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by Loran Posey

My morning looked different on March 16. Yours did, too.

For most of us, working from home was an unfamiliar experience but a welcome step to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our commutes were replaced by walks to another room. The sounds of coworkers replaced by dogs barking, children talking or—for many—a lonely silence. And our dress shoes were replaced by … well, more on that in a second.

The last four months introduced new challenges and benefits. Sixty-two DAR employees responded to a survey in the June Pulse that asked about their experiences teleworking. The results speak to the varied DAR perspectives on working from home.

As we transition back into the office, let’s reflect on what these four months have meant to our division …

To wear or not to wear … shoes

If there’s one thing DAR employees are doing, they are making sure they are comfortable! When respondents were asked what percentage of the work day they wore shoes, the average answer was just 34.27 percent.

Next time you are in a Zoom meeting, consider that if you’re a shoe-wearer, you’re likely in the minority.

Professional development

While working from home, DAR staff have adapted to a new normal.

For many, this meant developing new skills and/or enhancing pre-existing abilities. Nearly one-third (32 percent) of respondents named time management as the skill they are most proud of improving while teleworking. This was followed by familiarity with new technology (Zoom, anyone?) at 28 percent, and the ability to work independently at 25 percent.

Additional talents

DAR employees developed a variety of talents working in a new environment—an environment that may be closer to the kitchen than we’d like.

Maybe that explains why the top ‘talent’ perfected by DAR staff was snack intake control (26 people). In second place was knowledge of the optimum amount of time you can go without a shower (23 people), followed by a close third: expertise in upper-body dress code (22 people).

Great job, colleagues! We are clearly a stronger organization on the other side of this … although “expertise in lower-body dress code” is going to come in handy again as we return to the office.

Honorable mention: one person reported that they had developed a talent for music video creation. Hmm … are we due for another music video from Sir DJ Clint Travisty?

“Office-sick”

With such a stellar set of colleagues in the division, it’s natural to miss your workplace and your coworkers … or for two of you, the coffee machines.

When asked what they missed most about going into the office, there was a tie at 41 percent between in-person interactions and the separation between your workspace and your home life.

Honorable mention: three staff members noted that dressing up was the thing they missed most. To you three, I can’t wait to see what you wear when we return!

Best part about working from home 

There are often pros to working from home. Thirty-five percent of survey respondents selected time with family/housemates as the most appealing aspect of teleworking. Twenty-two percent chose comfortable clothes and another 22 percent of you chose to write in answers (honorable mentions below). No commute and being with your pets drew 10 percent each.

One DAR staff member selected not having to pack a lunch. Hey, you’re my kind of person!

Honorable mentions:

  • Two respondents mentioned keeping up with laundry as something they do during the day. Before supervisors get concerned, consider this appeal: “the time it takes to throw a load in is equivalent to walking to the water cooler at work.”
  • One respondent enjoys checking on their vegetable garden.
  • One respondent said they valued nothing about working from home and that it stinks. OK, Kelly, we miss you too.

Zoom backgrounds

In the early days of teleworking, we ensured the rooms behind us during Zoom meetings looked presentable. With Zoom backgrounds, we now don’t have to worry about that.

When asked about the best Zoom background they have seen so far, three respondents mentioned the Jay Stroman backgrounds during our division-wide farewell in May. Three people mentioned Brooks McCommons’ and Kathy Bangle’s first car meeting theme that led to great conversations among the development team. The communications team “borrowed” this idea and it was one of my favorite meetings as well.

Honorable mention: some staff members took pictures of their actual offices and used them as their backgrounds to appear as if they are still in the office. Tonya Moore, I see you!

 

The pandemic represents a unique chapter in our lives and it is worth appreciating the good along with the challenging. The best thing we can do is take it day by day and remain present in each moment. As Kelly has said, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It will shine through. Keep persevering, everyone!

