Yearly Archives: 2024

Reflections on Generosity

54: Generosity in the Face of Ugliness

"...Suppose someone standing by a clear, sweet spring were to curse it: it just keeps right on bringing drinkable water bubbling up to the surface. Even if he throws mud or dung in it, before long the spring disperses the dirt and washes it out, leaving no stain..."This week, I am reading quotes from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, written around 171 AD.Reflection questions:Are we holding onto ugliness from a past interaction with a donor?How can we let go of the ugliness and turn to kindness, simplicity and morality, as Marcus Aurelius states, or can we turn to generosity?This work has entered the public domain.Send me a Text Message.To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

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June 10, 2024
Reflections on Generosity

53: Generosity in Humility

"...pride is to be feared even when we do right actions, lest those things which are done in a praiseworthy manner be spoiled by the desire for praise itself."I sought wisdom from Augustine.  First, from Augustine’s book, On the Happy Life, published in 386 AD.  And, then from his letter 118, written in 410 AD.Reflection questions:How often are we confronted with the mountain of pride in how we carry out your fund development work?How can we lead with humility in our generosity?These works have 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

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June 3, 2024
Reflections on Generosity

52: A Public Pledge of Generosity

"...On the psychological level, precommitment could induce a preference for avoiding inconsistency, leading people to act in line with their past or committed behaviour. Our study provides behavioural and neural evidence that supports the link between generosity and happiness..."This week, I’m reading quotes from A neural link between generosity and happiness by S. Q. Park and several researchers, published in 2017 in Nature Communications.Reflection questions:How do we perceive donors who insist on a public pledge? Do we perceive these donors as acting out of ego or, as this research shows, acting a way that increases happiness and consistency?To read this research: A neural link between generosity and happinessThis article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution.Send me a Text Message.To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

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May 28, 2024
Reflections on Generosity

51: Cultivate Abundant Generosity

"...Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits...."This week, I’m reading a quote, often attributed to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published in 1873.Reflection questions:In our fundraising materials, are we guard them from weeds of hatred and strife?Related, do we seek to fill the metaphorical garden of donors with sweet sunshine and blossoms of good words and kind deeds that reflect the work we are doing?This work has entered the public domain.Send me a Text Message.To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

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May 20, 2024
Reflections on Generosity

50: The Drafter of Many Appeals

The Drafter of Many Appeals ends the article with ... "But the fact is that motives of pure reason to explain voluntary action are usually difficult of discovery, and not in charitable spheres only..."This week I am reading "The Ethics of giving: The Ratio of Generosity to Income" by "a Drafter of Many Appeals" from the Hospital Magazine, published in 1915.Reflection question:When will you take the time to find the humor in our fundraising work through a Google search of humorous videos or cartoons focused on fundraising or, perhaps, have conversation with a colleague about their funniest moments in this profession?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

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May 13, 2024
Reflections on Generosity

49: Liberating Generosity

"...[Generosity] removes a weight, a burden, a nagging fear. It sets one free to appreciate and enjoy what one has, rather than being burdened with the wish that one had more or worry about losing it. This kind of personal transformation shores up the personal security grounded in believing that, whatever the future holds, one will always have enough....."This week, I’m reading a quote from The Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson. 2014 edition.Reflection questions: How are our words to donors reflecting that shift from scarcity to abundance?How is generosity liberating in our own lives?To purchase this book: The Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson. Copyright: Oxford University Press 2014. Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear.What do you think?To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

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May 6, 2024

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