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Author: nonprofitchapin

I Am an Overachiever

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I’ve never identified myself as an overachiever. I would definitely describe myself as driven, motivated, goal oriented, and even a little Type A – but not an overachiever.

Until I read 5 Mistakes That Cause Overachievers to Fail by Jennifer Gresham on Everyday Bright.

Unfortunately, I’m becoming very familiar with these failures Jennifer references in this post. Too familiar. And I would venture to guess that many nonprofit staffers feel the same – we’re all passionate people or we wouldn’t be in this field. When does passion go too far?

I have been incredibly stressed out lately. Yes, I’ve had a lot of life changes in the past few months – moving, new job, new grad school program… but still, something more has been tugging at me. Something beyond the usual nerves of something new. Something more substantial.

I read this post and realized – that’s it. I’m an overachiever. My overachiever self is going crazy trying to balance all these new parts of my life and do them all perfectly.

I’m spending a lot of time worrying about what others think. I want to impress my colleagues, look smart to my cohort/professor, and fit in perfectly with my new community. I want to be the perfect employee, friend, and girlfriend. I want to achieve perfection in every aspect of my life.

Instead of inspiring me, these goals are causing me to be anxious almost all of the time. I’m worried about balancing it all and being perfect all at the same time. I’ve realized I’ve become obsessed with this idea of being good at everything. Not just good – great.

When I had just one or two things going on, it was doable. I would say I was a pretty great employee and girlfriend back where we used to live. But now we’ve moved and I’ve added on student and family member… with a brand new job that demands more… and less time to be a great girlfriend… clearly, my perfectionist self is in overdrive. How can I make this happen??

I can’t.

What I can make happen is doing the best I can at everything I do. And knowing that’s good enough.

It’s better than good enough – it’s perfect.

-N.C.

Updating My About Me Page

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Describe yourself in four paragraphs. Not so easy, is it? Putting together my About Nonprofit Chapin page on this blog turned out to be just as challenging. And updating it was even worse.

I had been waiting to update the page until I had started both my new job and new graduate school program. They both are directly related to what I write about in this blog so I knew they’d be applicable. So, I waited, and waited… and waited. Then, the time came. I needed to update the page.

Putting together the history of my employment and involvement in the nonprofit sector wasn’t so bad. That’s really all facts. It’s what comes after that which was so difficult. Not difficult, per say, but… weird. And interesting to see how much had changed in the last six months.

Do you remember what your goals were six months ago? I do, mostly because I’ve been in the process of applying to graduate school, jobs, and the like, so I’ve needed to write everything down. What has been most striking to me is how much my goals have changed in the past six months.

I’ve always been on the path of becoming a nonprofit CEO. I’ve admired the way CEOs get the opportunity to connect with all types of people, collaborate, and make decisions that have huge impacts on their organization and ultimately the cause they are working for. Three out of my five most important values relate to things a nonprofit CEO would do: leadership, leaving a legacy, and making a difference.

But in the past six months I’ve really been thinking about what these values mean. What does making a difference mean? What does leadership mean? And that’s got me thinking – why do I want to be a nonprofit CEO?

In fact, one could argue there are bigger ways to affect the nonprofit sector. I’ve recently been thinking a lot about becoming a consultant. One consultant could affect multiple CEOs in one week, which in turn could affect multiple organizations and multiple causes. And although a consultant isn’t necessarily the leader of an organization, she is a leader in her own right, forging ahead with best practices in the sector. And she’s definitely leaving a legacy and making a difference.

Of course, I don’t know where my path will lead, and the most important thing is that I’m keeping an open mind. Especially with this Masters in Nonprofit Administration, I know I’ll end up somewhere I can definitely exercise my most important values.

-N.C.

Why You Should’ve Paid Attention in History

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If I could identify one theme that I’ve see a lot of in the past two weeks, it’s been the importance of history. At my new job, I’m constantly learning how things have been done historically in my position and in the agency. At school, we’re reading about the history of the nonprofit sector. I’ve never really thought of history’s importance too much until I realized I was being bombarded with it. There are a few key reasons understanding history is important.

