Almost all nonprofits spend half or more of their income on human resources. Improved time management can help your nonprofit and everyone involved in it, including your staff, volunteers, and board, to devote more time to the organization’s mission.

Time management is different in the nonprofit world for a number of reasons, including high expectations for relationships, stewardship issues, and the general scarcity of resources. Because of these factors, nonprofit time management is often more critical than in other organizations and requires more skills.

Can you get more done? Can you use your time better? Yes, most certainly. The tips below are practical ideas to upgrade your day-to-day nonprofit life:

1. Record your time. Do this for one week to learn where you invest it. While oft-suggested, few people actually conduct a time audit. If you have never done an audit, one key result will be an increased awareness of your time use. You will also identify a number of your own personal time “tips”.

2. Block islands. For large tasks, set aside a two-hour block of time. Repeat over several days or weeks as needed to make progress on key activities. Prioritize these time islands just like you would appointments with key donors.

3. Develop short cuts. This is for repeat tasks. If people always need your bio in a short form, a board list, or the current budget, create files with these items to attach to emails. Make labels for people you mail to frequently. Keep your errand lists with you in case you have time to pick up supplies en route to a meeting.

4. Whittle while you wait. Do micro-jobs when you arrive early or wait for appointments. Micro-jobs include organizing a desktop mess when you are on hold. They also include using your cell phone in the parking lot to make another appointment when you arrive early for a meeting. Proof an article while you wait for a prescription. Carry tools and tasks to help you take advantage of unexpected time gifts.

5. Plan the flow of meetings. Include a time estimate for each agenda item, i.e. “Special event opportunity — 15 minutes”. During your meetings, as you approach the time limit, bring this to the group’s attention. State, “We have just spent 10 minutes on this topic. Would you like to come to a conclusion in the next five minutes, or schedule it for a future meeting?” Stated time estimates help groups move forward and balance the needs of the current topic against other agenda items.

6. Establish time limits for projects. For most organizations, if a grant will bring in $2,000 it is worth ten hours of time (i.e., you earn $200 per hour). However, the same grant is not worth 80 hours. Projects, especially income-related ones, need to garner a proportionate amount of income relative to your time investment. This is a key challenge with special events.

7. Limit email obsession Establish email sessions three times per day. A recommended email schedule is once in the morning after you have achieved your most important daily objective, again at midday, and finally, late in the day. Email is not 911. Don’t teach people to use it that way. Are you obsessed? Check. Jot down how many times you check your email in one day. If it’s more than a dozen, you have an opportunity to reduce a distraction.

8. Consider back-to-back appointments when you must be off-site. It takes less time to do two appointments with a half hour break between them than the same appointments on different days.

9. Rule of three. Pick three things to do today. Pick three points for your speech. Pick three things to get across to your staff at the meeting. Select three donors to contact at the event. Identify three volunteers to greet personally today. You can remember three. You can accomplish three.

10. Make your best contribution. Study your work to learn what you do best. Where do your skills and passions intersect? Listen to the input of others. Often it is hard to see our gifts and skills because the associated tasks are “easy” for us. Others help to bring them to our attention. Once you are aware of your skills and passions, spend more time in these areas and less in others. While this may not happen instantaneously or completely, take steps in this direction every day.

Excerpted with permission from Karen Eber Davis’ Time Management for Nonprofit Leaders. Want more tips on how you can obtain resources and ideas for your nonprofit? Visit www.kedconsult.com.