Five Ways to Utilize Social Distancing for the Benefit of Your Organization

By Kelsey Manfred, SCC Intern

By now, everyone is aware of the challenges associated with continuing to work from home. Zoom meetings may or may not be successful. Children are running in and out of the make-shift bedroom home offices, interrupting important conversations. Spouses are walking in at the wrong moments and everyone is tired of staring at screens. It is not difficult to fall into a pessimistic mindset in which this whole situation feels like a buzz kill, while our programs are suffering and our funding is diminishing.

However, despite all the challenge and struggle, there are new discoveries and new joys along the way. People are slowing down, practicing patience, and allowing time for everyone to learn new ways of being. We have a unique opportunity to slow down and utilize this time of social distancing to reinforce the inner workings of our organizations. While we may not be able to focus on what we do to serve our communities as much as we would like, we can take time to focus on how we choose to be in this crisis and after.

Here is a list of 5 ways you can utilize social distancing for the future benefit of your organization.

1.      It’s time to call your donors and chat. Call them and chat for more than 10 minutes; take some time to get to know them better and ask them how they would like to continue to be involved in the coming weeks. Thank them for their generosity and update them on your organization’s decisions regarding essential services. It might even be a good time to ask them if they have any friends who would also be interested in enlisting as donors.

2.      Take some time to work on the behind the scenes documents and online marketing platforms. There are more than likely websites that need to be revised and updated, policies and procedures that could be thoroughly written. These documents and marketing platforms can be managed online and even collaborated on using Google Docs. Everyone can participate and edit from a distance and it is possible that this is exactly the right time to learn new technological skill sets. It’s time to stop avoiding those scary new technologies that make us question our own competence. I am sure you have some tech savvy people on your team, it’s their turn to shine. Give them some extra leadership and help them help you.

3.      No volunteers? Why not send thank you notes to the volunteers that you are desperately missing? These kind-hearted people help keep the whole organization running and now they cannot give the time they used to. Let them know how much they are appreciated. Think again about suggestion number 2, do you have any volunteers that could help with teaching and learning technology?

4.      Engage your Board as you determine what programs are essential. They are the bedrock of fundraising and development. Light their imaginations with new ideas for online fundraising events during this interesting time.

5.      And finally, make time for gratitude while simultaneously weaning out the programs, projects, or processes that are holding everything back. Spend time brainstorming and reimagining those difficult problems that were being pushed to the back burner and then troubleshoot them so that after this Covid-19 pandemic tapers off you can stand up with strength and purpose.