Unfiltered nonprofit chaos during the holidays

Dear Diary,

I thought I would share a poem with you that I call Unfiltered nonprofit chaos during the holidays. Enjoy!

As you walk into the office, the smell of annual reports, freshly printed papers, coffee, and perspiration are in the air.

The sound of fingers banging furiously at keyboards echo; as voices bounce off the walls and enter the receiving end of calls from donors who want to make their year-end gift.

'Tis the season to give.

It is the season to feel the tension, the haste, and the results of intense planning for strategic end-of-the-year appeals and mass mailings.

Long hours, and short days - when 5PM looks like midnight.

Where has the time gone as online donations surge through the website?

When will mail merge become my best friend?

Could I one day truly love excel?

How else could I utilize my marketing director this season?

Is my development team engaging recurring donors?

These questions and more float through a mind like mine with multiple responsibilities.

The traffic of the season brings along last minute gifts, and the immediate departure of acknowledgment letters. Chaos when unfiltered.

After Giving Tuesday we all know it's coming, it's in the air, it creeps right at the back of our necks forcing a chill down our spines,

Happy Holidays to you and yours from one non-profiteer to another.

Until next time, January 15th!