Giving to religion-based organizations often tops lists of philanthropic statistics. In fact, in the recent Giving USA 2020 report, donors gave more than $131 billion to religion-based organizations in the United States in 2020. 

Nonprofit professionals working in this sector of philanthropy cite a strong belief in their organization’s mission and daily activities as critical to continuing to make an impact, even in challenging times. For these people working in faith-based organizations, regardless of denomination, this work can also take on a highly personal meaning, not only for themselves, but also for the donors they work alongside.

Unique Opportunities for Those Working for Religion-Based Organizations

“The unique opportunities offered working in faith-based organizations is that we intentionally entertain the donors’ answer to the question of ‘why’ should a donor give?” said Cory Howat, Executive Director of the Catholic Community Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana. “We know that the generosity is very important to making an impactful gift, but that getting to the motivation of that generosity for a donor is sustaining to a long-term relationship.”

That motivation is often centered in a desire to improve communities, said Seth J. Katzen, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Delaware.

“All faith-based nonprofits strive to make the world a better place (in Hebrew we say, tikkun olam—a repairing of the world) that serves as our sacred mission,” Katzen said. “As Jews, we are all responsible one for the other but this concept transcends all of humanity—we work with our interfaith brothers and sisters to build community together.”

In fact, he added, a strong moral compass is what draws many people to the sector.

“There is nothing more empowering than to see the good work we do every day—we are each improving the lives of others, many who we don’t know nor know us—but we take considerable pride in making a positive difference every day,” Katzen said.

This desire to help others is also expressed in the philanthropy of those practicing Islam. As noted in “American Muslim Philanthropy: A Data-Driven Comparative Profile,” a report authored by Faiqa Mahmood in 2019 via The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, “The strongest motivations for American Muslims are a feeling that those with more should give to those with less and a sense of religious duty or obligation.” 

However, raising funds for these organizations can present unique challenges. For example, some foundations or organizations don’t support faith or religion-based organizations, said Gillian Doucet Campbell, Director of Stewardship and Development for the Anglican Diocese of Niagara in Ontario, Canada.

Also, Doucet Campbell said that, depending on the structure of the organization, there’s sometimes a misguided belief that a built-in pipeline of giving is automatic. 

“While it is true that the Anglican Diocese of Niagara is fortunate enough to be able to provide some funding support for various programs and ministries, they do not have ‘pools of money’ and operate on a shoe-string budget as many other groups do,” she said. “Like other older nonprofits and charities, the diocese does have some endowments, but they are designated for very specific purposes.”   

Doucet Campbell also said that more often than during her work in non-faith-based organizations, she’s encountered a “voluntarist mindset,” where some don’t understand operating costs of the organization, such as staff salaries, are necessary to keep the organization moving forward. 

Another challenge is how to address a crisis in the organization. Howat said this offers a different layer of complexity than in other nonprofits.

“The added grace and challenge with faith-based organizations is the emotion that is connected with faith-based giving. Faith-based giving can be deeply reflective of a person’s belief. These beliefs can obviously vary and have to be treated with trust and respect, but it also requires more organizational staff hours to journey with individuals in that way,” he said.

Pandemic Impact

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, many nonprofits were impacted by stay-home orders. This especially impacted organizations where philanthropy is a part of worship services.

“Suddenly, churches had to create ways to give online. Some parishes already had websites with some online giving capabilities, but many were not ready,” said Doucet Campbell. “For the first few months of the pandemic, I was instructing parishes how to create ways to give online and how to promote online giving.”

According to Howat, the shift to more immediate electronic communications meant shifting resources and efforts into maximizing their impact.

“No longer can just an email work, but donor-focused, impact-oriented and visually pleasing communications are a must. This also means data is king. If your data is no good, then your communications will be less than stellar as they are connected; this stands true for donor relations and your CRM,” he said.

Additionally, strategic volunteer leadership engagement allowed organizations to focus their outreach, said Muhi Khwaja, co-founder of the American Muslim Community Foundation (AMCF). This included “creating a donor portfolio for them, and asking them to also reach out to their personal networks.”

In some cases, the opportunity existed for relief fundraising.

“Rather than work on fundraising for each parish, a Pandemic Response Fund was created through the diocese,” said Doucet Campbell, who worked to promote the fund to parishes and parishioners. She successfully solicited a matching grant from a vendor for Giving Tuesday 2020 as part of their ongoing fundraising efforts.

