98: Active Charity

"...Let us, then, be up and doing, 
   With a heart for any fate; 
Still achieving, still pursuing, 
   Learn to labor and to wait."

This week, I'm reflecting on a poem, A Psalm of Life, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published in 1838.

Reflection questions:

• How does thinking of your donors as partners as well change your perspective?
• If you are in the middle of a fundraising campaign, when was the last time you gave an update to your donors, to your partners for this campaign?

Reflection on poem:

This week, I was reminded of the active nature of charity by donors. One of my clients was near the finish line of raising enough to meet their goal and move forward on a capital projects.  But, just before the deadline they were short. Just a small gap.  They called one of the donors to the project and shared the information about the gap.  What did the donor do?  He committed to calling his network to fill the gap.  And, the gap was filled. It reminded me the quote often attributed to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  “The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.”  This quote is a paraphrase of his poem, A Psalm of Life.

When we are in the middle of a fundraising campaign, we often think of people as just potential donors.  In reality, many of these donors are also partners.  They have chosen us and our organizations as a conduit to the cause they care about.  Donors chose the charity, not the other way around.  That means many of them are emotionally invested into the success of the campaign.  They want to come alongside and be a partner. They want to act, achieve, pursue success for the cause. Just like this donor helping my client cross the finish line.

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

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

Transcript

Welcome back. This podcast explores the wisdom of generosity, from ancient to modern, and the beautiful space where generosity occurs. Don’t forget to subscribe for this weekly podcast in your favorite podcast app.

This week, I was reminded of the active nature of charity by donors. One of my clients was near the finish line of raising enough funds to meet their goal and move forward on a capital project.  But, just before the deadline they were short. Just a small gap.  They called one of the donors to the project and shared the information about the gap.  What did the donor do?  He committed to calling his network to fill the gap.  And, the gap was filled. It reminded me of the quote often attributed to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  “The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.”  This quote is a paraphrase of his poem, A Psalm of Life, published in 1838.

Quote

Tell me not, in mournful numbers, 
   Life is but an empty dream! 
For the soul is dead that slumbers, 
   And things are not what they seem. 

Life is real! Life is earnest! 
   And the grave is not its goal; 
Dust thou art, to dust returnest, 
   Was not spoken of the soul. 

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, 
   Is our destined end or way; 
But to act, that each to-morrow 
   Find us farther than to-day. 

Art is long, and Time is fleeting, 
   And our hearts, though stout and brave, 
Still, like muffled drums, are beating 
   Funeral marches to the grave. 

In the world’s broad field of battle, 
   In the bivouac of Life, 
Be not like dumb, driven cattle! 
   Be a hero in the strife! 

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant! 
   Let the dead Past bury its dead! 
Act,— act in the living Present! 
   Heart within, and God o’erhead! 

Lives of great men all remind us 
   We can make our lives sublime, 
And, departing, leave behind us 
   Footprints on the sands of time; 

Footprints, that perhaps another, 
   Sailing o’er life’s solemn main, 
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, 
   Seeing, shall take heart again. 

Let us, then, be up and doing, 
   With a heart for any fate; 
Still achieving, still pursuing, 
   Learn to labor and to wait.

Unquote.

When we are in the middle of a fundraising campaign, we often think of people as just potential donors.  In reality, many of these donors are also partners.  They have chosen us and our organizations as a conduit to the cause they care about.  Donors chose the charity, not the other way around.  That means many of them are emotionally invested into the success of the campaign.  They want to come alongside and be a partner. They want to act, achieve, pursue success for the cause - just like this donor helping my client cross the finish line.

Let’s reflect on 2 questions this week:

How does thinking of your donors as partners as well change your perspective?

If you are in the middle of a fundraising campaign, when was the last time you gave an update to your donors, to your partners for this campaign?

Share this podcast if you enjoy these five-minute reflections and subscribe to receive these reflections released every Monday. To explore fundraising coaching deeper, visit Serving Nonprofits dot com. See you next week.