"..No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

This week, I’m reading a story from Aesop’s Fables, titled the Lion and the Mouse as told sometime between 620 and 564 BC.

Reflection question:

• What kindness can you give to a donor this week?

Reflection on quote:

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the relationship with donors is only about asking or thanking. A donor gives, and we thank them and report back on the impact their gifts has. Yet, relationships with donors can be so much more than that.

Relationships with donors can be filled with small kindnesses. It’s the time we spend getting to know them and showing them that we see them for who they are. It’s the opportunities to give a kind word. It’s the giving space to the donor to find more meaning in their lives. And, sometimes it’s even practical help. During the toilet paper shortage of COVID, one of my clients had excess toilet paper and offered it to donors. A kindness is never wasted in our relationships with donors.

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What do you think?

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make their contribution toward introducing justice straight away!..."

This week, I’m reading from Give, an essay from Anne Frank, published in 1959.

Reflection questions:

• Pick a task on your to-do list this week and imagine your colleagues in other nonprofits doing the same task. What impact does your combined efforts have on your community?

• Where are you lacking in courage? To whom can you turn to receive support in that area?

Reflection on quote:

One of the unique blessings of being a fundraising coach is that I have the privilege of seeing the work of various nonprofits each week. While each of my clients may feel as though their work is small or insignificant that week, I get to see all of these works combining together to create a more beautiful, just, and caring world.

What is on your to-do list this week? It might be writing thank you notes or helping out in the mission or programs of the nonprofit you serve. It could be meeting with a donor or preparing a lapsed donor campaign. Each of these tasks may seem insignificant; however, each task builds a foundation for a more generous society. Those tasks are then combined with the tasks done in other nonprofits in your community and in the world. Together, each day, we are creating a beautiful, just, caring, and generous world together, even when our work feels insignificant or hopeless. As Anne Frank wrote, give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving.

What do you think?

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong person stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better...."

This week, I’m reading from Citizenship in a Republic, a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910, changing the word man to person.

Reflection questions:

• Are you second-guessing yourself or letting criticism steal the joy of giving donors the opportunity to be generous?

• Is there an area where you simply need to let go and remember that this is a new week and new month to start over again?

Reflection on quote:

In my experience, January is one of the toughest months for fundraising professionals. Not because of the workload. No. No, it’s the exhaustion, doubt, and, at times, criticism after year-end giving season that makes January tough. Yes, January is often a debrief of what we could have done differently with year-end giving. And, yet, as the saying goes, “hindsight is 20/20.” In the moment, you were doing your best.

Yes, there is a time for debrief and understanding the factors that led to increases or decreases in giving. Yet, remember that the fact you showed up, gave donors the opportunity to give, and then - something which is completely out-of-your-control - let donors decide. You strove valiantly. Rest in that fact.

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What do you think?

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...Patient living means to live actively in the present and wait there. Waiting, then, is not passive. It involves nurturing the moment.."

This week, I am reflecting on selected quotes from Henri Nouwen from the The Path of Waiting, published in 1995 and Bread for the Journey, published in 1996.

Reflection questions:

• When you are meeting with donors, are you listening with full attention and waiting with the donor to discover more about themselves?

• Think about the areas where you are waiting, is there something you can do to nurture the donor relationship?

Reflection on quotes:

For those of us in the fundraising field, learning to wait is essential. We wait for the right timing to ask. We wait for donors to decide to give. We wait for news about a grant application. We spend a lot of time waiting.

We wait, trusting that our work will bring about the fruit of generosity. As we wait, we are active in nurturing relationships. We listen and wait while donors discover more about themselves and a potential connection to our cause. If we become impatient and just move onto the next new potential donor relationship, while it feel like we are doing something, in reality, we will find that the moment, that new space, is just as empty. We can’t avoid the waiting.

What do you think?

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

As you know, this podcast highlights the transformative beauty of generosity. I will be taking a brief break until January 6, and in the meantime, I encourage you to reflect on the role of generosity within your own holiday traditions.

As I consider the myriad of holidays during this season, I am reminded of the universal themes of generosity and connection that they all share. Yet, in the flurry of holiday preparations, it's easy to overlook the simple but profound gift of giving that is at the heart of each celebration.