  • To get where you’re going you have to know where you came from. I’m not going to lie – my predecessor at work did things much differently than the way I plan to do them in the future. From my perspective, much of his tasks were time intensive, inefficient, and ill-advised. But – I took the time to understand why he did things. I asked questions, and I’m continuing to ask questions of my other colleagues, about reasoning and rationale. Even if I’m hoping to do things differently, it’s good to understand the whole story, so that I can pick and choose my battles.
  • It makes you appreciate how good we have things now. It’s easy to complain that the nonprofit sector has it worse than the other sectors – we get paid less, we don’t get taken seriously, and so on. But in my reading of what the nonprofit sector used to look like – even 50 years ago – I’m jumping for joy about how official the sector is today. It wasn’t that long ago that we weren’t even considered a sector, that donations weren’t tax deductible, and that getting a nonprofit status was impossible. I’m definitely grateful that the sector has exploded the way it has and that I can be a part of it now.
  • Knowing history ensures you have all your tools in your tool belt. Moving forward, knowing the history of something can really help you in shaping goals for the future. Knowing the original goals and understanding why they were in place is essential for continuing a project. Working without this knowledge is like starting from scratch, which is very difficult.

Some might say there’s value to not knowing the history of something – it allows you to shape your own opinions and ideas, free of restriction. I disagree. I think knowing the history but keeping an open mind about the future is a much better balance.

Too bad I didn’t pay closer attention in high school.

-N.C.

Keeping My Head Above Water

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Not that anyone but me is keeping track, but it has officially been two weeks and six days since my last post. This past month has been a whirlwind – I moved, started my new job, and went to the kick off for my masters program (I’m doing the Master of Nonprofit Administration program at University of San Francisco). I have been stressed out to say the least! I’ve been working my butt off to impress my new colleagues and boss, continuing to unpack our apartment, and mentally preparing to start school. I’m not going to lie, the last few weeks have been really hard… but I’m happy to say that I’m finally starting to feel positive about things. Here are a few mantras that have helped me keep my head above water.

  • At the end of the day, I’m helping people. Being dedicated to the nonprofit field means that the work I do day in and day out changes the world. Even if I don’t get everything crossed off my to do list, or if I feel like I’m not making a good impression on my colleagues, I’m still helping people. And, isn’t that the most important thing in life?
  • I know what I’m doing. My skills and knowledge about development and the nonprofit sector have been verified in both my new job and in meeting my cohort for the masters program. Listening to the types of decisions that are being made and the thought process behind them has been enlightening – not necessarily because they are new to me, but because I agree and had the same thoughts. In regards to my masters cohort, I was surprised to learn that there are quite a few people who have not had as much exposure to the sector as I have. My confidence has definitely been boosted.
  • One day at a time. In times like this, when things are in chaos (and I hate chaos), each day can look a little bit different than the next. It helps me to remember that no matter how bad today is, tomorrow is a new day, and tomorrow could be great! Every day is a fresh start, which can help when I feel like I continually need one!

I don’t get stressed out easily, which is why I’ve been so surprised that this last month has been so hard on me. But I feel confident that things are turning around and I’m now in the right frame of mind. Just in time for classes to start on Tuesday!! Wish me luck!

-N.C.

My Top Three Fundraising Tips

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Most people fill their days off with hours of reality television, shopping, and sleeping in. Not me (OK, I did sleep in a few days last week!). Last Thursday morning I ventured to San Francisco to Foundation Center to participate in the very informative Top Ten Fundraising Tips by Darian Rodriguez Heyman, the editor of Nonprofit Management 101 (which I was lucky enough to purchase an autographed copy of!). Darian gave a great talk reviewing some tips outlined in the book, a compilation of input from various experts in the field. He started with a very poignant anecdote about Bill Cosby’s grandmother’s view of whether a glass is half empty or half full – her response was, “it depends on if you’re pouring or drinking!”

Darian gave ten tips for fundraising, and I’d like to highlight my three favorite tips that he reviewed.

1. Stage a Thank-a-Thon. Fundraising isn’t all about asking for money. It includes everything from prospecting, to stewarding, to asking, to thanking. Darian posed this as a way to get your board engaged in the fundraising process – print out a simple script for board members (and I would add other volunteers who can speak eloquently about your organization), have some pizza, and schedule an hour after work one day where everyone can gather and make calls to say thanks – without asking for money. It’s a win-win situation for your board, your donors, and you.

2. Never Submit a Cold Grant. This point really can relate to anyone from whom you’re asking for money, not just grantors. Funding is all about relationships, and that includes grants. Just because the grantor doles out thousands of dollars each year doesn’t mean you have to be afraid to talk to them. Most of them prefer you talk to them. Get in touch with the Program Officer and ask for advice on your application. Darian went so far as to suggest asking them to review your application – I’ve never done that, but he’s had proven success doing it! Doing this causes them to mentally adopt your project, even if they never actually review it.

3. Utilize the Upcoming Volunteerism Revolution. OK, so I took liberty on changing one of his tip titles with this one, but this was a point he made. Volunteerism is moving toward people truly wanting to be part of the solution, and they don’t just want to stuff envelopes – they want to leverage their skills and expertise in helping you. Keep this in mind when engaging your volunteer force.