Khwaja shared that AMCF’s COVID-19 Response Fund for Nonprofits raised $360,000 in 2020, which was distributed to more than 60 organizations. Additionally, the foundation is now focusing on giving circles, with the American Muslim Women’s Giving Circle launched earlier this year, and another planned to focus on interfaith initiatives. You can read more about these and the foundation’s efforts in this piece by Khwaja for the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. 

Moving out of the Pandemic

How do colleagues in faith-based fundraising plan to use the lessons learned in the past year or so in their future work with donors? The value of connection and communication is high on the list.

“Even if donors are giving less or not at all, continue to stay connected,” said Doucet Campbell. “Once this pandemic is done and the economy begins to stabilize, our donors may remember that we stayed in contact and the impact we had during the pandemic as we pivoted.

“Early research being collected from thousands of churches of various denominations across the U.S. is showing that returning methodically to in-person services, there seems to be a window of opportunity to make substantive and positive change. Church attendees and church leaders responded that they are seeing people coming back more unified, more receptive to change, and their local communities—those who don’t attend church—are more open to partner(ing) with churches. The research done by some Canadian charitable organizations both large and small (is) finding that as we think about a post-COVID time it is bringing hope. It is also bringing a focus and even excitement to build back better,” she said.

Also, increased opportunities emerged and will continue to exist for people across multiple faiths to collaborate, Khwaja said.

“There’s a good opportunity for faith-based communities to give together. American Muslim Community Foundation hosts the Interfaith Giving Circle Confronting Hate and is looking to expand its membership across the country. Donors from diverse backgrounds can give together and learn about various causes that work towards promoting understanding,” he said.

Katzen agreed. 

“During these challenging times, we have come together for a virtual Interfaith Unity Healing Services as well as food pantry collections, hosting blood drives at our Jewish Community Center, and simply lending a helping hand in good times and in challenging times,” Katzen said.

In general, Howat encouraged colleagues to move forward and not try to simply pivot back to the way things were. 

“Adjust to how it is now and use the age-old advice: Reach a donor how you would want to be reached…the medium has just changed a little,” he said.

Finally, Katzen suggested staying the course.

“Persistence is a virtue. We are all struggling personally and professionally, but it is important to stay positive and face adversity head on,” he said.

The post Funding Faith: Raising Money For Religion-Based Organizations appeared first on Bloomerang.

Giving USA reported 10% of 2019 giving in the United States was from bequests, and research from Dr. Russell James at Texas Tech University shows that donors who include a planned gift in their estate tend to increase their current giving, even for years after inclusion of the gift.

However, in launching and running a planned giving program, often much of the focus is on the acquisition part of the process. How do we identify who is a prospect? How will we communicate with them our organization’s willingness to accept legacy gifts? What is the process to accept the gift?

As the identification, cultivation, and solicitation parts of planned gifts may take years to complete, it’s understandable that receiving notification that a donor has included your organization in their estate is exciting! And it SHOULD be celebrated … they are making a lasting impact on those who your organization serves!

However, if this gift is not properly stewarded, it can be lost … and often, more quickly than it was acquired. That is because many planned gifts are revocable, such as bequest in a will or beneficiary designations on a retirement account or insurance policy (The Sharpe Group found in a study 71% of planned gifts were revocable). They can be changed at any time by the donor before the estate is realized. Changing a bequest is a little more involved as the donor will often work with their attorney, but many beneficiary designations are easily changed by logging in to a retirement or insurance account online and making a few quick updates.

How can you avoid this and properly ensure planned giving stewardship?

How planned giving stewardship differs

When dealing with current use donations, the stewardship process is sometimes short, and often morphs into cultivation for the next gift. But with a planned gift, the stewardship process is much longer: best practice is to steward the gift until received from the donor’s estate.

With donors making legacy giving decisions throughout their lives, this means gifts are often stewarded for decades. If a donor in their 40s includes your organization as a beneficiary on a retirement plan, and lives into their 80s or 90s, that’s 40 to 50 years of stewardship! While you may be the fundraising professional that secures the planned gift notification from the donor, the chances of you being the professional that works with the gift when it is realized from the donor’s estate is low.

How can you set up your successor colleagues for success with these gifts? First, have conversations with donors about what they want to accomplish with this ultimate gift. What do they envision their legacy to be with your organization? Is this feasible if not funded until decades from now? Capturing information on what they wish to see happen with their future gift in a way which is specific – but not so specific that it cannot be executed – is key.

