Reflections on Generosity

“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…

"...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…

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

"...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: No matter the donor or the donor’s motivation, how are you and I receiving gifts? What is the attitude of our hearts? Reflection on Quote: When we look back over the last few months, what has been our attitude in accepting gifts? Seneca describes a number of attitudes that can accompany the receiving of a gift from cheerfulness to offense to slavish humility. Beyond the attitudes he describes, I would add one more. Busyness.  When we do not add enough margin to our days, especially during busy fundraising seasons, we can neglect saying thank you and thus give the appearance that the donations are not needed.  Or, we can instead take the time and aim to accept gifts with cheerfulness. 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

"...A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed...." This week, I’m reading a quote from the Jewish wisdom on generosity from Proverbs 11. Reflection questions: As you wait for donors to respond to a campaign, have you given to the mission you serve? How are you leading this week in your daily life with the intention of generosity in your own life? Reflection on Quote:A part of any campaign is the waiting.  We wait for a donor to join us in that beautiful space called generosity.  In that space is both the donor and us, you and I. If we are asking donors to be generous,  what should we doing?   As we wait for donors to join us in that beautiful space of generosity, our hearts must be transformed by generosity as well.  As a consultant, my work has been to teach nonprofits on how to encourage generosity from their donors.  Several years back, I had an epiphany.  I was asking others to be generous - even sacrificially generous, yet I had never stopped to reflect on my own generosity.  Now, it happened to be around tax time, so I took a look at past tax returns and…

"...For with wisdom cometh patience, And with patience cometh rest..." This week, I am reading the poem The Hardest Time of All, by Sarah Doudney. Written in 1896. Reflection Questions: Where are you waiting for some major change to occur as a result of your work?  Is it time to gain more wisdom or to be more patient or to stop and rest in that area? Will you take the time to document your hopes for change in the coming year and then schedule an email to send that reflection to yourself in a year as a way to see that those hardest times of waiting was when the change was actually occurring? Reflection on the poem:This week, I attended our statewide Association of Fundraising Professionals conference, just to sit in the audience and learn.  A recurring theme was perseverance in small daily tasks that will yield fruit.  Our work does take patience in order to see change. Whatever your faith tradition, let’s take a moment to reflect on wisdom, patience, and rest as it works itself out in faith.  With wisdom comes patience and patience comes rest.  If we stop and reflect on the changes that have occurred in the last…