I’d like to end with one more point Darian made that really resonated with me – people don’t give to you, they give through you. People are giving to the impact you make. Fundraising isn’t personal to the fundraiser, it’s personal to the donor. They are connected to the change your nonprofit is making. You’re just the middle man.

-N.C.

P.S. I’m so excited that I can just pop over to events in San Francisco now! The city is full of nonprofit activity. Here’s a photo I took while stuck in traffic after the event!


What I Learned from My Move Across California

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I moved from San Diego to the bay area this weekend. I grew up here, so it’s like coming back home… but not really, because I’m coming with a new perspective, new life, and new attitude (and a boyfriend!). As you can imagine, making such a huge move was not an easy process, but in the end, a success! Here are a few tips I learned along the way.

  • I get by with a little help from my friends. Wow. Absolutely, by far, the biggest thing that made an impression on me was the generosity of people around me. I cannot count the number of times I felt intense gratitude that so many people stepped up to help me. I will never forget those who pitched in – and I hope to pay it forward!
  • I underestimated everything. And I mean everything. I reserved a 10 foot truck when we really needed a 14 footer. I thought two days would be plenty of time to get my life in order between my last day at work and packing/loading day. I had no idea I’d have to spend Friday morning packing instead of loading. Whatever it was, I underestimated it. I think the lesson learned here is to be flexible – because no matter how off I was on something, we identified the problem (this truck is too small), brainstormed a solution (calling other moving truck companies), and took action (returned the truck and got something new).
  • Moving is a great time for a fresh start. I’m already starting to create new habits that I hope will catch on in this next chapter of my life. I truly will be starting a new routine – working full time and going to grad school – so I’ll need to learn to balance everything. It’s easier to create change when other things are already changing… so away we go!

I’m anxious and excited to see what happens next. Wish me luck as I embark on new challenges, with a new job, in a new masters program, in a new place!

-N.C.

I Need Help Asking for Help

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I hate asking for help. I despise it. It makes my skin crawl. It makes me nervous. If you’re friends with me on Facebook you saw my recent post asking for help with loading our moving truck next week… well, that post almost didn’t happen, many times. I seriously thought about it for a week. Should I post a message asking for help? Should I sound desperate? Should it be funny? What is everyone going to say? Are people going to be mad that I am asking for help?

That’s where I stopped myself. Why the heck would people be mad at me for putting it out there that I need help? I have this feeling that people will think less of me if I ask for favors, like they will resent me or something, the girl who always wants a handout. But really, we all need help sometimes. I can’t count the number of times I’ve done favors for friends, and of course, they have done them for me. That’s what friendship is all about. So, I asked myself one question.

What’s the worst that will happen?

It’s not like someone’s going to comment back, “Wow, Chapin, you’re pathetic for needing help, and I’m really mad at you for posting this status. I’m not going to be your friend anymore.” And even if that did happen – do I really want to be friends with someone like that anyway??

Really – the worst that would happen would be that no one would volunteer to help. And, that’s kind of what happened – no one volunteered to help on Friday, but I did get more help for Sunday! That wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t post that question – if I didn’t ask for help.

It took me so long to decide whether to post it. But when I had decided I was going to, that was it. I posted it this morning before work – I never do anything that early in the morning!! I nervously checked to see what comments I got back all day. When the internet was down when I got to work, I felt anxious. What if someone posted a response??

It made me nervous putting myself out there like that. I will always be the strong woman who has everything going for her. It’s hard to admit that sometimes I can’t figure it all out on my own. I need help.

And that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

-N.C.

Overwhelmed? Join the Club

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I’m participating in this month’s Nonprofit Blog Carnival – time management tips. You can read more about it at Have Fun Do Good here (that’s a great blog, too, by the way). I really couldn’t ask for a better prompt. One piece of feedback from my review was that I am too productive – time management is something I’ve got in the bag. Even with this knack for productivity, I still get overwhelmed sometimes, as we all do. These are some of my favorite tips for time management.

