An Organization Made up of Organizations
If you’re like most nonprofit leaders I know, you’ve probably thought, “I don’t have enough time” more than once this week. If so, you’re not alone.
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Time is the one resource we can’t get more of, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. The truth is, you’ll always have more to do than you can possibly get done. Not only that, but most people waste a ton of time. For example, scrolling on social media and simply procrastinating in other ways.
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But there’s good news! With the right strategies, you can absolutely manage the overwhelm and focus your time on what truly matters.
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6 Time-Saving Tips for Nonprofit Leaders and Fundraisers
Here are six useful tips for how to make the most of your time and maximize the impact for your nonprofit.
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1. Set Big Goals
When you focus on big, meaningful goals, you spend less time on distractions. Big goals bring clarity to your fundraising efforts. They help you (and your team) prioritize and say “yes” to what matters and say “no” to what doesn’t.
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Take time each year, quarter, and week to define what’s most important. Then align your daily actions with your priorities. When you zoom out and look at your year as a whole, you’ll be amazed by how much you can accomplish.
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2. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Perfectionism is one of the biggest time thieves in the nonprofit world. Not every email, meeting, or report needs to be flawless. Focus on progress, not perfection. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to send out sloppy work with grammatical errors, but you probably don’t need to wordsmith again and again.
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Ask yourself: Does this move us closer to our big goals? If not, it’s okay to let it go, or to let “good enough” truly be good enough.
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3. Make To-Do Lists (and Use Them)
To-do lists can either empower you or overwhelm you.
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Each morning, identify your top three priorities for the day and tackle those first. Avoid overloading your list with every possible task. When everything feels urgent, nothing gets done. A focused list keeps you grounded and helps you end each day feeling accomplished.
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Try digital tools like Todoist, Asana, Trello, or Google Tasks to organize and prioritize effectively.
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4. Use Technology (and AI) to Save Time
Technology can be your best ally in saving time. Automate what you can by scheduling, donor communications, reminders, and reports.
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From email templates and CRM automations to smart calendars, technology can help you streamline repetitive work and reclaim valuable hours. I swear Calendly saves me over 100 hours per year!
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And yes, AI can help too! Tools like ChatGPT can assist with brainstorming, drafting communications, and even summarizing meeting notes. Just remember to proofread carefully, personalize, and add your authentic voice.
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5. Just Say No
You can’t say yes to everything. Protect your time and energy by being strategic about what you agree to.
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If an opportunity doesn’t align with your mission or current goals, it’s okay to politely decline. Every “yes” to something less important is a “no” to something that truly matters.
Boundaries aren’t selfish — they’re strategic.
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6. Delegate with Confidence
Delegation isn’t about offloading work, but about focusing your energy on what you do best! When you delegate effectively, you give others a chance to grow and create space for yourself to focus on the big-picture work only you can do.
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Work Smarter, Not Harder
Did I use AI to help write this post? You betcha! I wrote a detailed outline, ran it through ChatGPT, and carefully edited the results.
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That’s what working smarter looks like. I do my best to use every available tool to focus my energy where it has the greatest impact.
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While you can’t create more hours in the day, you can absolutely make the most of the ones you have. Time management isn’t about squeezing more into your day, but about being intentional with HOW you spend your time.
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Remember — you’re doing important work that changes lives. Managing your time well ensures you can keep doing it.
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Amy Eisenstein, ACFRE is one of the country's leading fundraising experts. She speaks internationally at fundraising conferences and to nonprofit board about raising major gifts and capital campaigns. As the CEO and Co-Founder of the Capital Campaign Pro, as well as a speaker, author, and trainer, Amy helps thousands of organizations raise significantly more money each year.
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