This will be a short three part series on practical ways to thrive in fund development. This series will not cover self-care; however, self-care is vital.
How are you doing? Really doing?
We are a year into the pandemic. Our lives and plans upended. Some nonprofits are seeing equal measures of phenomenal generosity and crushing need. Others are grappling with an uncertain future.
As fund development professionals, we can easily burn out because there will always be more that could be done.
How do you cope with the uncertainty?
One of the most important ways is to practice generosity.
It is easy to see why. If we are not giving, how then can we expect others to?
The first step is to fill our own generosity tanks!
- Spend some time exploring your personal passions and values. Outside of the nonprofit you serve, what cause do you want to belong to?
- Pick a new charity of that cause to begin donating to.
- Make it a monthly gift so you can see the joy of your donation on your credit card statement or bank statement as a reminder.
- Share your decision to donate to this new charity widely and encourage others to give.
Now, if you find that there isn’t another charity you would like to support or you find that you really don’t have a generosity tank, it might be a great time to explore a career outside of fundraising. Bless and release yourself!