leading social for U.S. policymakers, international NGOs, small businesses, professional athletes, artists, and global change-makers.

And yes, I’m very proud of my Swedish roots, so you might hear me talk a lot about quality over quantity, fika breaks ☕️, and clarity in everything I do. (That’s also why "fokus" is spelled with a k. 😉)

3 ways to work with me:

- Subscribe to my free newsletter
- Hire me as a fractional consultant
- Hire our team for LinkedIn content strategy & support

CASE STUDY: Turning Influence into Opportunity

A CEO of a patient advocacy foundation came to me with a big problem: no traction from their company’s LinkedIn ad campaigns. Cold outreach was falling flat. They were losing momentum with healthcare partners—and couldn’t afford to keep spinning their wheels.

Our solution:

We activated the Chief Development Officer’s personal LinkedIn presence.
In his own voice, we posted 3–4 times a week, spoke directly to the pain points of ideal partners, engaged in strategic conversations, and sent warm, personalized messages to his top-tier contact list.

In just 6 months:
- His content reached 100,000+ impressions
- Profile views from key decision-makers jumped 508%
- Connection acceptance rate hit 60%
- A major lapsed partner re-engaged and said: “I love what you’re doing on LinkedIn. I can tell the organization is taking a turn for the better. Let’s chat.”

Because when the right people trust you, the right doors start opening.
Trust is currency. Let’s spend it well!

Brynne Krispin

What if joy was your competitive strategy? I can’t stop thinking about Alysa Liu's performance... winning Olympic gold not by pushing harder, but by stepping away, recalibrating, and coming back on her own terms. 

I see the same shift in the seasoned leaders I work with: they don’t need more content playbooks or more rules; they need space to say what they actually think. When they stop performing and start expressing something true, the partnerships, conversations, and revenue follow.

I wrote about that tension, how I've experienced it myself, and what happens when you choose differently! Read below.

This is what it looks like when you choose joy as your competitive strategy. Ever since Alysa Liu won Olympic gold, I haven't been able to stop thinki

Open article: She Stopped Playing by Someone Else's Rules by Brynne Krispin • 5 min read

She Stopped Playing by Someone Else's Rules

Helping nonprofits use email 💌 to raise funds and inspire change | Mom advocating for work/life harmony.

What if your next fundraising breakthrough was already sitting in your supporters' inboxes?

It's not about sending more emails.
It's not about prettier templates.
It's not even about better subject lines.
It's about strategy.

Most nonprofits treat email like a megaphone—blast messages and hope someone listens. But email isn't a broadcast channel. It's a conversation. A relationship. A revenue engine that, when done right, has a high return.

That's why I exist.

📧 I turn nonprofit email programs from overlooked to overperforming—transforming scattered campaigns into strategic systems that raise millions, retain donors, and move missions forward.

Over the past decade, I've partnered with organizations like Amnesty International, UNHCR, The Trevor Project, and The Cancer Research Institute to build email programs that don't just ask for money, they inspire generosity.

Here's what I've learned:

"Your donors don't need more emails. They need the right emails—messages that meet them where they are, speak to what they care about, and make giving feel meaningful, not transactional."

🎯 I work with nonprofit leaders who know email should be doing more.

Through fractional partnerships and strategic consulting, I help organizations:

✅ Build data-driven email strategies that align with organizational goals
✅ Create high-converting fundraising campaigns that move beyond "ask fatigue"
✅ Design automated donor journeys that nurture relationships at scale
✅ Audit existing programs and implement actionable improvements fast

My approach is collaborative, results-focused, and rooted in one belief: your email program is too important to be someone's side project.

Let's talk if you need: 

A fractional email partner who acts as an extension of your team

An email audit that gives you a clear roadmap to better performance

Campaign support for your next big fundraising moment

📬 Explore my work → katelynbaughan.com
💌 Get email insights in your inbox → http://eepurl.com/gr-QRv
🎧 Inbox to Impact Podcast → https://open.spotify.com/show/0NuClBvCH3cjeYmo3hYMzp?si=47c7d40694314d3e

The future of nonprofit fundraising isn't louder asks. It's smarter strategy.

Let's make your inbox work harder for your mission.

Katelyn Baughan

A few months ago, I started working with a nonprofit that was terrified of emailing their donors.

Their fear? "We don't want to annoy people."

Sound familiar?

Here's what their donor communication looked like before:

→ One newsletter per month (packed with 7 different stories, 12 links, and zero clear ask)
→ A year-end appeal that felt like it came from a stranger
→ Thank-you emails that were too formal 
→ Radio silence in between

Their open rates were hovering around 18%. Donor retention was slipping. 

And the development director told me, "I just don't think our donors want to hear from us."

I disagreed.

