Nicole Warren
Welcome to the latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators, where we ask you to describe your day in your own words.
We’d love to feature YOU in this series! Don’t be shy – tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro.
Nicole Warren is a lifelong volunteer starting from when she was young volunteering at church up to college volunteering with her sorority. She started in nonprofits after graduating from Salisbury University in Maryland in 2013 with a double major in Human Communications and Conflict Analysis Dispute Resolution. She moved to Seattle and began working with Volunteers of America. She then moved to Homage Senior Services in 2015 to become their agency Volunteer Manager. In her spare time, she serves as a Youth Minister at her local church.
And this is her typical day:
Before 8:00 a.m. – I get a good workout in – either cardio machines, weights, or yoga between 5am-5:30am.
Then I come back home to make coffee and breakfast for me and my husband. Take the dog on a quick walk .
Check my email quickly before I head into work.
My office is 35 miles away so I listen to some great podcasts during my commute. I recommend Freakonomics, The Tim Ferriss Show, NPR TED Radio Hour, and Nonprofits are Messy.
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m – Our front desk is staffed by volunteers so I check in with them when I arrive at 8:30am and assign them tasks laid out by other departments for the day.
Create my To-Do list for the day and plan out the rest of my weekly appointments. Then I have a weekly department meeting with my team to give a quick update.
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Today I met with our Communications Specialist to go over social media activity, collateral plan for 2018, and upcoming outreach events.
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – I usually take lunch at 12 noon in our office break room. There is a great group of staff and volunteers who all sit together. I bring my own lunch by prepping meals for the week every Sunday evening.
Then myself and a co-worker go on a walk around the block returning by 1pm.
Today after lunch I am prepping for Volunteer Orientation tomorrow, taking on a call with Boeing to set up Christmas giving opportunities and sending out a Constant Contact email to potential and re-occurring volunteers to sign up for our annual Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels volunteer opportunity.
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Many times I get out of the office in the afternoon by picking up in-kind donations given to us by community and corporate members. Checking email again and returning phone calls from when I was away from my desk.
After 4:00 p.m. – Today I am attending a local Economic Alliance networking meeting at 4pm to recruit companies to volunteer and give with our organization. I may stop back in the office on my way home to check email and get a head start of the next day by preparing a TO DO list.
Then prepare for the long commute home with another podcast or call my family members to catch up since they live on the other side of the country. I am usually home between 6-6:30pm.
Thanks for sharing your day, Nicole!
Want to be featured in this series? Tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro.