Next, document as much as possible. Contact reports for donor visits and conversations are one way to accomplish this. Many organizations also develop a planned gift notification form, which captures basic information about the donor’s gift and intent. Some items on a typical form include:

• Donor contact information, along with their advisor(s), and other key contacts related to the estate (such as family members or an executor),
• whether the donor wishes the gift to be unrestricted or has a specific restriction request for the gift,
• the type of gift (i.e., bequest from will, beneficiary designation)
• the projected value of the gift (important in organizations with minimum gift requirements for restricted funds), and
• whether the donor gives permission for the gift to be publicly acknowledged or wishes to remain anonymous.

It is also helpful if the donor is willing to provide estate documents naming your organization, such as a copy of the will (or at least, pages naming your organization) or confirmation of a beneficiary designation. Important considerations for all this documentation is confidentiality and security – you’ll want to be sure to limit access to this sensitive information, and ensure it will be safe in case of disaster (such as secured in a fireproof and waterproof location).

Ideas for planned giving stewardship

Once the gift is properly documented, how do you plan for the decades of donor love to be shown from your organization? First, be sure the notification is promptly thanked, just as your current use gifts should be. But don’t let this be the last time you thank these donors! Create a plan for ongoing thanks and outreach, at minimum once each year. This can be accomplished through visits (especially with the rise of virtual visits in the past year), inclusion on all important communications from your organization, and invitations to activities where appropriate.

Creating individualized plans can be helpful, and one item to consider based on the donor’s interest and availability is an invitation to become an engaged volunteer, to deepen their relationship and ensure your organization stays an important part of their life.

Where to begin?

If you have not developed your planned giving stewardship outreach, start small with contacting donors who have previously informed that your organization is in their estate. Ask these questions: Why did you make this gift? What do you hope to accomplish with this future impact? What is their story, especially with your organization?

Planned giving stewardship is a lifetime journey, and it can start with small steps towards a larger program goal.

The post Donor Love, For Life: A Look At Planned Giving Stewardship appeared first on Bloomerang.

When discussing legacy gifts, most assume the conversation is around bequests. Time and time again, surveys have shown that gifts given via a will are the most common planned gift vehicle. 

While nonprofits should absolutely be prepared to accept bequests from donors, professionals in these organizations should also be aware how donors’ retirement assets can be used, both in current and legacy giving, to make an impact. Donors can name an organization as a beneficiary on an account, or make distributions to an organization to potentially offset tax implications of taking a required distribution themselves.

In all cases, nonprofit professionals should exercise caution not to appear to give financial or legal advice to their donors; it is a best practice in gift planning for fundraisers to encourage donors to consult with professional advisors to determine what options are best for their needs. (For more on this and other best practices, the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners Model Standards of Practice for the Charitable Gift Planner is an excellent resource.)

Here, we discuss general information on how these charitable gifts typically work.

Charitable organization named a beneficiary of an account

Many employers provide vehicles for retirement savings as an employee benefit, such as a 401(k), 403(b), 457, and other types of accounts. When leaving employment with the company, many employees roll these dollars over into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). 

In either case, the employee chooses beneficiaries to receive the invested assets at the time of the employee’s death. Often, many will choose family members or other individuals. But charitable organizations may also be named a beneficiary on these plans.

Beneficiary designation requires completion of a form with the administrator of the account (such as Fidelity or Vanguard, to name a few) to list primary, secondary, and sometimes tertiary beneficiaries. Individuals and organizations are selected to receive a percentage of what is in the account at the time of realization after the donor passes. 

If a donor’s plan is provided through an employer, sometimes they will coordinate with their human resources team to complete the form. Oftentimes, these forms may be completed electronically within an online account portal.

What is important to remember about a beneficiary designation is that it can be updated at any time. Therefore, life-long stewardship of these charitable gifts is critical for their retention. 

It is also recommended to encourage donors to notify your organization of inclusion for several reasons. Unlike bequests, beneficiary designations don’t allow the donor an opportunity to direct how the gift will be used in your organization. If a restricted purpose is important to your donor, it is recommended to document these wishes through either a legacy gift form or a gift agreement noting the agreement will be funded by an estate gift of retirement account proceeds.

Also, the future realization of the gift could be tricky; according to a survey conducted by the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, 43% of organizations encountered challenges in receiving these gifts. NACGP has complied a resource center to help organizations obtain these gifts, which includes articles and sample letters for various administrator firms. This resource is offered free to any nonprofit, regardless of membership status with NACGP.

Notification processes vary among the fund administrators; information may be sent to a business office or finance team in your organization, and not the development office. Knowing that a gift should be coming your organization’s way is helpful to expedite this process internally.

