How to Build a Community Ambassador Program with Tasha Van Vlack

What if your most powerful advocates are already inside your community — and just waiting for you to activate them?

In this episode of Nonprofit Nation, Julia Campbell talks with Tasha Van Vlack, community builder, engagement strategist, and founder of The Nonprofit Hive, about how nonprofit organizations can create impactful community ambassador programs without burning out their teams or breaking the bank.

🎧 In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why “micro-influencers” in your own community are more powerful than you think
• What a community ambassador program really looks like (and how to start small)
• How to create social media toolkits and storytelling prompts that ambassadors will actually use
• Best practices for recognition and motivation beyond “thank-you” emails
• What shifts when nonprofits center community instead of just transactions

🧰 Resources & Links:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Community Reimagined  
• Why Social Media Isn’t Community and What Canadian Nonprofits Can Do Instead

Email & productivity

• Fxxer AI — drafts/organizes emails in your voice  

Social & relationship management

• LinkedIn (primary channel + DMs)
• LeadDelta — to organize/manage LinkedIn relationships.
• Secondary/repurposed channels: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook.

Recording & content

• StreamYard — to record interviews/panels.
• Descript — for editing those recordings.

Story collection

• ProofPact — to capture member stories/quotes.

Ambassador/comms back-channel

• WhatsApp — for your ambassador group chat.

Community ops

• Oyr custom 1:1 matching tool (Community Hives layer) that powers weekly Hive Chats and white-label deployments.

🪷🪷 This episode sponsored by Bloomerang! 🪷🪷

What if we named things for what they're not? We'd give teachers non-apples and fly non-cars.  Ridiculous, right? So why is your world-changing organization called a "nonprofit"? Truth is you're for-purpose. And the more you raise, recruit, and retain, the more good you can do.

That's where Bloomerang comes in. Bloomerang's Giving Platform is built for purpose, with easy-to-use tools and powerful insights that help you understand your donors better than ever and unleash generosity! (Slightly faster, more energetic) Imagine... spending less time on admin tasks and more time on what matters: your mission. Bloomerang customers raise an average of 26% more!

Ready to join them? 

Take my free masterclass: 3 Must-Have Elements of Social Media Content that Converts