HOW TO GET OUT OF THE WEEDS

WHAT FUNDRAISERS CAN LEARN FROM RESTAURANTS ABOUT MANAGING WORKLOAD

If you’ve ever worked in food and beverage, you know “in the weeds” is never delivered calmly. It’s usually whispered urgently while someone speed-walks past you with three plates and mild panic in their eyes.

And if you’ve never worked in a restaurant, or heard this particular turn of phrase, here’s the translation: being in the weeds means you’re overloaded, so much so that forward motion starts to break down. You’re working hard, but you’re not getting much traction.

You don't need me to tell you that arts fundraisers are in the weeds a lot right now, and it can feel heavy. What I am here to tell you is this: being in the weeds does not mean you’re failing. It means the load exceeds the system. And systems can be redesigned.

What “In the Weeds” Looks Like

In restaurants, there are a few tells: the glazed look, the frantic energy, the freezing in place, almost like vibrating. Sometimes a server disappears “back of house” to the drink station. Sometimes it’s the walk-in freezer. If you’ve watched The Bear, you know what I'm talking about.

Fundraising weeds look different, but the pattern is familiar. You might be in the weeds if you’re busy all day but unsure what actually moved forward. You’re answering messages, but not advancing relationships. You’re reacting more than planning. You’re tired, and somehow nothing feels finished.

When that’s the day you’re having, the instinct is to push harder: work faster, stay later, clear the list. But speed doesn’t solve this on its own. Without structure, speed ultimately leads to more cleanup (as a reformed frontline fundraiser and server, I speak from experience).

Why Good Restaurants Don’t Rely on Heroics

In food and beverage, servers don’t survive by sheer willpower. Good restaurants rely on systems, especially rotation. Starting with the host, who manages the flow of new tables so you’re not hit with too much at once. The goal is simple: only enough on your plate at one time to give each table a great experience.

Rotation protects the guest experience and the staff at the same time. When it’s working, everyone is happy.

When rotation breaks, you get the dreaded triple seat, three new tables all at once. And suddenly a capable server can look like they’re bad at their job in about five minutes. Not because they stopped caring. Not because they’re incompetent. Because the load exceeded the structure.

Fundraising works the same way. The arts version of the triple seat looks like ever-increasing goals, more touch points without more hours, and responsiveness becoming an expectation rather than a differentiator. Add in the pressure to “be everywhere, do everything, and don’t mess up” (a phrase coined by RSC Founder, Bob Swaney), and you end up with more events, campaigns, stewardship, reports, Board management, donor meetings, database hygiene, and content creation all arriving at once.

That’s not a motivation problem. That’s a system problem.

How to Get Out of the Weeds

When you’re in the weeds, the internal dialogue is usually: work harder, work faster. But in restaurant life, frantic speed only brings on the problems more quickly. You rush, you miss things, you fix them later, and the gap widens.

The way out is to create capacity. In a restaurant, you ask a fellow server to run drinks for you or to take one of your tables. You restore the rotation.

An even more effective solution: asking for help before something breaks. Fundraisers are often terrible at that, not because they don’t know better, but because the work is personal and the expectations are high.

Capacity-building doesn’t have to be abstract. It can be practical. Here are three ways to think about it.

1) Hire and give them ownership

The most traditional way to increase capacity is to hire it. But the key word is ownership. Not helping, not assisting, but owning outcomes. When someone truly owns a piece of the plate, you can set it down without it bouncing back to you later.

2) Engage volunteers in a way that reduces load

Volunteers and Board members can create capacity, and they can also create more work. If engaging Board members has been a challenge, check out our podcast episode: Two Tips To Activate Your Board in Fundraising (When You've Tried Everything).

3) Stop and make a plan, because clarity creates room

This is the one that feels impossible when you’re overwhelmed. You’re convinced you just need to get through the to-do list, and then you’ll plan. But that’s the hamster wheel: as soon as you check one box, more appear.

Clarity is a capacity multiplier. When priorities are clear, decisions get faster, delegation gets easier, and your calendar starts reflecting strategy instead of stress. If you can’t stop long enough to make the plan yourself, find a partner. An outside perspective doesn’t slow you down. It shortens the path out.

The Takeaway

This is really important, so I'm going to say it again: being in the weeds does not mean you’re failing. It means the load exceeds the system. And systems can be redesigned.

This is solvable without burning yourself out. Create capacity, restore rotation, and you’ll get back to serving your mission at the level it deserves.

If you want the full audio version of this story and the full set of examples, listen to the episode of How to Get Out of the Weeds- What Fundraisers Can Learn From Restaurants About Managing Workload with RSC CEO Catherine Heitz New.