Investing in Yourself: Making Your Reflection Time

Whether it's in the midst of endless summer activities, frazzled preparations for the holidays, training time before a house burn, classes for your next Fire Service educational credential, or anywhere in between, it doesn't take long for life to feel like a never-ending to do list.

The more life feels like this, the more critical it is to make reflection time. It's the best investment in yourself you can make. You and your contributions to your department will be stronger as a result.

Reflection time can be whatever works for you. It's about recharging your batteries. Just make sure it's about your own inspiration and treating yourself to something you particularly enjoy, especially when you don't think you have the time. 

The photo above was taken July 1 at Cedar Ridge Vineyards. I found great joy in walking through the vineyards, sipping wine and reflection on my personal passions. Your "reflection time" might take any of the following forms:

• A phone conversation with a trusted friend you haven't made the time to talk with lately. What are you waiting for? Dial! 
• A long-set aside hobby or interest for "whenever I have time"
• A visit to a personal favorite location (trail, attraction, friend's home, etc.) for reflection time
• Quality time with your spouse or significant other 
• Prayer time, however you define that
• A visit (if possible) to the person who most inspired your own volunteer service, just to say thank you

When you make time for reflection,you may find it valuable to ponder questions like these:

• What brings me the most joy in my volunteer service?
• What one thing can I do in the next 3 months to share that joy with my fellow members or my community?
• What one thing can I do in the next 3 months to take better care of myself for my family and me? 

May your reflection times be all the inspiration you need to keep doing the amazing work you are doing. You are there for the medical, rescue and fire calls that are as far away from reflection time as one can get.
What is working for you in terms of reflection time?

Keep The Flag Flying: Check in With Your Widows

Tributes to firefighters who have passed on are awe-inspiring. As they should be. Funeral moments and larger celebrations, like the Iowa Firefighter's Memorial entrance pictured above, celebrate the blessed souls who train hard and take risks to protect property and life. 

After the burial and the memorial services, how are you connecting with the widows your firefighters leave behind? Although such a loss is tremendously difficult, connections to the Fire Service don't die with their spouse. A firefighter's spouse, among many contributions:

• Puts family plans on hold when the pager calls
• Helps with so many behind the scenes fire department operations and support

Connections to a nonprofit cause don't get much more natural than that!

Consider adding a personal contact at least twice per year to the surviving spouses of your departed members. Spouses are often concerned with bothering anyone. As a result, this outreach often demands patient persistence.

Such outreach will be best received when it comes from another member the spouse got along with during his time, or another direct personal connection. If this is not an option, officers of the department will often be well-received. 

Personal contacts may be in the form of a phone call, personal visit or conversation at a community event. Put the emphasis on what works best for your member's spouse.  Ask open-ended questions like, "What is one of your favorite memories from your husband's service?" or "What do you think your husband liked best about being a member?" Listen. 

If you host a retiree event, see if someone with a personal connection to your member's spouse might pick them up for the event to make it as easy as possible. 


While communications styles among generations are important to consider, passion for helping others through the Fire Service is a constant at any age.


During these personal contacts, share a brief summary of how department operations are going. If available, share copies of photos or other stories in which their spouse was involved. Thank them for enabling their spouse's service. Make a brief note of each outreach in one central location.

Outreach programs to departed members' families keep the connection flag flying. Through careful listening, you will know when the time is right to potentially connect the incredible spouses of your members with an unfunded need for your mission.

Strengths Finder: A Personal or Officer Development Tool

Strategic planning, annual campaigns, major gifts and capital campaigns are all important components of any nonprofit development program. In any development program, it's also important to pause from time to time to reflect on your internal resources. 

The best entry-level investment I've found yet for that purpose is a book Called StrengthsFinder 2.0 (Amazon Affiliate Link) by Tom Rath. Basically, the book is builds on a field of psychology that studies whether humans are most effective if they simply understand and build on their core strengths. Our weaknesses aren't worthy of the significant time and attention we pay to them. On a related note, this book offers valuable tools for appreciating and effectively building relationships on the unique strengths of those closest to you, personally and professionally. 

Part I of the book sets the framework for an online test. When you take the test, just go with your gut reaction to the questions. The results of the test will be a rank-ordered list of your key strengths. Once you have your test results, Part II of the book highlights the 34 themes. This allows you to better understand your key strengths. Even as a solo project, StrengthsFinder 2.0 is well worth your time.

An effective exercise for your department's officers may be to purchase a book for each of them and discuss the results at an upcoming meeting. You can further the impact of such an exercise by revisiting the topic 3-6 months following your initial review and discussing how each of you are applying what you learn.

From a development perspective, your strengths can help illustrate which aspect(s) of fundraising you are best equipped to help your department with. Only a small portion of fundraising involves making the ask to a donor or prospect. Therefore, there are critical roles for everyone to play in the team effort of fire department operations as well as fundraising. 


Click on the picture below to make the investment in your own development, or that of your officer team today.

Yours for the Picking: Nonprofit Tips

Keeping connected to federal and state nonprofit rules and regulations can be a challenge. This blog will offer tips for you to pick from to assist with that process from time to time. 

If your department or association is already 501 (c) (X) nonprofit organization, did you know you are required to provide a tax receipt for any donation of $250 or more? It's a good idea to provide the tax receipt to anyone making a contribution. This can be done in as simple a format as a postcard mailed or given in person to the donor. The wording on your postcard might read something like this:

Thank you for your contribution of $X on DATE. ORGANIZATION NAME (exactly as listed with the IRS) is a 501 (c) (X) nonprofit organization. No goods or services were provided in exchange for this donation. 

Tax receipts should not take the place of proper donor acknowledgment and cultivation. 

Whether you're currently a IRS-approved 501 nonprofit or considering becoming one, IRS Publication 557 is a good reference document to have on hand.  

If you're an Iowa-based nonprofit who is not currently a 501 (c) (X) organization, it is recommended that you read a summary of the Revised Uniform Unincorporated Nonprofit Association act that went into law in Iowa on July 1, 2010. That summary may be found here on pages 1 and 4 of the Summer 2010 newsletter from the Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center.

FlashPoint offers project-based fees to complete your application for IRS tax-exempt status. Contact us today for more details, or any questions on the information listed above.