It's the most STRESSFUL time of year

 

We’re all feeling the pinch of year-end right about now, whether you’re working on email messages for the last week of December or watching returns from year-end direct mail campaigns. It’s the most important time of year for fundraising and, arguably, the most stressful. With so much riding on performance during these few months and with us currently dealing with a global pandemic, it’s important to effectively manage the workload and the stress that comes with it. Here are some reminders to help ensure that happens.

  1. Keep the lines of communication open

Chances are, you are not the only one dealing with a lot this time of year. From copywriters to coders, to data processing teams, everyone is stretched thin. There are multiple and equal priorities that each department is dealing with. And the way to stay coordinated during these times is to make sure your lines of communication are steady and open. Keep up with your team meetings, be sure to loop in the entire team on any campaign changes, and check-in regularly with the status of your projects. The last thing you want right now is to be blindsided by information that you should have had earlier.

Then, once you’ve openly communicated with your teams, make sure to share that communication style with the nonprofit supporters and activists you’re reaching out to as well – since they’re the reason for the season. They’ll appreciate your candor and your appeals will stand out as more authentic and genuine in a sea of other nonprofits that are vying for your audience’s attention.

  1. Allow enough time for your deliverables

One of the more challenging aspects of year-end fundraising is the external circumstances that are otherwise not present. You have multiple holidays which lead to office closures for clients, mail shops, vendors, etc. On top of that, team members are taking vacation days, which will wreak havoc on your schedules if you’re not prepared for it. Remember this doesn’t just put pressure on you, but it does so for everyone who plays a part in the process. For example, mail shops are far more strict this time of year due to increased business and time-off. If you miss a deadline with them, your mailings could get pushed back a week or more since they have no earlier openings. Add extra time to your schedule and try to anticipate some of the extra hurdles that may arise.

  1. Be flexible

Depending on the nonprofit you’re working with, you could get hit with last-minute messaging changes. Natural disasters, political strife or other current events can take hold of the national media. Whatever the case may be, this season is ripe for sudden issues that come up and will cause you to reevaluate your earlier plans. It’s important to stay flexible when this happens and roll with whatever happens in the world. I know you worked hard on your plan and it was built on a sound strategy, but you need to be ready to evolve when external forces require it.

With that flexibility comes increased awareness around how you (and the rest of your team) will be flexible. Who will be on tap if there is an emergency? How quickly can assets be approved and implemented? In what ways can we truncate our usual timelines to make sure we meet the moment in a tangible way? Working to answer questions like these ahead of time can help make those flexible moments much easier to handle as they come up.

  1. A little empathy goes a long way

As I’ve more than hinted at by now, most of us are feeling the stress of the season. All of your teammates want the best for their campaigns and we’re all dealing with the same challenges. Unfortunately, the stress can get the better of us and maybe a coworker is a little short when talking with you. Or, perhaps, you’re more sensitive to a perceived tone in that email you just read. Let’s remember to take a breath and recognize that we all have a shared goal, and we’re all working towards the same outcome. The importance of the season, as well as the challenges that come with it, are bound to affect us all in some manner. Be sure to give each other a little slack. With all our hard work, we deserve it.

 

Jonathan Locy, Senior Account Executive, has specialized in direct marketing for over a decade and has a proven track record of providing excellent project management skills to a wide variety of clients. At Mal Warwick Donordigital, Jonathan serves as the Senior Account Executive for cross-channel marketing efforts, overseeing every stage of the campaign lifecycle from creation to implementation. After working in the financial sector for many years, Jonathan has dedicated his professional time to supporting charitable causes.