Effective Email Management and the Role of Virtual Assistants

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We all struggle with out-of-control email boxes. Nonprofits are no exception, often receiving hundreds of emails a day. Reading and responding to every message in a timely manner is a drain on volunteer resources, yet we know that email has become a preferred method of communication for many key stakeholders. Email can be a highly productive and effective form of communication, but it must be managed in a time efficient manner.

Confront the Clutter

A cluttered email inbox -- filled with old, unopened, or unimportant messages -- will not only frustrate you, it can result in delayed actions and decisions for your nonprofit. It will prevent you from maximizing your time and distract you from other more pressing obligations.

Emails contain a wealth of knowledge and information to help you connect constituents and advance your mission. To take advantage of the positive aspects of email, nonprofits need to implement a strategy to manage the inbox and use email effectively. Our Nonprofit Virtual Assistants (NPVAs) expertly utilize the functionality in email systems to maximize your results. And, if your current habits are costing you time and efficiency, we can teach you alternatives. 

Here’s how we do it

  • Organize an inbox with labels, folders, and categories. Though most emails can be deleted, nonprofits will want to retain some messages for the record. NPVAs will prioritize, group, sort, and file messages to keep your inbox organized. The better your filing system, the easier it will be to locate specific emails when you need them.

  • Don’t let important emails sit in your inbox for days. The rule of thumb is that emails should be answered within 48 hours of receipt, even if that answer states that you will read and respond shortly. NPVAs can answer all incoming emails quickly so that no one wonders if their message has been received. They will also set a date to follow-up, ensuring that an appropriate response is received by the sender.

  • NPVAs check the email boxes, for the organization and the leadership, several times a day. Emails are triaged regularly, placing the most important in a side folder that leadership can easily address so you are not distracted by incoming messages. Urgent emails are immediately brought to the appropriate person’s attention and the NPVA can help navigate the appropriate response, especially if the organization’s President or Committee Chair is busy with her/his “day job."

  • Routine emails can be easily addressed by the NPVA, allowing the organization to function seamlessly. NPVAs take it a step further and can “find” the answers to general emails, saving time for volunteers.

  • NPVAs can also draft responses for the leadership to help facilitate email responses. One simply needs to review outgoing emails in the “drafts” box, make appropriate changes, and release. NPVAs can also “automate” targeted email follow-up messages so they can be sent out regularly and on timeline. Both are tremendous time savers!

  • NPVAs addressing emails daily will let your audiences and constituents know that you are open for business every day. Volunteers, donors, and key stakeholders will appreciate a response to their emails, and an NPVA can certainly get them the answers they need.

  • We also take the time to archive email for nonprofits so there is an organized trail of information and correspondence.

  • We handle the junk and unsubscribe to unwanted email. Newsletters and advertisements can overwhelm a nonprofit’s inbox and an NPVA can use good judgement in eliminating the clutter.

  • NPVAs also have the training and wherewithal to use tools to get more control of the process. Google email products are of great assistance, and tools like Boomerang effectively let you send away distracting emails until later, when they will reappear. NPVAs can employ several strategies to help your nonprofit manage their emails.

Don’t let email hijack your time

Nothing sabotages your nonprofit’s productivity like an out-of-control inbox. Checking your organization’s emails regularly during the day is the most effective way to keep your inbox at manageable levels and maximize your communications, but that is a lot to ask of volunteers who are often balancing professional and family responsibilities as well. Nonprofit Virtual Assistants can manage your organization’s email effectively, alleviating that level of distraction to the volunteer leadership, allowing their time to be focused on more high value projects.

Ready to Get Started?

The More Than Giving Co. matches you to the right NPVA for your specific needs. They will be up and working for you almost immediately.

Vicki Burkhart