Additionally, as noted in the NACGP advocacy center, some account administrators may request a charitable organization to open an Inherited IRA to receive the funds. This is generally not recommended, as an organization would wish to receive the funds as soon as possible. The administrator may also ask the nonprofit contact for personal information, such as social security or driver’s license numbers. This is where the advocacy center resources are a great guide on how best to proceed.

Qualified Charitable Distribution to a charitable organization

Generally, most retirement plans (including IRAs) require minimum distributions to be taken when the plan participant reaches a certain age. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 changed the age to those reaching 72 (it remains 70 ½ for those who reached this age before January 1, 2020).

What this means is for donors who have reached these age milestones, they must take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from their account, or face a penalty. As funds into these accounts are generally made with pre-tax dollars, they are then typically taxed on this income.

One way donors can potentially reduce their tax liability is by making a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) directly to a charitable organization from their retirement account to satisfy all or part of their RMD, up to a maximum of $100,000 per year. To qualify, funds must be sent directly to the nonprofit from the account administrator. Donors work with their administrator to complete the required paperwork.

For the nonprofit, these are current use dollars and should be used and stewarded like any other cash gift, with the exception of how an acknowledgement/tax receipt is handled. A thank you note should absolutely be sent to the donor; however, a tax receipt should not be sent. This is because the donor will not claim the donation for tax purposes, just as they did not receive the income from the distribution. It typically is not standard practice to send anything to the firm which administers the donor’s retirement account.

It’s important to communicate with donors to determine if they have an intended purpose for the gift. And much like retirement assets received through an estate, it’s also helpful for them to share copies of forms they complete with their administrator so your business office or finance team is aware of the purpose of the contribution.

Important tips

Organizations should consider sharing with donors and including in communication materials an openness to accepting charitable gifts of retirement assets, both as part of legacy giving and in current giving via QCDs. For questions regarding the tax benefits to the donor, always direct them to their accountant or financial planner. 

For continued education, consider exploring educational sessions offered by local NACGP councils or estate planning councils. You also might consider networking with financial planners in your area to call on for guidance as needed.

The post How Do Charitable Gifts of Retirement Account Assets Typically Work? appeared first on Bloomerang.

Gift planning, planned giving, legacy gifts … no matter what terms your organization uses to define gifts received as part of an estate settlement, there’s often objections to planned giving and trepidation surrounding these. This may lead fundraisers to shy away from discussing the opportunity with donors. 

However, this decision could cost your organization. In the next two decades, Baby Boomers will transfer an estimated $30 trillion in wealth. While these donors are considering plans for their assets to plan for family needs, they are also likely considering how to leave a mark on the organizations and causes which have been meaningful during their lifetimes.

So, you’ve decided you are going to press on. You know the long-term success of your organization depends on it. You ask a donor if they have considered your organization as part of their legacy.

And then, the objections might begin. It’s enough to make fundraisers not even want to pose the question! But, objections often CAN be overcome.

First, a little about why the decision to make a legacy give can be difficult. Dr. Russell James has conducted extensive research on the psychology of bequest giving. In summary, this type of philanthropy and how it is discussed engages the parts of the brain related to death and dying. Thinking about what you will do with your estate means acknowledging you won’t live forever. It requires maximum sensitivity.

Here’s a few situations you might encounter when discussing legacy gifts with donors and suggestions on how to address objections to planned giving:

Why should I consider an estate gift? I’m not wealthy.

Gift planning is for anyone! We all have assets and they will go somewhere after our life. If you make a plan, you’ll have control over where they will be dispersed. Wouldn’t you rather have a say in where they will go and what they will accomplish?

Another approach: Gifts of all sizes help accomplish our mission. You could consider a small gift amount or even 1 percent of your total assets to make an impact.

I have family I want to leave my assets to, so why would I consider an estate gift?

Absolutely, you should make arrangements for your family’s needs! We are not asking you to leave your family out of your plans. Once you’ve decided what’s appropriate for your family members, we would love it if you think of your favorite charities as extension of family and make provisions for them as a legacy as well.

Bonus approach: Did you know there are assets that are more advantageous to leave individuals and some to charities? This opens the door for conversations beyond bequests and into retirement assets and insurance policies. With the changes in the United States last year with the SECURE Act becoming law, retirement assets passed to many individuals must now be completely withdrawn within 10 years (thus ending the “Stretch IRA” in many cases to be withdrawn over an inherited party’s lifetime). Therefore, retirement assets may be more financially attractive to gift to a nonprofit, which does not pay income tax on the distributions. 

