115: The Humor of Generosity

"...had bequeath to his executors for charitable purposes his personal clothing and nought else..."

This week I am re-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  humorous videos or cartoons focused on fundraising or, maybe, have conversation with a colleague about their funniest moments in this profession?

Reflection on the quote:

As we enter into fall and preparing for year-end giving season, I thought that I would re-share a bit of humor from a fundraising colleague who toiled in our profession over a hundred years ago.  This professional was obviously the chief writer of many year-end fundraising appeal. 

To the drafter of many appeals.  We still hear you.  There are days when we too want to throw up our hands and ask why.  Why did they only donate used clothing as this donor did?  Or the sailboat that is not water worthy?  Do they not know that generosity should not cost the nonprofit?  And, yet, in the midst of the weird moments of fundraising, we also see the sacrificial donors who wish to join us in the work of our missions and wish that they could give more.

This work has entered the public domain.

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Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

Transcript

Welcome back. Fundraising can be lonely with seemingly endless to-do list. This podcast isn't about best practices or trends. It's about the deeper wisdom of the beautiful space where generosity occurs, a weekly five-minute reflection to ground you for the week ahead.

As we enter into fall and preparing for year-end giving season, I thought that I would re-share a bit of humor from a fundraising colleague who toiled in our profession over a hundred years ago.  This professional was obviously the chief writer of many year-end fundraising appeal. This professional who used alias, a drafter of many appeals, wrote the ethics of giving: the ratio of generosity to income in a hospital magazine, published in 1915.

Quote

The announcement recently made, under the heading "Wills Proved” that a testator whose personalty approached 350,000 pounds (or $62 million in 2025 dollars) had bequeath to his executors for charitable purposes his personal clothing and nought else, recalls the infrequency with which charitable offerings are made to bear a relation to means.  It would seem to most thinkers that a giver who recognizes an obligation to charity only to discharge it with frequent inadequacy is worse than a man who lives wholly oblivious of the claim upon him.

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. The application of benevolence, notwithstanding, the efforts of disciplinarians and organizers will never rank among the exact sciences. It is among the trials of poor men, generous of soul, that they cannot satisfy the cravings of their benevolent instincts. But they possess an ineffable advantage over a richer donors; they may obtain to self sacrifice in giving which seasons and glorifies the gift, and is impossible to those who are merely transfer to charitable uses a portion of scarcely realized superfluity.

Unquote.

To the drafter of many appeals.  We still hear you.  There are days when we too want to throw up our hands and ask why.  Why did they only donate used clothing as this donor did?  Or the sailboat that is not water worthy?  Do they not know that their generosity cost the nonprofit?  And, yet, in the midst of the weird moments of fundraising, we also see the sacrificial donors who wish to join us in the work of our missions and wish that they could give more.

Let’s reflect on one question this week:

When will you take the time to find the humor in our fundraising work through humorous videos or cartoons focused on fundraising or, maybe, have conversation with a colleague about their funniest moments in this profession?

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.