Here's what we changed:

 → We ditched the newsletter. Instead, we sent short, single-topic emails that felt like they came from a real person.

 → We increased frequency (yes, really). From once a month to weekly during key moments. Turns out donors didn't unsub. They replied.

 → We made the Executive Director the "sender." Same voice in every email. Donors started recognizing her name in their inbox like a friend.

 → We asked donors questions — and actually wanted answers. "Why did you first give to us?" One donor wrote back a 400-word story about her grandmother. That became their next appeal.

 → We stopped designing emails to look "professional" and started writing them to feel human.

Three months later?

Open rates jumped to 31%. They received more donor replies in one quarter than they had in the entire previous year. And their spring campaign raised 15% more than the year before.

The lesson: Your donors aren't annoyed by your emails. They're annoyed by emails that don't feel like they matter.

Write like a human. Send more often. And don't be afraid to ask your donors to hit reply.

Katelyn Baughan 💌

Nonprofit Email Consultant | I help nonprofits raise more with email | 👯 Mom of 2 advocating for work/life harmony | Inbox to Impact Podcast Host

It's no surprise that the nonprofit sector is facing challenges right now.

With federal funding becoming increasingly unpredictable and charitable giving incentives shifting, the organizations I work with are asking the same question: How do we build sustainable revenue when everything feels uncertain?

Here's what I'm seeing work:

✔️ For development teams: Your email and SMS programs aren't just communication channels anymore, they're lifelines. 

Now is the time to double down on donor retention and stewardship. Acquiring new donors costs 5-10x more than keeping the ones you have. Every touchpoint matters.

✔️ For executive directors: If you haven't already, invest in understanding your donor data. 

Who are your most loyal supporters? What motivates them? Personalized, story-driven communication builds the kind of relationships that weather economic storms.

✔️ For fundraising consultants and agencies: Our clients need us to be strategic partners, not just vendors. 

That means honest conversations about realistic goals and helping them prioritize high-impact activities when resources are stretched thin.

✔️ For individual donors: Your recurring $25/month gift? It's more valuable than ever. 

Predictable revenue helps nonprofits plan and retain staff. If you believe in an organization's mission, consider becoming a monthly donor.

I've spent my career helping nonprofits build email and SMS programs that drive real results.

In times like these, that work feels more urgent than ever.

Segmentation and personalization are more than just buzzwords — they're how you build real relationships with your donors.

But what does that actually look like in action?

In this video, I'm walking you through how to create emails using dynamic content in Mailchimp — and trust me, it's a game changer.

One of the biggest frustrations I hear from nonprofit marketers is having to build separate emails for every single audience segment: donors, non-donors, monthly donors… the list goes on. 

Dynamic content lets you send ONE email with different versions based on your data. Same send. Multiple personalized experiences.

And if you're not on Intuit Mailchimp, don't worry — other ESPs like HubSpot have similar capabilities. 

The point is this: as nonprofit marketers wearing a million hats, we need to work smarter, not harder with the tools we already have.

Why do some emails feel exhausting to read? 

It comes down to cognitive load. 

Your donors are opening your emails while juggling meetings, notifications, and decision fatigue.

People do not open their inbox to explore. They open it because they are trying to complete a task or respond to something urgent.

If you want better performance, you have to stop asking how to make emails look "better" and start asking how to make them easier to process.

Here are 3 psychological principles from Beth O'Malley to apply to your next campaign:

1️⃣ The "Bridge" Principle: The moment an email opens, the brain looks for confirmation of the subject line. If you don't resolve the promise quickly, you lose them. 

2️⃣ Hooking vs. Floating: Without clear visual anchors (hooks), the eye wanders (floats). Guide the attention, don't fight for it. 

3️⃣ Predictive Coding: If your emails look exactly like every other "promo" template, the brain shortcuts them straight to the mental trash can.

Hierarchy > Aesthetics. Every single time.

Full blog post here:

Open article: The Psychology of Email Design: How Humans Actually Behave in the Inbox by weareastral.co.uk

The Psychology of Email Design: How Humans Actually Behave in the Inbox

Every single nonprofit I work with struggles with the same thing: email list growth.

We know our list is going to churn. 

We know we need fresh subscribers. 

But somehow, growing our list never makes it to the top of the priority list — because what's the immediate ROI, right?

That's exactly why I'm partnering with my email consultant soul mate, Jess Campbell, for her 30-Day Email List Growth Challenge. 

Starting March 16th, for 30 days straight, you'll receive one tried, tested, and totally doable email growth strategy.

No fluff. No overwhelm. Just actionable strategies that work.

Will you join us?

Open article: SIGN UP TODAY! by outintheboons.myflodesk.com

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The Battle

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Katelyn Baughan

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Brynne Krispin's LinkedIn Performance

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