As we move through this season, I invite you to reflect on this question:

• How will you show generosity to yourself during this busy season, so you can pour from a full cup of love and kindness to others?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Until January 6.

What do you think?

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...Therefore one should not cease from planting. Rather, just as he found, one should still continue to plant even though he is old..."

This week, I’m a story from Midrash Tanchuma Kedoshim 8:1, written sometime between 500 to 800 AD and published in 1885.

Reflection question:

• How will you plant seeds for fund development programs, like legacy giving, that take longer to see the benefits?

Reflection on quote:

Recently, I have been assisting my clients with starting legacy programs; that is, encouraging long-term donors to give through their will and bequest. Some of these organizations have donor bases of older donors who have already started to think about giving a gift upon their death. Other organizations don’t have many older donors. So a question might come up, why waste precious time now to create a program without an immediate impact?

Yes, starting a legacy program may seem like a long-term endeavor with uncertain immediate rewards. However, the wisdom from this story underscores that we must begin planting the seeds of a legacy program now. By encouraging donors to consider legacy gifts, we are creating a sustainable future for ourselves. While the benefits may not be realized for years, the impact can be profound.
Yet, as this story also alludes to, there may be a more immediate blessing to donors who wish to consider their legacy in the future. By considering their long-term impact, donors can find deep satisfaction in knowing that their values and passions will live on. The act of planning a legacy can be a transformative experience. It allows donors to reflect on their lives, identify why our organization is one of their most cherished causes, and consider their lasting mark in their community. This process can bring a sense of peace and purpose, knowing that their generosity will be a testament to the power of giving in their lives.

This work has entered the public domain.

What do you think?

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...In the same way, as you are unable to take care of all of your fellow people, treated as the luck of the draw when the time and circumstance brings some into closer contact with you than others."

This week, I’m reading a quote from De Doctrina Christiana by Augustine, published in 397 AD.

Reflection questions:

• Is there an area of your work where you need to step back and apply this framework: accepting our limits, focusing on what we can do, and releasing that which we can’t do or whom we can’t help?

• Related, what do you need to let go of and find freedom in that release?

Reflection on the quote:

Have you ever been overwhelmed by the sheer need of our work, and yet feel a bit crushed by limits we face in our work? While we often feel like our challenges are new, that we face problems no one else has ever encountered. But history, as they say, rhymes. The human condition, with all its complexities and contradictions, remains constant. The needs have overwhelmed those who care for over a thousand years.

When we feel that weight of the world on our shoulders, the overwhelming sense of need, the constant pull to do more, to be more, this quote gives us some practical wisdom. We first accept that our ability to help is constrained by our circumstances. We can’t do everything. We can’t solve every problem, heal every wound, or right every wrong. Second, we identify what we have, especially our time, resources, and capacity. Third, we prioritize that which we can do. We can cause change in our own local communities, focusing our efforts on those within our reach. Finally, there is freedom in seeing that sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw for whom we can help or for what we can do.

This work has entered the public domain.

What do you think?

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

“Whoever practices charity and justice fills the world with loving kindness.”

This week, I’m reading quotes from Sukkah 49b about tzedakah.

Reflection questions:

• How are we giving donors that vision of repairing the world through their gifts?
• What are ways that we can practice tzedakah with donors? That is, practicing justice, peace, and loving kindness with donors instead of just receiving donations from donors?

Reflection on the quote:

This week, I’ve been reading about tzedakah, the Jewish tradition of charity. However, it’s meaning is so much broader than the traditional idea of giving a donation. Within its meaning are also the concepts of justice and righteous behavior. In the article I was reading, the author stated that it’s the way in which we repair world. In addition, instead of giving charity to someone - the emphasis on to someone, it must be done with someone. The emphasis is on with, meaning to come alongside, to journey with someone when giving a gift to them.

In our work, we accept tzedakah, that is, the generosity of others. And, through our work, we are partnering with these donors to repair the world and bring about justice and care for both the poor and the rich. In doing so, we are filling the world with lovingkindness, peace, and confidence that the arc of history bends towards justice as Martin Luther King Jr. stated.

This work has entered the public domain.

What do you think?

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop