Top Ten Time Management Tips
Are you feeling overworked and overwhelmed? Does it seem like you are getting buried under an avalanche of email, phone messages, and deadlines? Here are a few tips to help you organize your time more effectively:
1) Use a to-do list: This can be a handwritten list or a list on your computer desktop. It doesn't matter which method you use - but it does matter that you actually review and update the list at the beginning of every work day. And be sure to break bigger projects down into smaller, more manageable tasks.
2) Set priorities each day: Mark the most important items by underlining or using bold type or any other symbol you like. This doesn't mean you have to work on these first; I actually recommend putting a couple of simple, easy chores on your list that you can cross off quickly. It helps to start the day with a sense of accomplishment.
3) Resist procrastination: Once you've emptied the trash or made the easy phone call, take a deep breath and go to work. "I'll get to it later" is not a good mantra.
4) Track deadlines systematically: Use ICal or Outlook to keep up with important dates for grant applications, reports, events, meetings, and regular tasks. Set your program to send an email reminder, so you don't have to lie awake nights worrying that you missed a deadline.
5) Manage your communications: Designate the first half hour of your day for emails and phone messages. Answer those that can be dealt with quickly; prioritize the rest and put them on your to-do list. Then get to work - and unless you are expecting something crucial - stop checking your email.
6) Minimize interruptions: Use voice mail to screen calls and allow for unimpeded work time. Schedule phone meetings. Define times in the day when you are available and when you are not. Don't answer the phone if you really don't have time to talk. Learn to say no gently and gracefully.
7) Take time to communicate personally with co-workers, donors, volunteers, and clients. There is no substitution for actual, real-time personal interaction for strengthening and sustaining your organizational work. Plus it's a good idea to take your eyes off the computer screen every once in awhile.
8) Leave contingency time in every day: The unpredictable happens. You can't prepare yourself for surprises or glitches, but you can leave some extra time to deal with them.
9) Take breaks: Get up. Stretch. Take a short walk around the block. Eat lunch (preferably not at your desk). You'll feel better and work better.
10) Reward yourself: Don't forget to reward yourself when you complete a big project, submit that grant application, or finish making your fundraising calls.
Face it - your nonprofit work will never be done. There will always be programs to manage, problems to solve, and more money to raise. So breathe, take it easy on yourself - and be sure to use that to-do list.
The Wide Weird World of Tax-Exempt Status
What do the National Football League, Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS, and your local church have in common? They are all classified by the IRS as tax-exempt organizations under federal tax codes.
This means that the NFL, like all organizations in the 501(c) category, is exempt from federal income tax (and under state status from property taxes). The league, a designated 501(c)(6), describes itself as a "trade association promoting the interests of its 32 member clubs." I'm sure you'll be thrilled to know that the NFL commissioner's 2009 salary was $11,544,000 - which gives new meaning to the word "nonprofit." Rest assured, however, that the NFL teams themselves aren't tax-exempt.
Your classic 501(c)(3) is defined by the IRS as "religious, educational, charitable, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, to foster national or international sports competition, or prevention of cruelty to children or animals organizations." In order to qualify for this category, your agency must be formed and operated specifically for these stated purposes, none of your earnings can go to enrich your grandmother, you are prohibited from campaign activity to support or oppose political candidates, and influencing legislation cannot be a "substantial" part of your activities.
Some of your favorite (and not so favorite) government agencies have established nonprofit conglomerates in order to raise money they no longer receive through the federal budget. The CDC, NASA, and FDA all have them - and FEMA has an application in process. The CIA's foundation, In-Q-Tel, had 2010 revenues totaling $56.4 million. This raises an interesting question about the ethics of forming foundations that compete with nonprofits that have historically partnered with government in delivering services - and the ramifications of shifting funding for these services away from government.
This tax-exempt category has one big plus: donations to 501(c)3) organizations are tax-deductible. That's why the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) insists it deserves its 501(c)(3) status - despite the fact that the New York Times has called it "a conservative nonprofit that acts as a stealth lobbyist."
Note that 501(c)(4) status - which includes affiliate organizations funneling money directly to super PACS - doesn't get your donors a tax deduction. It does allow lobbying that is germane to the organization's purpose (while prohibiting direct or indirect involvement in political campaigns) - but this cannot be the organization's primary activity. The big plus here is that campaign donors can remain anonymous; public disclosure of donors to 501(c) organizations is not required. By the way, the Tea Party of Dayton Ohio recently applied for 501(c)(4) status but withdrew its application in a huff, claiming political harassment, after the IRS started asking probing questions about what it really does.
For your entertainment purposes, check out these 27 other 501(c) categories: labor and horticultural organizations, business leagues (here's where you find the NFL), social and recreation clubs, civic leagues (the category for Crossroads GPS as well as Obama's Priorities USA), fraternal beneficiary societies, benevolent life insurance associations, teachers' retirement fund associations, state-chartered credit unions, mutual insurance companies, employee funded pension trusts, military organizations, black lung benefit trusts, and state-sponsored organizations prodding health cover for high-risk individuals and workers' compensation.
And here are my two personal favorites: trusts with multiple parents and cemetery companies. Don't you just love the IRS?
More Jokes for Fundraisers
A year ago, I wrote a blog post featuring my favorite fundraising jokes. Little did I know that this would become my most popular post! Here are a few more, in honor of April Fool's Day:
A doctor, a lawyer, and a fundraiser arrive at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter tells them they each get one wish before entering Heaven. The doctor asks for a million dollars, St. Peter grants the wish, and the doctor enters Heaven. This generosity did not go unnoticed by the lawyer, who proceeds to ask for a billion dollars. St. Peter grants his wish, and the lawyer enters Heaven.
Then St. Peter asks the fundraiser what she would like. She quickly replies, "If it's not too much trouble, could I please get the business cards of the two people who entered heaven just ahead of me?"
A local United Way office realized that they had never received a donation from the town's successful lawyer. Their development director called to persuade him to contribute.
"Our research shows that out of a yearly income of $500,000, you donate not a penny to charity. Wouldn't you like to give back to the community in some way?"
The lawyer mulled this over for a moment and replied, "First, did your research also show that my mother is dying after a long illness, and has medical bills?"
Embarrassed, the United Way representative mumbled, "Um...no."
The lawyer interrupted, "Or that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair?Or that my sister's husband died in a traffic accident, leaving her penniless with three children?"
The humiliated United Way representative, completely beaten, said simply, "I had no idea..."
On a roll, the lawyer cut him off again. "So if I don't give any money to them, why should I give any to you?"
Four ladies from their synagogue's fundraising committee are driving home one Sunday afternoon when they are involved in a terrible car crash. Unfortunately, none of them survive. When they arrive at the Pearly Gates, they are kept waiting to get into Heaven because the angel at the Gates can't find them listed in the book of new heavenly arrivals.
"I'm sorry," he says to them, "but I can't find you in the book." So he sends them down to Hell.
A week later, God visits the Pearly Gates and says to the angel, "Where are those nice Jewish ladies who were supposed to be here by now?"
"You mean the fundraisers? I didn't see them listed, so I sent them down to Hell," replies the angel.
"You did what?" God says. "I wanted them here. If you don't want to join them, you'd better call Satan and get them transferred back here right away."
So the angel phones Satan and says, "Satan, you know those Jewish ladies I sent you last week? Well, we really need them up here. Could you please send them back?"
"Sorry, I can't oblige," Satan replies, "they've been down here only one week and already they've raised $100,000 for an air conditioning system."
Have any good fundraising jokes of you own? I'd love to add them to my collection. Post your joke in the comment section, or email it to cjay@horizoncable.com.
