Thomas Negron and Ruby
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.
Thomas Negron is the Communications Director for Catskill Animal Sanctuary in New York’s Hudson Valley. Catskill is a refuge for farmed animals rescued from cruelty and neglect. Thomas started his career in advertising before moving to the nonprofit sector as a fundraiser and communicator. He lives in Brooklyn, NY. You can find him here on LinkedIn.
And this is his typical day:
Before 8:00 a.m. – Our dog, Stella, yawns loudly at 6:30. We convince her to lay down a little while longer so I try to simultaneously sleep and give her a belly rub.
My husband walks Stella while I swear tomorrow is when I start running again. Instead of running, I grab my phone and check what happened with ticket sales for several events and Facebook ads overnight.
I scan the New York Times, Washington Post, and Twitter to see what’s happening in the world. I yawn and stretch and try to come to life.
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m – I have an 8:30 call with the ED to discuss one of the animals.
I make breakfast and pour cold brew. I work in place so it’s an excellent commute.
Since it’s summer I head outside to the terrace and begin returning emails and catching up on blog posts. I hear Stella barking in her sleep.
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – My comms colleague and I have a daily check-in at 10:30 on what we’re working on, what’s coming up, and what we need to do. There are several videos in the pipeline so we discuss the story we want to tell in each.
We offer tours and a B&B so I’m exploring expanding our advertising to local radio stations for the first time. I have a call with a sales rep and request a proposal.
I meet with our developer to review Google Analytics for last quarter. We’re folding a recipe website into the main site next month so we iron out final details on how the content migration will work.
Stella decides to go outside, come back in, go outside and then come back in. It’s time for a walk! It’s good way to force myself to step away and clear my head.
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Lunch for me and a treat for Stella.
I’m stuck on what I want to say in an email to monthly donors so I vacuum while brainstorming opening paragraphs.
I’m also presenting to the board tomorrow so I think about which stats to share. Clean carpet, clear head!
The monthly e-news goes out this weekend so I start drafting the email.
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – We have a call to discuss a film series we’re launching next month. We need to start promoting it, but there are still some details to resolve.
I pass Stella lounging on the bed so I stop to rub her belly and kiss her nose BECAUSE SHE’S PRETTIEST PUPPY AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD … wait, what was I doing? Oh, right. The board presentation I’m giving tomorrow night.
After 4:00 p.m. – Some copy edits arrive for a new flyer that I incorporate and send to the printer. We created a Google Street View of the B&B so I check how it’s displaying. While I’m there, I upload new photos to our Google profile.
Time for another walk and dinner for Stella.
After my dinner I clear out my in-box to zero and update my to-do list. I’m a GTD’er from way back so I run my life by what’s on my lists. I find that if I can get everything out my head, I’m a lot less likely to stare at the ceiling in the middle of the night stressing about everything that needs to be done.
Thanks for sharing your day, Thomas!
Want to be featured in this series? Tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro.
