Tiffany Magennis
Welcome to the latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators, where we ask you to describe your day in your own words.
We’d love to feature YOU in this series! Don’t be shy – tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro.
Tiffany Magennis is the Director of Communications for Haddonfield United Methodist Church in New Jersey. Haddonfield United Methodist Church is an energetic regional church located in a vibrant suburban community approximately 10 miles east of Philadelphia, with an attendance averages 450 across four unique worship services. A large part of her experience here has been revitalizing the communications of the church and developing a strong digital presence, increasing outreach in the online community. Tiffany began her career in special education in a behavioral school before taking the leap and exploring the field of communications. In her free time, you can find her somewhere in her huge garden at home, attending hard rock music festivals, and spending time with her husband and family (plus the cats, of course!). You can view her LinkedIn account here.
And this is her typical day:
Before 8:00 a.m. – I hit the snooze button at least five times before I roll out of bed around 6:30am and check my email as I’m getting ready for the day.
My morning never takes long, because clothes, lunch, jewelry, etc. have been prepared the night before. Of course, time has to be taken to give my three cats some love and attention before leaving!
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m – I take my vitamins and eat a snack when I get in and turn on the phones. My cell is buzzing with scheduled notifications around this time (thanks, “To Do” app!).
My coworkers and I have a weekly Tuesday meeting with our boss, which usually lasts until 11am.
I also print out flyers or brochures for volunteers to cut/fold during their shift.
After this, I schedule/post for various social media accounts, prepare the weekly bulletin, work on various projects, and send out time sensitive emails.
This is also a good time to schedule meetings for the week and set top priorities for the week.
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Lunch is always “al deske,” except for Tuesday, which is a shared staff lunch. It’s the best time to look at our website and social media analytics and download (free) useful resources.
Since I’m usually single-handed at this time, I like to browse informational videos or articles on communications, “how-to ____,” and graphic design.
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Coffee o’clock! I like to take a very brisk walk to a local cafe to get some iced coffee (January or July, always iced) around 1 or 2pm to stretch and clear my head.
It’s around this time that I begin to really work on ongoing projects or publications. Email and phone calls are answered throughout the day.
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – This is when I often am called into offices to discuss new projects and publication ideas. If not, I continue to chip away at newsletters, flyers, the weekly bulletin, or content on the website.
I try to schedule calls or meetings around this time, because no one likes to be hangry!
After 4:00 p.m. – During the “low” season (June-August) I am often able to leave around 4:30pm. In busy months, I may be at work anywhere from 5:30-7pm.
I change into gym clothes at the office and munch on a healthy snack before I head straight to the gym before going home.
Thanks for sharing your day, Tiffany!
Want to be featured in this series? Tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro.
