Snow Day? Turn an Unexpected Day Off into a Win for Your Organization

When a big snowfall hits, it often comes with a strange bonus: an unexpected pause. Meetings get cancelled, commutes disappear, and suddenly you have a “snow day” you didn’t plan for.

John Janisse January 15, 2026

For business owners and not-for-profit leaders, these days can feel like lost time. Or they can become a low-pressure opportunity to catch up on important work that’s easy to put off when things are busy.

Instead of writing the day off entirely, think of a snow day as a chance to reset, reflect, and strengthen your organization in small but meaningful ways.

Here are a few productive (but not overwhelming) things you can do with your snow day.

Check Your Analytics Account

Website and digital analytics often get ignored unless something is obviously broken. A quiet snow day, however, is the perfect time to take a look.

You don’t need a deep dive. Start with questions like:

How many people are visiting your website?
Where are they coming from (search, social, email, referrals)?
Which pages or resources are getting the most attention?
Are people completing key actions (contact forms, donations, registrations)?

For not-for-profits, this might mean reviewing:

Donation page traffic
Event or program registrations
Engagement with reports, resources, or blog content

Even 15–20 minutes in your analytics tool can surface insights about what’s working and where people may be dropping off. If this sounds daunting, contact your digital marketing company and ask them to walk you through it. It will be worth the time!

Write a Blog Post or News Update

If you’ve been meaning to write something, but never quite found the time, a snow day is ideal.

Lower pressure, fewer interruptions, and no expectation of perfection make it easier to get words on the page.

Ideas that work well for both businesses and not-for-profits:

Answer a common question you hear from clients, donors, or the community
Share a recent success, lesson learned, or behind-the-scenes look
Explain a service, program, or initiative in plain language

Fresh content helps with visibility, credibility, and engagement—even if it’s short and simple.

Test Your Contact or Inquiry Forms

This is one of the most important (and most overlooked) tasks you can do.

Take a few minutes to test:

Contact forms
Volunteer sign-up forms
Donation or inquiry forms
Newsletter subscriptions

Make sure:

Submissions go through
Notifications reach the right inbox
Confirmation messages or emails are sent
Everything works on mobile

If a form is broken, messages are going to spam, or emails aren’t arriving, you could be missing opportunities to connect with supporters or people who need your services.

Do a Test Donation, Registration, or Purchase

If your organization accepts online donations, sells tickets, or offers paid programs, run through the process as a user.

Try:

Making a small test donation
Registering for an event
Completing checkout for a product or resource

Pay attention to:

Confusing steps or unclear language
Missing confirmation emails
Anything that feels harder than it should be

Experiencing your website the way a supporter does often reveals small issues that are easy to fix – but easy to miss during busy weeks.

Check In with a Key Supporter, Partner, or Client

Snow days are also great for relationship-building without an agenda.

Think of one person you haven’t spoken to in a while:

A donor or funder
A community partner
A client, volunteer, or long-time supporter

Send a simple check-in:

Ask how things are going
Share something helpful or relevant
Thank them for their continued support or involvement

These small, genuine touchpoints help strengthen relationships and remind people that there are humans behind the organization.

A Snow Day Doesn’t Have to Be “Lost Time”

You don’t need to do everything on this list. Pick one or two items that feel manageable and call it a win.

And if all you accomplish is slowing down, staying warm, and coming back tomorrow a little more focused—that counts too.

Snow days may be unpredictable, but with the right mindset, they can still move your organization forward.