Bill Toliver

Biography

After 20 years developing successful branding and communications for Fortune 500 clients like Westin Hotels and Hewlett-Packard, Bill has spent the last several years bringing non-traditional thinking to organizations involved in social change. As executive director of The Matale Line, he has helped a number of international nonprofits and foundations -- from The U.S. Fund for UNICEF to The Oprah Winfrey Foundation -- reframe their approach to strategic decision-making and communications. Bill has developed a solid reputation for helping organizations define their brand, and then using that new "touchstone" as way to improve communications, strategic planning and fundraising. His experience in strategic communications has afforded him the opportunity to consult with, and make keynote presentations to, a range of audiences -- among them, American Marketing Association Symposium on Higher Education, Association of Fundraising Professionals Annual Conference, Deutscher Fundraising Kongress (Germany), Festival del Fundraising (Italy), International Fundraising Congress (Amsterdam), National Council of Nonprofits International Conference, United Way International Leadership Forum. Bill grew up in the developing world, and, by the time he was 18, traveled to more than 30 countries.

Titles

The Turning Point in History When History Failed to Turn
A compelling study of powerful social movements that failed, with particular emphasis on the "People`s Spring of 1848." The discussion will provide important lessons for what will be required to sustain current-day social movements through the Middle East, and with the Obama Administration.

Leadership in the 21st Century
An ironic look at how leaders have become profoundly ineffective in the 21st Century -- just when we need leadership most. How political vitriol, servant-based management philosophy and political correctness have left leaders across the spectrum afraid of their own shadows.

From Gandhi to Google: Building Social Movements in the 21st Century
An insightful discussion on how the marriage of traditional consumer marketing and social movement building can bring about just the kind of support your organization needs. Bill will demonstrate effective movement building efforts around the world, and dissect the essential ingredients of each.

Of Marketers and Messengers
Most nonprofits have a healthy aversion to traditional consumer style marketing strategies and sales tactics. It seems unsavory to consider things like "branding," "market position" and "competitive advantage" when your mission is about the future of our environment, or funding for the arts, or the wellbeing of children. Bill will encourage us to hold on to that healthy skepticism, while at the same time offering a model for communications that merges the tactics of traditional consumer marketing with the best strategies of social movement building. He`ll take us on a fun and informative journey through some of the most effective social movements and nonprofit campaigns over history and help us see how there is a way to build a critical mass of support for the causes we hold so dear.

Swimming Against the Current of Todays Politics, Economics, and Headlines
Politics seem deadlocked somewhere between "Yes we can" and "Over my dead body." Economics have left all of us worried about of our next paycheck much less our retirement plans. Headlines that provide hourly reminders of revolutions and tsunamis, terrorism and global warming. It`s no wonder that today`s social change organizations are having a hard time getting air time -- much less lasting support! Bill will offer some key strategies to rally people around your cause. Regardless of what might be in the headlines, or which way the political or economic winds may be blowing.

Ten Critical Mistakes Non-Profit and Civil Society Organizations Make
The U.S. and England are often seen as leaders in innovative communications and fundraising techniques for non-profits and civil society organizations. However, they`ve also taken many decisions that have created very consequential -- though often unforeseen -- mistakes. This keynote address provides a frank look at the problems that can arise when "consumer-style" marketing tactics, and "business-style" leadership models are too quickly applied to organizations devoted to social change. This session will provide a fun and informative illustration of how these mistakes were created, and provide sound practical advice on how you can avoid making them yourself. The session will be targeted toward a wide range of people involved in communications, fundraising and non-profit leadership.

Doing Well by Doing Good
Companies have an opportunity to play a far more important role in creating progress in the world, if they had the courage to see social responsibility as something more than an effective marketing or employee retention strategy. This presentation provides an inspirational look at the role corporations could and sometimes do play if they had the courage to live closer to their own values and commitments.

Reality
A stunning and inspirational look at the real-life circumstance of people around the world, and the important difference we could each make if we saw ourselves as brothers and sisters, rather than global competitors for the earth`s resources. Simple decisions we make in our everyday lives could have profound impact on the lives of others, and increase our quality of life at the same time.