Reflections on Generosity
Kick off your week with a 5-minute reflection on generosity to ground yourself as you go about your fund development tasks. Each reflection includes a question to ponder throughout the week to aid your work.
Reflections on Generosity
100: Search for Meaning
"...Donor prospects are not objects; they are subjects, and like all of us, they want to contribute to something meaningful and life-giving and successful. Like us, they too search for meaning, have fears and hopes, desires and regrets, and beliefs that should be acknowledged and reverenced..."
In honor of the 100th episode, this week, I am re-reading two quotes from the first episode from Imagining Abundance. Fundraising, Philanthropy, and A Spiritual Call to Service. Kerry Alys Robinson. 2014.
Reflection questions:
- How will you pause this week and consider if you are seeing a donor as an object or a subject?
- When was the last time you asked a donor to share why they give and what meaning they would like for their gifts to have?
Reflection on quote:
Over the last two years, we have looked at writings on generosity to inform our fund development work today. Instead of discussing the latest fundraising techniques, we have reflected on these writings - from ancient to modern and from all cultures — to learn from them value of generosity. This podcast continues to seek that deeper wisdom of being a person in the beautiful space where generosity occurs. Each week, the intent remains to take five minutes to reflect on a quote and one or two coaching questions to ground us for the week to come.
Especially in times of societal and economic uncertainties, we as fundraisers can feel the stress of meeting the budget and serving our mission. And, when we feel that stress, we can begin to treat donors are objects. We miss that donors find meaning through their gifts. When we step back from our stress and seek to understand the meaning the donor is seeking, often their gifts are a greater blessing to us. It is a collaboration to find meaning and may even heal our sorrows of life.
To purchase this book: Imagining Abundance. Fundraising, Philanthropy, and A Spiritual Call to Service.
Permissions granted for use of this quote.
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To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.
Music credit: Woeisuhmebop
Welcome back. This episode marks the 100th episode in the Reflections on Generosity podcast. Over the last two years, we have looked at writings on generosity to inform our fund development work today. Instead of discussing the latest fundraising techniques, we have reflected on these writings - from ancient to modern and from all cultures — to learn from them value of generosity. This podcast continues to seek that deeper wisdom of being a person in the beautiful space where generosity occurs. Each week, the intent remains to take five minutes to reflect on a quote and one or two coaching questions to ground us for the week to come. So, don’t forget to subscribe for this weekly podcast in your favorite podcast app.
In honor of this 100th episode, This week I am re-reading the quotes from the first episode which are from Imagining Abundance. Fundraising, Philanthropy, and A Spiritual Call to Service. Kerry Alys Robinson. 2014.
Quote.
“What we realized was that we were unwittingly viewing donors as objects to try to get as much money from as quickly and painlessly as possible, rather than as subjects in their own right. Donor prospects are not objects; they are subjects, and like all of us, they want to contribute to something meaningful and life-giving and successful. Like us, they too search for meaning, have fears and hopes, desires and regrets, and beliefs that should be acknowledged and reverenced.”
“When we enter into sacred discussion with donors or grantees or beneficiaries of a ministry, vulnerability is established. Donors, grantees, and beneficiaries need each other to bring something beautiful and life-giving to fruition. It is a collaboration borne of deep desire to find meaning, to be a blessing, to be part of something successful and consequential, and to heal the sorrows of life.”
Unquote.
Especially in times of societal and economic uncertainties, we as fundraisers can feel the stress of meeting the budget and serving our mission. And, when we feel that stress, we can begin to treat donors are objects. We miss that donors find meaning through their gifts. When we step back from our stress and seek to understand the meaning the donor is seeking, often their gifts are a greater blessing to us. It is a collaboration to find meaning and may even heal our sorrows of life.
Let’s reflect on these questions this week:
How will you pause this week and consider if you are seeing a donor as an object or a subject?
When was the last time you asked a donor to share why they give and what meaning they would like for their gifts to have?
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.