But won’t creating an estate gift be expensive? Or complicated?

It depends what type of estate gift you are considering. For example, naming a beneficiary on an IRA is no cost and often can be done online through your financial organization.

Future changes to wills could be accomplished via a codicil, and it is highly recommended to consult with an attorney on this matter. Another way to accomplish changes to a bequest gift without additional legal expense to the donor is to have them reference a gift agreement with your organization in the bequest. In the future, if the purpose of the future gift changes, this agreement can more easily changed at no cost during the donor’s lifetime.

It is important to know what types of gifts your organization will accept; reference your gift acceptance policy. For example, not all organizations are licensed to manage Charitable Gift Annuities and may need to refer donors to a community foundation or financial institution to establish this type of gift with your organization as the ultimate beneficiary upon the estate settlement.

I don’t have an attorney/financial planner/accountant to assist me.

This can be a tricky situation; you want to be careful to not endorse one professional over another. If your donor has a bad experience or sensitive family relations, you want to avoid the appearance of undue influence on your donor.

One option is to recommend members of your local National Association of Charitable Gift Planners council. If you are recommending volunteers connected to your organization who work in the line of business they are seeking, provide a list of no less than three professionals so the donor may contact each and decide who is best for them. (And be sure to get your volunteers’ permission to share their contact information!)

I don’t want the publicity.

As with any gift to our organization, you may remain anonymous. If you are comfortable with sharing your story of why you chose to include us in your legacy plans, it may inspire others to give! But ultimately, the choice is yours and we will respect it.

As with any donor asks, keep in mind that “no” doesn’t always mean “never” and it is important to listen to what your donor is sharing with you as to why the answer is no. The more you listen carefully and work to address concerns, the more likely you are to establish a relationship which will last long past the donor’s lifetime.

The post Obstacles Ahead: Dealing with Objections to Planned Giving appeared first on Bloomerang.

As generators of key revenue for nonprofits, fundraisers typically feel job security. There’s always more than enough work to be done, and the sense of juggling the work of what could be spread among two or three professionals may be overwhelming, but soothing in that your role feels critical.

However, the pandemic has upended the economy, and business is not as usual. What do laid-off fundraisers do if they find themselves furloughed, or their position permanently eliminated?

It happened to me earlier this year, after nearly 20 years in the profession, having fundraised through crises before (Post-9/11, the 2008 recession). To be honest, it was a complete shock and I had a little more than a week’s notice to prepare for no longer receiving a regular salary. Mere weeks after that, I learned my and several other development positions in the organization would be permanently eliminated, which also meant the end of critical benefits such as health insurance.

So where should laid-off fundraisers start when you receive this challenging news?

1. Assess finances: Immediately, take stock of your personal income and expenses. Are you eligible for unemployment benefits? If so, you may also be eligible for Medicaid health coverage (in the U.S., www.healthcare.gov will help you assess this and route you through the process for your state).

Next, review your monthly expenses. What must be paid, and what might be postponed or cut back? For example, many credit card lenders have allowed for a few months’ suspension of payments to allow those furloughed or laid off time to regroup. Take a close look at all those recurring charges on your credit cards or debited from your bank account and determine if you can live without some of them for a short period of time (though you may find after cutting back, you may not resume some of them).

Once you have a picture of any temporary income opportunities (whether unemployment or part-time/side hustles) and your revised expenses, then review the shape of your savings. How many months can this help meet the gap? Additionally, in the U.S. thanks to the CARES Act, you may take a distribution from your retirement account without paying the 10% penalty (but you’ll still pay income tax). Build a plan for the months ahead, and continue to review it as you go to adjust as needed to meet your goals.

2. Allow time to experience emotions: The loss of a job is exactly that … a loss, and this brings many emotions. Allow yourself the time and space to grieve, be angry, even be relieved at no longer dealing with aspects of your position which annoyed you. Reach out to friends or family for support to chat (voice, video, or safely distanced in person). Consider journaling your thoughts during this transitional time for reflection.

3. Ponder your next step: Personally, I took a few weeks between receiving the news of my coming layoff and its actual effective date to decide what I wanted next. I knew once I shared that news, my networks would ask what I was considering and how they could help. I had to decide: did I wish to continue in philanthropic development? What kind of role was I seeking? Did I want to continue living in my city? Having the answers to these questions made seeking opportunities easier to discern.

