For most professionals, summer means a long-awaited vacation and spending time away from the desk with friends and family. For nonprofit professionals, summer can be a challenging time. Whether a programmatic slowdown, a frantic fiscal year’s end, or a drop in donor engagement – we know the summer months can lead to increased stress and burnout.  

Read on for seven practical tips to help you beat the summer slump by keeping yourself motivated and prioritizing your productivity. Recharge and refocus from June to August.  

Tend your mental garden. 

Just as a garden needs weeding, your mind needs regular care to stay healthy if you expect to do the best work for your organization’s mission. Practice meditation, take mental health days, or begin a gratitude journal.  

How often do you take time to engage in activities that reduce stress? For example, schedule a digital detox afternoon where you step away from social media content writing or email campaigns to reset. I promise the DMs and funnels will be there when you get back online. When our minds are in a good place, we can focus on other things like physical well-being and effectiveness at work.  

Sow seeds of energy. 

Regular exercise is like watering your plants – it keeps you energized, healthy, and feeling good. Go for a walk in between meetings, pop in at your favorite yoga or spin studio, or do a morning stretch before sitting down at the desk to draft your next direct mail appeal. Spend time gardening! Planting, weeding, and harvesting are great ways to stay active and enjoy nature. Whatever your preferred method of movement, set aside time for yourself to do it. 

Plant with purpose. 

Planting seeds with intention means you’ll have a harvest to be proud of at the end of a growing season. Similarly, setting short-term and realistic goals at work can lead you to maintain focus and productivity. Keep them clear and achievable. For example, aim to draft three engaging social media posts and one compelling email each week for an upcoming campaign. Give yourself something to look forward to by creating a habit of celebration when you reach them.  

Try this G.R.O.W. goal-setting strategy as an easy way to get started!  

• Goal: define the objective. Be specific about what you want to achieve. 

• Reality: assess the current situation. Answer the question, where are we now? Identify any obstacle you may face, and understand your starting point.  

• Options: explore possible action items. Brainstorm strategies to get moving toward your goal. Consider the resources and support you/your team will need. 

• Will: establish a plan of action. Answer the question, what will you do? Decide specific steps, and make a concrete plan with responsibilities and timelines.  

Prepare the soil. 

Preparing a garden bed sets the stage for a vibrant bloom. The same goes for scheduling your time this summer. Take advantage of quiet office hours when fellow staff members are away for their vacations. While it may feel like things slow down during the summer, remember sometimes we have to slow down to go fast. We can use the slowness of summer workdays to get ready for successful work the rest of the year.  

Year-end is just around the corner, and we all know it. Rather than waiting until the last minute, get a head start by preparing your campaign now. Pick the story you want to tell, narrow down your audience, and plan out your appeal calendar. Using the summer to prepare for upcoming campaigns and events means you have a detailed action plan to accomplish when the time comes.  

Nurture new growth. 

Invest time in yourself and engage in professional development. Find a free webinar to attend, register for a local conference, or schedule a coffee meeting with a mentor. Consider taking an online course in advanced email marketing strategies or social media engagement tactics.  

Just as plants need nutrients, we need professional learning to thrive and stay up-to-date with industry trends. Dedicate 20 minutes in the morning to reading the email newsletter you always ignore or a blog post you’ve had bookmarked. Commit to a small amount of time that promises to teach you something new.  

Foster a flourishing ecosystem. 

While you take steps to refocus and recharge, remember you’re not alone in the work. Chances are other professionals at your organization are feeling a little summer slump too. Gardens (and nonprofits!) flourish when all their parts work together in harmony.  

You can lead a team-building activity, and plan a virtual happy hour or in-person team outing. Maintain open communication through summer schedule shifts by creating a bi-weekly newsletter with fun facts about teammates, what folks are accomplishing at the office, and how everyone is spending their time off.  

Need inspiration? Try out an AI tool like ChatGPT and prompt it with the following phrase: “Please give me an example of a short, simple newsletter I can create and share with my staff to keep cohesion and morale up during the summer months when people are traveling and work feels slow.” Then tweak the content to match your style and organization priorities.  

Cultivate connection.  

Regularly engaging with your community of stakeholders is like tending to your plants – it fosters healthy relationships and stewards your supporters so they know you value them. Keep donors and volunteers engaged with personalized communications.  

Set aside 10 minutes each Friday afternoon to craft 4 heartfelt thank you notes. Put a stamp on the envelopes, and drop them in the mail on your way home or as you head out to a happy hour. A handwritten note shows your donors some love and gives you the chance to share success stories that highlight their impact during the summer months.  

Summer doesn’t have to mean stagnant. 

Just as a well-tended garden thrives through the heat of summer, you and your nonprofit can flourish with care and attention. Be intentional about tending to your mental and physical well-being. Set yourself up for success with purposeful goals, prepare in advance, and invest in personal growth. Foster team collaboration. Nurture your community connections. Whether you’re a one-person team or part of a larger department, implement these seven tips to avoid burnout and keep your mission growing strong all year round. 

What other strategies will you implement this summer to ensure you and your organization stay energized and productive?