78: To Do Good

11/25/24 • 3 min

"...that which is a hindrance is made a furtherance to an act; and that which is an obstacle on the road helps us on this road..."
This week, I am reading a quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, written around 171 AD.
Reflection questions:

Is there a response from a donor that you need to stop giving too much weight to and instead put it in its proper place, thank the donor, and continue with your good work?

Reflection on quote:
One of my clients got the letter this week. You know the letter. You’ve sent out the year end appeal. You’ve started receiving donations in the mail. You feel very good about the generosity of the donors. Then you get the letter. It's the letter telling you that you should not wasted a stamp on an appeal letter, and that the donor wants you to remove them from the mailing list. Of course you check the database and you see that they've only given once as a very small donation. Despite all of the good work you’ve done, it's amazing how this one letter affects your day.
We don't know what is going on in the donor’s life who wrote us that letter or email. Perhaps they can only give a very small donation and they do truly feel as though you are wasting a portion of their small donation. Or perhaps they got bad news and our letter just came at the exact same time. No matter the reasoning, we have a choice in how we react. Will we give it more weight than needed, ruining our day? Will we see it as a distraction? Will we make major changes in response to a minor criticism? These are all possibilities. Or, we acknowledge the wisdom from the Meditations and we can put it in its proper place, thank the donor for their concern, and continue the work of giving opportunities for donors to give.
This work has entered the public domain.

What do you think? Send me a text.

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

Is there a response from a donor that you need to stop giving too much weight to and instead put it in its proper place, thank the donor, and continue with your good work?

What do you think? Send me a text.

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

Previous Episode

77: Letting the Giver See

"...When we have decided to accept, let us accept with cheerfulness, showing pleasure, and letting the giver see it, so that he or she may at once receive some return for their goodness..."
This week, I am reading a quote from On Benefits by Seneca the Younger, published in 59 AD.
Reflection Question:

What is one thing you can do this week to let your donors know that you see their gifts and they are welcome to belong to your mission?

Reflection on Quote:
Seneca describes a number of attitudes that can accompany the receiving of a gift from cheerfulness to offense to slavish humility. He points out that when we receive gifts languidly, it leaves the giver in doubt. It also tells the donor that they are not welcome to join us in the mission; that they don’t belong. And, that is painful.
This work has entered the public domain.

What do you think? Send me a text.

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

Next Episode

79: Generosity Repairs the World

“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? Send me a text.

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

Reflections on Generosity - 78: To Do Good

Transcript

Welcome back. This podcast isn't about fundraising best practices or techniques. It's about the deeper wisdom of the beautiful space where generosity occurs, a weekly five-minute reflection to ground you for the week ahead.
One of my clients got the letter this week. You know the letter. You’ve sent out the year end appeal. You’ve started receiving donations in the mail. You feel very good about the generosity of the donors. Then you get the letter. It's the letter telling you that you