It’s the last week of 2014. If I had my way, everyone would be off this week and no work would happen between Christmas Eve and January 2.

But that’s not practical. So if you do have to be in the office this week, even just a little bit, here are a few short tips to make the most of your week and get ready to have a great year for your nonprofit in 2015.

Send an email to your donors and supporters.

Many donors are making year-end decisions about giving this week. You can take this opportunity to remind them that you are in the office, standing by to receive any donations that come your way.

This can be very simple. For example, consider this email:

We at the Historical Society hope 2014 was a wonderful year for you. Before 2014 itself becomes history, we wanted to send a short request to consider the Historical Society in your year-end giving plans. Gifts can be made either online, via mail, or feel free to drop them by! Someone will be in the office during the hours listed below.

Happy New Year, and we look forward to many great things in 2015.

Sincerely,

Linda
Executive Director
Smallville Historical Society

This email isn’t designed to create a huge giving storm like a #GivingTuesday campaign, but rather to solicit essentially a few (hopefully) big donations from donors who are already looking for a place to give their money before January 1.

Choose one big project.

Did you have a big project you’d hope to complete but never found the time. If you could use a little quiet time in the office to get something big done, this is a great time of year to do it. Keep your head down, only check your email every few hours, and enjoy the feeling of concentration on a single task.

This could be something very active, like sketching out a new pilot program. It could be a physical project, like cleaning out your office and removing all the clutter that has accumulated over the last year. Or it could be something relaxing. Do you have a reading project you keep meaning to get to? If there’s a white paper, a new report, or a book that would help you with your job in the new year, the week between Christmas and New Year’s is a great time to find the quiet space needed for reading.

Thank the people closest to you.

There’s no reason not to take some time to thank your favorite donors, staff, volunteers, and board members for all they did for your organization in 2014. It’s a thirty second phone message to a donor, or taking ten minutes to sit with employees and get to know them a little better (while also remembering to thank them for all that they do for you). Take the time to say thanks.

Stay off the Internet.

I know, I know, you’re reading this on the Internet. But this week is a great week to disconnect as much as possible. All those notifications and status updates and constant calls for our attention can make us weary. If your heart is not in it to accomplish some major project this week (and I totally get that) then goof off in some other way than just checking Facebook over and over. You can do that any time.

Put a paperback novel in a three-ring binder and let everyone think you’re hard at work. If you are at work this week, the most important reason you can be there is in case a donor drops by with an unexpected check for $5,000. So if giving yourself a little time to recharge your batteries after a long year is what you need most, then go for it.

Happy new year. Looking forward to seeing you in 2015!