4. Network, network, network: Once you’ve set your goals and plans, it’s time to share these widely and ask for help. Fundraisers (and now laid-off fundraisers) are used to asking for help to benefit others, so it can be uncomfortable at first to ask for help for yourself. But if you don’t ask, you don’t get! As when seeking a job change while still employed, you never know where a connection will lead. In fact, it’s a little less of a nervous process as you don’t have an employer to worry about … even if you are simply furloughed, you have the right to seek other work if your employer hasn’t given you specific return expectations.

5. Try to find joy in the journey: While an experience no one hopes for, there is much opportunity for personal growth on the other side of losing your job. It provides an opportunity for reflection on where you’d like your life to go. It may give you additional time with your family or friends (or pets!)  that you’ve been wanting. It may propel you towards an even better career situation in the long run. While the process of searching for a new position can be time-consuming, try to find sources of enjoyment to distract yourself from the wait. Maybe it’s reading books that have piled up on your shelf, maybe it’s focusing more on eating well and being physically active. Maybe it’s just being sure you get a good night’s sleep more often! Find the small victories, and celebrate them.

Someday, you’ll look back on this time and see how it shaped your career and your life. A furlough or layoff can be challenging, but it also provides a new layer in the storytelling of you.

What other tips for laid-off fundraisers would you share?

The post Now What? 5 Tips for Furloughed or Laid-Off Fundraisers appeared first on Bloomerang.

As we are likely to be working in remote or unusual situations for some time to come, how can we find ways to take care of our physical and mental health to survive the marathon of a pandemic and beyond? Here are seven self-care tips:

1. Set the scene: with so many of us working from home, it literally feels like we are living at the office! It is important to establish a space that when you enter it, you know you are entering the work zone, especially if you have other adults in the household also working remotely and/or children schooling remotely. Additionally, this will help you mentally and physically transition in and out of work mode, just like when we would arrive or depart at the office. It is not too late to find a space for you! If you have already carved your space out, what additional equipment (furniture, technology, supplies) would help you feel more productive and comfortable?

2. Set a schedule: Now that we are spending most of our waking hours without leaving our residence, the temptation is there to literally work around the clock. Communicating with your boss and colleagues to set expectations about work hours is critical to success for everyone. Juggling family responsibilities might mean breaking up your workday to answer messages and work on tasks early in the morning or late in the evening. If you are managing staff, ask your employees what you can do to be supportive, especially those jumping back into juggling school for children and work for you. And be sure to communicate these expectations back to those living at home with you as well. Having a start and end to work hours, even in shifts, can help reduce mental drain and physical exhaustion.

3. Tame technology: We are fortunate to live in a time where during a pandemic, we can continue to work, play, and stay connected to the world outside our home. However, that same connectivity can be exhausting! Take time to walk away from devices to recharge your mind, body, and soul. Also, look into enabling tools built into technology (e.g. do not disturb hours on a smartphone) to force breaks when needed.

4. Socialize safely: The nonprofit community is highly social, and stay-home orders have taken away opportunities for us to connect with colleagues and supporters. Especially for professionals who live alone, this can be isolating. Have you scheduled regular check-ins with family, friends, and colleagues? If you are in a mentor/mentee relationship, can you visit via video conference, or safely distance in person? The lack of physical opportunities can provide challenges to connection, but also can deepen bonds with those who we may not connect with as often if they live across the country or around the world.

5. Get moving: If you have a favorite fitness activity, how are you incorporating it into your home space and new schedule? Many options are available for streaming classes online — everything from yoga to dance can be found for free or for a small monthly fee. A very low-cost way to get a little activity into your day? Go for a walk! Even just moving for 10 minutes a day can do wonders for physical and mental health, and help you sleep better as well. Plus, you get that change of scenery, too!

6. Eat well: Staying home more means having more control over our nutrition; those days of endless meetings and events requiring meals away from home where the menu was not our choice are on hold! A beneficial habit that will carry over even when the pandemic is behind us is meal planning for the week. Think ahead and consider meals and snacks, then set aside time to prep them to reduce stress during the week. It’s also a great time to try out recipes or new foods you may not have had time for previously.

7. Give grace: A mantra often included in yoga practice is to give grace to others, especially yourself. The past few months have affected each of us differently, and each day is a chance to practice the kindness and compassion our industry espouses. Ask for or offer forgiveness where you can.

Don’t feel like you need to accomplish all the above suggestions at once! Take on one at a time until you feel comfortable with the shift to greater self-care and soon, you’ll find yourself in a much better space to help serve your donors and clients.

What other self-care tips would you share?

The post 7 Self-Care Tips for Nonprofit Professionals appeared first on Bloomerang.