Igniting a Spark of Caring

Unconditional kindness moves me.  Random acts of sincere kindness with no ulterior motivation inspires me.  I am fortunate to work at The Children's Medical Center of Dayton where acts of true caring and compassion are a daily occurrence.  It is impossible to work here and not see something that encourages the heart.  I think this is where nonprofit organizations shine their brightest light.  The ability to do good simply because it is the right thing to do is what generates followers.  Yes, I am a passionate advocate of social media, direct mail, digital story-telling, but when it comes right down to it, people support organizations they care about.  Their caring often starts with just that one simple act of kindness that sticks with them forever.  And in just about every case, that comes from a very real, sincere, unconditional demonstration of kindness between two people.

Yesterday, I witnessed something at Dayton Children's that just made me sit back and smile very proudly.  I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to see one of those moments that is so meaningful and inspiring that I've not been able to get it out of my head.  Dayton Children's has an extraordinary corps of volunteers.  More than 600 men and women, from the ages of 15 to 95, come to work at the hospital because they care about this place and our children and their families.  I want to share with you a story about one of our volunteers:  Jamie Hanna.

To begin with, Jamie is one of those women you just like to be around.  She lights up the room with her smile and her laugh. She makes people feel great all the time and she never has an unkind word to say.  (Yes, folks, those people really do exist!).  Jamie has been a long-time member of the TWIG Auxiliary and can always be counted on to step up and help. In fact, this year she is the co-chair of the Gem City Jam Golf Outing -- shameless plug here: the best golf outing in the Dayton area that takes place August 23.  Jamie  has volunteered for years in The Spot Shop, a wonderful gift shop at the hospital.  She is well known at the hospital by our staff, primarily because she goes out of her way to just be an awesome person.  We all love Jamie and appreciate her amazing spirit. Her photo is below with another amazing volunteer, Sue Labatsky. Jamie has the green boa on.

A few weeks ago, Jamie's husband, Jack had emergency quintuple bypass surgery.  It was a fluke that they even found out about the heart blockages.  Jack is just as special as Jamie.  He works hard professionally and he's always there to back Jamie up.  Jack has probably lugged more trees for Sugarplum Festival of Trees, sold more raffle tickets, toted silent auction packages, spotted hole-in-one-contests than any man I  know.  Jamie's the official volunteer but Jack is the extra bonus prize.  We were all devastated to learn of Jack's heart attack but fortunately he is on the mend and he made a foray to Dayton Children's yesterday.

I was eating lunch with several development staff members when Jamie came over to our table to visit. We all had a good laugh and suddenly, Jamie's eyes just lit up even more so than usual.  Up walked Renae Phillips, the Dayton Children's Vice President for Hospital Operations and Chief Nursing Executive.  Renae is everything a pediatric nurse should be: kind, compassionate, capable, organized, friendly, hard working.  She is a role model to our entire institution.  When she saw Jamie, Renae just wrapped her arms around her in a huge hug and they embraced for what seemed like an eternity.  I didn't know they knew each other that well but Renae knows Jamie and knew about Jack's heart attack. It was a really wonderful moment, just seeing these two embrace.  It is an example of the kind of caring we see every day and it is why I love working here.

Renae then followed Jamie over to her table in the cafeteria and Renae gave that same genuine, loving hug to Jack.  There is no doubt that Renae was happy that Jack was getting on his feet.  You can't fake that kind of care and concern for people. 

What I like is that just the week before at a TWIG event, I saw nearly the same episode but with David Kinsaul, the Dayton Children's CEO.  As soon as he saw Jamie, he gave her a huge hug and immediately asked about Jack.  For an institution that has more than 1,500 employees, 600+ volunteers and thousands of community supporters, I was immensely impressed that our CEO knew exactly what was happening to one of our volunteers and reached out to her in a genuine showing of compassion and care.

It's moments like this that makes me realize how special Dayton Children's is that our senior management team is fully aware of things happening in the lives of our "family" and that they reach out to show they care. That is perhaps one of the most important aspects of leadership and it what I believe ignites a chain reaction of caring.  This was a simple act with no expectation of getting something in return. Genuine compassion can easily get lost in a cynical world.  Fortunately, true care and concern beats cynicism every time. It's the Rock-Paper-Scissors game where you always come out on top if you do the right thing because it's the right thing to do.