P.S. Thanks to everyone who completed my survey!

by Amanda Qubty

Everything is a bit different these days, and we’re all finding ways to navigate a world that includes significantly more digital communication than before. Consider these principles of visual hierarchy before sending your next fundraising email so you can guarantee donors are seeing the most important information first!

What is visual hierarchy?

Visual hierarchy is a method of organizing content in order of importance and influences the way users absorb it — basically, how we process information on a page.

Size and scale

The larger a font or element is on a page, the more attention it will attract. But, be careful not to make everything large; otherwise, nothing will attract attention, and it will be too overwhelming to the viewer.

Color and contrast

Bright colors are more likely to attract attention.

Note: Black copy should never be written over red background and vice versa. Review the UGA Brand website’s section on Accessibility for more  information.

Alignment

An element that is separated from the alignment of other objects or text will attract more attention. However, don’t immediately choose to center text that you want to highlight as centering too many elements can become distracting.

Repetition

When styles repeat, it gives readers the impression that the content is unified, boosting understanding and recognition.

Negative space

Whitespace, or negative space, around elements will allow your work to breathe, and it makes the information easier to digest, allowing users to absorb individual bits of information more easily.

Texture and style

Textures attract attention, but its style can also conflict with the important content. Be conscious and consistent with the overall arrangement of space, text and other details (photography, patterns, headlines, text with underlines, etc.) on your page.

 

Here are three alternative header images for this article, plus the one I chose to use. (Click on the thumbnail to view the entire image.) After reviewing the principles described above, can you spot the concerns with the other three options and why I chose to use the one I did?

 

For more detailed information and additional principles to consider, check out these articles and videos.

12 Visual Hierarchy Principles Every Non-Designer Needs to Know

6 Principles of Visual Hierarchy for Designers

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by Melissa Lee

The field of donor relations and stewardship is relatively new. The practice has been occurring alongside fundraising in its entirety, but organizations didn’t see its success until they entered their secondor even third—round of campaignsOften, new campaigns brought new leadership. New leadership brought new fundraising philosophies, and it was difficult to link new gifts to past moments of cultivationHowever, if fundraisers did not set appropriate plans to continue relationships with annual and major donors from previous campaignsthey found themselves playing catch up when preparing to ask those same donors for increased giving the next time around. Historically, the stewardship work of note writing, one-off recognition, and event preparation was placed in the hands of assistants. These professionals were in reactive positions that responded to the immediate needs of fundraisers and administrationPublic-facing positions collected gifts, and stewardship was considered a final step. Signed by administration but accomplished by assistants, this work closed gifts while quietly setting up donors for the future.  

As we close Commit to Georgia and look to our future, reflecting on reactive decisions made in the past can give us great insight. By preparing for a growth of donors and inflation, acting on evolving trends in society and communication, and thinking about the long-term goal for our donors rather than the immediate gift athand, things can look very different when our next goal is set. Thankfully, as we begin to develop our Team Stewardship culture and consider donor relations professional path with its own expertsthat future seems much clearer.  

To continue stewarding our donors in thoughtful, sustainable ways, Donor Relations and Stewardship sees our annual matrix as a cultivation strategyOur work is more than reactive responses to gifts, fun events, and warm letters. With transparent plans for cultivation, we become accountable to ourselves, our colleagues, and our donors. By putting that plan on paper annually and following through (to the best of our ability), it becomes easier for our schools, colleges, and units to work together toward our greater goal of advancing UGA’s mission. The ability to say, with confidence, what donors can count on annually—no matter what units their gifts benefit—allows your colleagues to trust you and allows donors to trust UGA. 

Team Stewardship has been instrumental in moving the needle for stewardship at UGA, but we can do better. To make sure that our units are not under supported and that our donors can give with confidence, we encourage all units to be a part of our university-wide stewardship matrix project. By annually planning and sharing your plan with others, we can move closer to the collaborative, innovative culture that we hope for.  

If you are able, submit your annual stewardship matrix to Donor Relations and Stewardship before August 15th each year! 

Donor Relations and Stewardship Matrix 2020 

Stewardship Matrix Template 

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