7 PTO Tips For Those Who Struggle with Vacation Time, Too

It’s time for me to come clean, gang. For the longest time, I was not good about paid-time off (PTO).

It’s not like I don’t take my time. In fact, I’ve never let a single day expire. I’ve just been so disorganized about this in the past, that it was stressful even figuring out what to do with the time when I finally did take it.

If I haven’t said this yet, I believe all of us should use every last hour of our vacation time. For one, us workaholics need that time away to relax and reset. But more importantly, that’s time we’ve earned. This is part of our compensation, ‘money’ we’d be throwing down the toilet if we didn’t use that time!

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7 Tips to Balance Database Management With Your Day Job

What’s one thing that development staff, volunteer coordinators, operations managers, HR and Program people all have in common?

At any time, we can become our org’s database admin, too.

“Accidental admin” is the term we’ve lovingly coined to all the database managers who never signed up for this. Typically the consequence of multiple-hat syndrome, these are the nonprofit professionals who were standing closest to the system at the time when their org desperately needed an admin.

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The Unconference Model is Problematic. Here’s Why & What to Do About It

Gang, let’s talk about unconferences. Because I’ve got a lot of mixed feelings.

First, if you’ve never heard of an unconference, let’s start there. An unconference is a “participant-led” learning experience. It rebels against the typical conference structure, in that there’s no preset agenda.

Yep, you read me correctly.

There is no agenda for this conference, until you show up to make it. The idea is that the audience –the people who this whole thing is designed to benefit–  put forth the topics they want to discuss. Hence, the ‘un’.

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8 Tips for a Truly Effective Job Search

Let’s get right to it. Job hunting is the worst.

I’m reminded of this every time I sit with my boyfriend to talk job prospects. He’s smart, talented and dedicated, yet sometimes he’ll forget! The job search is that good at eating away at your confidence & optimism.  

It also exacerbates real life stressors, stuff we all go through at some point – like financial stress, low self-esteem, imposter syndrome, and other fun things.

No one can make that stuff disappear. But there is a way to make this easier, and that’s by organizing your search activities.

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9 Resources Every Nonprofit Salesforce Admin Needs to Know

Are you the Salesforce Admin for your nonprofit? Was that always meant to be your role, or is it one you’re assuming because #multiplehats?

We have a phrase for those in the latter. We call you “accidental admins”, because so often that’s what nonprofit database administration is. It’s also how many of us got our start in Salesforce land.

Whether you’re in this for the long haul or desperately looking to break free, Salesforce can be overwhelming. It’s a a complex product, backed by a massive ecosystem. Where does one start?

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How to Coordinate Your Org’s Next Big Email Campaign

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Getting ready to send out an email campaign on behalf of your nonprofit?

If there’s one project that unifies (or divides!) departments most, it’s the email campaign. Volunteer managers, fundraisers, & program staff all need to email their constituents. Even the ops staff don’t get a break, as they’re often the ones putting those lists together for us!

But whether this is your first campaign or your fiftieth, this doesn’t have to be chaos.  A good process never hurt nobody, and you’ll definitely need one to execute something this important.

There’s a method to this particular nonprofit madness. Let’s talk email.

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