Hooray to all those hard working Admin/Operations/HR/IT/Finance staff within nonprofits. This is your week to celebrate and appreciate your role in the organization!

Why isn't there a holiday for program staff or executives—you say?

Because we as admin/operations/hr/finance staff do the grunt work that no one else likes to do!

Specifically, we:

• Pay the bills—so the organization can remain in existence
• Process the payroll—so staff get paid!
• Make the coffee (oh I hate doing this) :)
• Order the office supplies—so we don't run out of anything.
• Find new office space/make office space look nice—so the organization can entertain funders.
• Make sure that the organization doesn't get sued. (ok, I do love working with attorneys)
• Get under the desk and pull apart the computer if something goes wrong.
• Fix many, many, many copy machine jams. 
• Orient new staff/keep current staff up to date with laws, procedures etc—which is quite challenging because after staff get settled in their positions they don't really like it when things like a personnel manual or office procedures are changed.
• File/create spreadsheets/schedule meetings
• And, anything else that is asked of us.

Phrase admin staff most commonly hear, "Can you do this, Can you look this up, Can you fax this, Can you…I respond, yes I can do anything. (Even if it is to find a Starbucks on the South Pole. :)

However, in many cases admin staff are the first to get laid off, first to be ignored—because the work is supposedly less important, first to be ill treated. (An extreme example—see how Michael treats Toby (the HR guy) on the show "The Office") and our jobs are thought to be easily replaceable.

I teach a seminar titled— "Nonprofit Operations: Strategies and Steps for Successful Mission Achievement"

During my seminar, people/managers are enlightened when they realize, oh “I can actually save my organization money, receive more funding and successfully achieve my mission if I do things to improve my operations!"

That is why I only work for organizations that already appreciate and realize how the Admin/Operations/HR/IT/Finance role ads value to the organization. In addition, although I help with fundraising and do grant writing for my clients, I don't work for organizations where I have to provide a business case for my existence or fundraise to cover my salary. 

If you are an ED or manager, please take this week to appreciate your Admin/Operations/HR/IT/Finance staff!  Thanks.