Storytelling. For Change. For Good.
"Working with Pon is a gift. He brings out creativity I didn’t know I had and helps me get out of my boxes that constrain creativity. His accepting and affirming way during workshops, along with the interesting people he connects at his sessions, stimulate me to look differently at how I communicate. In the midst of more factual and mundane work, Pon keeps my creative juices flowing and brings a smile to my face. I recommend him for your growth!"
"I just returned from attending a GPA conference in Chicago. The presenter Pon Angara provided super information regarding Storytelling in Nonprofit Fundraising. His presentation offered information highly usable on grants, LOI’s, marketing dollar request letters and even oral presentations to potential funders...
— read more.
"Pon Angara is a joy to work with for so many reasons. His creative impulses are spot on, outcome-focused and reflective of an organization’s or project’s mission. That is evident in the way he approaches projects, usually from a holistic, systems-thinking perspective. Systems-thinking takes into consideration...
— read more.
"There is no more clear intersection between marketing and fundraising than storytelling. Pon and his team at Barkada Circle are masterful storytellers that blend truth in quantitative form (the cerebral request) with truth in qualitative form (the emotive request), so that your non-profit makes its most...
— read more.
.svg.png)
"Pon is a master at the craft of storytelling. He has keen insights into how to piece together a narrative that is engaging and inspiring. Pon’s ability to help you cull out the important elements and create a setting around your story is tremendous. He helps you create a painting with words."
“Pon has played an instrumental role in the branding and identity development of the Academy for Global Citizenship. We are absolutely thrilled with the logo that he created and feel that it beautifully represents the many unique aspects of our school community.”
"I was first drawn to Pon by his indefatigable energy in the networking arena. So when the opportunity arose for me to hire him to create the corporate identity for my new venture I jumped at the chance. He not only listens, he hears; and as a marketing professional who has worked with creative directors for...
— read more.
"Pon is an action oriented and thought provoking leader who understands that leadership is about making opportunities for others. Through his storytelling workshop and newsletters he inspires a deeper level of communication for nonprofit leaders to describe what they do and more importantly...
— read more.
"Pon Angara of Barkada Circle® is one of the most innovative and creative people in his field. He is a visionary that supports the not-for-profit community with seminars and weekly newsletters that consist of useful information to improve the “messaging” of the mission and vision for our individual organizations...
— read more.
"I first heard Pon describe Barkada Circle’s passion for fostering storytelling as a vehicle for nonprofit engagement at a West Suburban Philanthropy Network meeting. The workshop he held at Open Books several months later was positively revelatory for our organization! Pon inspired my colleague and I...
— read more.
“Our firm has collaborated with Pon and his team at Barkada Circle. In each and every instance, we have been impressed by his creativity, his dedication, his insight, and his humanity. Pon is brilliant at helping organizations find their voice–and the right tools to tell a story. Pon and I have worked together on client projects and on nonprofit endeavors that require big picture thinking as well as attention to detail. It is a rare combination for both skill sets to be found in one person. We highly recommend Pon and his Barkada team–whether it be for design, strategic brand positioning or coaching. He is a thought-leader to connect with when looking for the right way to position your organization.”
"I just returned from attending a GPA conference in Chicago. The presenter Pon Angara provided super information regarding Storytelling in Nonprofit Fundraising. His presentation offered information highly usable on grants, LOI’s, marketing dollar request letters and even oral presentations to potential funders. He did actual and mundane work, Pon keeps my creative juices flowing and brings a smile to my face. I recommend him for your growth!"
"Pon Angara is a joy to work with for so many reasons. His creative impulses are spot on, outcome-focused and reflective of an organization’s or project’s mission. That is evident in the way he approaches projects, usually from a holistic, systems-thinking perspective. Systems-thinking takes into consideration all of the pieces – or potential customer touch points – of a project, and looks at how they behave in the aggregate. Like the movement of a single ant in the colony, it is the aggregate behavior of the population that an organization or project is trying to reach or influence that is."
“There is no more clear intersection between marketing and fundraising than storytelling. Pon and his team at Barkada Circle are masterful storytellers that blend truth in quantitative form (the cerebral request) with truth in qualitative form (the emotive request), so that your non-profit makes its most compelling case. Sign up for his newsletters. Attend his events. Your organization will be stronger for it.”
“I was first drawn to Pon by his indefatigable energy in the networking arena. So when the opportunity arose for me to hire him to create the corporate identity for my new venture I jumped at the chance. He not only listens, he hears; and as a marketing professional who has worked with creative directors for over 20 years I know the difference. As a business serving cancer patients and survivors it was critical that my logo, business cards and brochure capture the emotion of what Second Act represents, as well as clearly and succinctly presenting the business proposition. Pon's creations have done that beautifully.”
“Pon is an action oriented and thought provoking leader who understands that leadership is about making opportunities for others. Through his storytelling workshop and newsletters he inspires a deeper level of communication for nonprofit leaders to describe what they do and more importantly, the essence and outcomes of our work. Pon is an excellent facilitator and guide for delivering introspection and action!”
“Pon Angara of Barkada Circle® is one of the most innovative and creative people in his field. He is a visionary that supports the not-for-profit community with seminars and weekly newsletters that consist of useful information to improve the “messaging” of the mission and vision for our individual organizations. Pon is also wonderful at helping people network and share best practices. His Storytelling Jam Session was compelling for all of the organizations present as it laid out each aspect of fundraising using appeal communications.”
“I first heard Pon describe Barkada Circle’s passion for fostering storytelling as a vehicle for nonprofit engagement at a West Suburban Philanthropy Network meeting. The workshop he held at Open Books several months later was positively revelatory for our organization! Pon inspired my colleague and I, as well as the rest of the attendees, through his interactive presentation, plus discussions and presentations of other organizations. His creativity and leadership have inspired Loaves & Fishes to develop our storytelling in new ways. I highly recommend Pon Angara and Barkada Circle if you are looking to rev up your nonprofit’s engagement through storytelling.”