  • Prioritize. I put this one first for a reason. This is the most important thing you can do to manage your time well! Take your task list and rank it in order. What is timely? What is important to your boss? What is a big hairy project that you need to spread out over several days? Take all of these things into account and put your tasks in order. After you’ve done that, only concentrate on the first 3-5. Monday morning you can re-evaluate your list, so don’t get worried you will miss a deadline for item #6.
  • Schedule consistent time. If there’s something that doesn’t make your priority list every week, but is still important and requires ongoing maintenance, put an appointment on your calendar weekly or monthly to work on it. When it’s on your calendar, there’s added accountability to do it. And you’ll get an Outlook reminder 15 minutes before! For example, I put database clean-up on my calendar every Monday from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. This way I’m slowly but surely working on something that feels like a huge project (and it feels smaller when I make some progress on it).
  • Use Outlook tasks. Emily Baime taught me how to use tasks back in the day, and my work life has been transformed. So many people still use a pad of paper, or worse, post its. Outlook tasks allows you to set deadlines for each task, mark priorities, and keep track of progress. Every week I update it according to priority (Monday of that week is high priority, Friday is projects on the backburner, etc) and even put in those 1-5 rankings we talked about. Don’t be shy, click on that little icon and give it a try!
  • Mix up your projects. Keep things interesting. Update event collateral, run database reports, and read an article in the same afternoon. Doing different things allows you to stay focused and energized and allows for better work.
  • Realize you’re not saving the world. I’m sure you’re doing important work, but remember, if you take a break, the world isn’t going to crumble. Take a few days off on a consistent basis. It will help you recharge your batteries and give you a fresh perspective on your projects when you return.

Remember – nothing is a crisis. Although it may seem like all of your tasks are important, keep breathing and remember that all will get accomplished in due time. And don’t forget to smile!!

-N.C.

What I Learned from the County Fair

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Last night was the first time in the nine years I’ve lived here that I went to the San Diego County Fair. I have to say, it was incredible. I mean, it was unbelievable. It’s hard to put it into words… opulence, flashing lights, fried everything… ridiculous. I looked at it as a spectacle, and I had an amazing time.

The fair draws thousands of people every night from across the county. I know I drove half an hour to get there. It’s such a success, so, they must be doing something right! Here are a few lessons learned from my trip to the fair.

  • Extravagance will never go out of style. The fair reminded me so much of Las Vegas… everything is larger than life, from the food, to the shows, to the prices… everything is bigger at the fair. People love feeling like they’re on vacation and that they deserve to pamper themselves. That’s OK, if it’s once in a while… it’s those people who go to the fair twice a week that I’m concerned about!
  • People are scared to stand out, or they love to stand in lines. From the lines at food vendors to the parking lot lanes, I can’t tell you how many times my friend and I found a short (or even non-existent) line for the same thing. People are afraid to venture out and learn for themselves what to do. They like to be doing what everyone else is doing. When we stood in line for ice cream, we turned around and found twenty people in what was previously a four person line. I mean, I know I’m cool and all, but that’s a little much!
  • I’ll do anything once. I tried deep fried oreos, brownie, and ice cream dipped in chocolate and rolled in oreos. Are you kidding me?? Hearing about all the deep fried stuff before I went always confused me… but when I was there, it was a given that I had to at least give some deep fried food a try. I think it’s that way for most people. If something (like deep fried food) is normalized, everyone will give it a try. It’s getting over the hump of making something extraordinary ordinary that’s the challenge.

Although I’m pretty sure I will never go again, I had a great time at the fair and am so glad I went. It was unlike anything else I’ve ever done!

OK, I need to amend my last bullet. I’ll do almost anything once – I won’t do deep fried butter!!

-N.C.

The Importance of Customer Service

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I’ve been reminded several times this week about the importance of customer service. Not only reminded, but been shocked to hear that my colleagues aren’t of the same mind. The voicemail system for the office has been broken for three days now, and our operations guy seems to be taking his sweet time to address it (I don’t like to judge other people’s workloads, but come on now. Shouldn’t that be a high priority issue?). The front counter staff is hardly ever told what’s going on, beyond occasionally being told that someone is out of the office for the day (but even that seems to only happen after they ask). When did the art of customer service die?

There have been numerous reports on the correlation between good customer service and loyalty. If I go into a store and the cashier is warm and friendly, I’m much more likely to return to that store. If she’s rude, I don’t want to put myself in that situation again. Why should I return somewhere that makes me unhappy?

The same concept applies to your nonprofit. The first person a donor or prospect speaks to is the person behind the front desk. Does that person know at least generally what is going on at your organization? Are they friendly and courteous? Most importantly, are they passionate about your cause?

Everyone the front counter staff speaks to is a potential donor. You don’t know someone’s capacity to give simply by looking at them. Therefore, everyone should be treated like a major donor. Everyone should be warmly welcomed, offered a glass of water, and given complete information about the organization. It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a suit or jeans – everyone should be treated with great customer service.

Yelp perfectly highlights the importance of customer service. I know I didn’t choose my dentist without Yelping him first. My boyfriend didn’t return to his because he Yelped them after, and they had one star. We are becoming reliant on reviews, many of which are about customer service. While it might not be blatant, it’s affecting your customer base.

By the way, I received great customer service today from Ron’s Auto Clinic. I would definitely return to them if I weren’t moving! I recommend taking your car there!

-N.C.