If you’re still debating about your Halloween costume this year, we suggest taking a look around your very own office. That’s right! Nonprofits are prime locations to discover spooky characters like time-sucking vampires and burnt-out zombies, as well as a few friendlier creatures, too. Check out some of the frightening figures that nonprofit teams will surely recognize, and how skilled volunteers can help banish the worst of them back to the shadows from whence they came!
The Time Sucker
This sneaky vampire isn’t interested in your blood but will happily suck all your time! This creature lurks in the corner, searching for tasks that are outside of your skillset. Struggling to design social media graphics in Word? That’s the vampire. Spending all your time fighting with a confusing payroll system? Probably the vampire. Thankfully, a skilled volunteer can act like garlic, helping to remove some of the time “suck tasks” from your to do list and send the vampire back to Transylvania.
Resources Wrangler
Yee-Haw! The Resource Wrangler is a master at rustling up pro bono expertise to get their organization the help it needs. The Wrangler knows that while a nonprofit leader is asked to wear many a 10-gallon hat in their role, there are skilled volunteers ready and willing to lend a hand when the road gets rough. Whether it’s an IT project to help keep varmints out of their tech, working with a marketing expert to lasso the best brand strategy, or rounding up the dogies with the help of a human resources pro, the Resource Wrangler knows that a skills-based volunteer is the best “pardner” a cowpoke could ask for.
Overworked Zombie
We know that nonprofit staff live and breathe their missions, dedicating themselves day in and day out to making change happen for our communities. Unfortunately, too much devotion can lead to burnout, a terrible affliction we call Zombification. You can recognize the Overworked Nonprofit Zombie by their overflowing inbox and the lukewarm coffee they haven’t had time to drink. Thankfully, you can help satisfy the zombie’s need for brains by enlisting the mind of a skilled volunteer or two to help reverse the disease.
Princess Pro Bono
In a kingdom not so far away, Princess Pro Bono reigns with abundance thanks to the expertise channeled through her army of skilled volunteers. Dedicated knights aid the Princess at every turn, protecting her nonprofit realm from even the toughest of dragons. Princess Pro Bono knows that her kingdom’s nonprofits need resources, and skills-based volunteers stand ready to take on even the toughest quest.
Jack of All Trades
Nonprofit leaders often take on roles and responsibilities besides the ones that are actually on their business card. As a Jack of All Trades, you’re an expert at “rolling with it,” adapting to evolving priorities and needs. While your dedication shines bright for all to see, you may find yourself struggling to get your actual job done (or worse yet, end up feeling hollow inside!). Why not enlist the help of a skilled volunteer to tackle a few of those trades? You may find it allows you to carve out a little more time to focus.
The Ghost of Unmet Needs
One of the spookiest nonprofit Halloween spirits, the Ghost of Unmet Needs haunts nonprofits who are overwhelmed by too many obligations and too few resources. They float from organization to organization, frightening onlookers and frustrating staff. Thankfully, these spirits can be exorcized by increasing a nonprofit’s capacity with the help of skilled volunteers. Clearing cobwebs on organizational, strategic, and administrative tasks frees up staff to do what they do best at and sends the ghosts packing.