What does this have to do with philanthropy?  Everything! People want to support an organization they feel connected to.  Strong connections come from people, opening their hearts and doing something that makes ad difference...even if that difference is simply giving someone a hug.  Jamie Hanna is a life loyal volunteer.  I can see why she is so attached.  Then again, Jamie's spirit is what we have to be grateful for in the first place.

I am a lifelong member of Sigma Sigma Sigma and we have a phrase that every member learns from the day they join that helps guide our lives:

"To give much is to receive much."

Jamie, like so many others, gives 110% because that's who she is. It is part of her inherent nature. I know she will be the first to say she receives so much more in return. If we all adopted this attitude to do right by others and give because it is the right thing to do, imagine what kind of change could happen in the world.

Creating a Culture of Generosity

I read a great blog article today on http://www.change.org/ entitled "Establishing a Culture of Generosity."  It is part of a series on undergraduate social entrepreneurship.  I was fascinated first by the inherent inclusion of charitable giving in the overall concept of social entrepreneurship.  I very much like the idea that young people are philanthropically motivated and it appears that with the advent of social media, giving something back to the community, even the global community, is easier than ever.

The article implies that students are in an environment where they want to help one another. Greek organizations help each other and are duty-bound to give to charities. Student organizations have leveraged the desire to want to do something to make social change works well by mobilizing others to donate to a cause. Microgiving is the new trend, when a student simply needs to text in a code to make a $5 or $10 donation.

I am inspired by colleges and universities that encourage students to volunteer and to donate. In creating a culture of generosity, one needs to make sure to include all aspects of how someone can give. That includes gifts of manhours, skills, and money (the proverbial "time, talent and treasure"). I am inspired even more when parents begin to cultivate a philanthropic spirit in children. Parents can set an example by their own volunteer support, charitable attitude, and donations.  My favorite gifts to receive at Dayton Children's are those from kids who saved their birthday money or asked for donations to help sick kids rather than ask for presents for themselves at birthday time. 

Last year, we had an eight-year old girl, Allison, donate $250 to the NICU at Dayton Children's. She said, "I already have enough toys. I wanted to do something for the hospital because they saved my life when I was a baby." From a stewardship perspective, our NICU staff did everything right. When Allison came to make her donation, the entire staff came out to thank her and take pictures with her. They asked a new mom to bring her baby to the window so Allison could see how small she was at her own birth. The nurses presented Allison and her five-year old sister with tiny baby diapers for their dolls. We then invited the entire family to share their story on the annual Children's Miracle Network Telethon.  There is little doubt in my mind that this made a positive impression on Allison and she'll likely donate again and again because it made her feel good and important.  And she was.

The Peter Pan Children's Fund is an amazing organization that encourages children' to give to pediatric hospitals. By participating in the  Peter Pan Birthday Fund Club and collecting donations, the Peter Pan Children's Fund will match those gifts with an additional $100.

Churches can teach children about generosity by having kids participate in offerings. When I was growing up, we had our own tiny offering envelopes. My brothers and sisters and I would put in a quarter of fifty cents and these donations would be collected during Sunday School. 

I participated in Blue Birds and then Camp Fire USA growing up. These organizations, like Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, instilled a sense of importance for volunteering. My dad was extremely active as a founding member of his Lions Club and we went to dozens of fundraisers and community service projects. For years, my mom was the epitome of a community volunteer. She and a friend managed a Storytime Workshop at the local library (my mom is an artist and she would illustrate stories as her friend told them...magical!). She was active in the church, a professional sorority, SPURS, and our school PTA. I hope parents are setting the same kind of example mine did about the importance of volunteering and donating time and resources.

Microgiving is the rage now with the ability to text donations. Mobile applications are being developed at lightening speed. Facebook Causes offer all types of innovative ways to mobilize donations. There are hundreds of examples of how people have raised money using Twitter. Charitable giving is fun and a cool thing to do, especially for college students. Philanthropy is an affordable thing to do.

The definition of philanthropy means caring for mankind. It is a myth that philanthropists are wealthy individuals capable of giving millions. Yes, those wonderful people do exist, but millions of people became philanthropists during the last few weeks following the earthquake in Haiti. It's not so much the amount of the gift but rather that you made a gift at all that makes you a philanthropist.

The visibility of giving is helping create a culture of generosity. It has people asking themselves, "What can I do?" It is setting the example for children to understand they have a moral obligation to help others in need. I encourage parents to help their kids find a cause to believe in and then find a way for them to volunteer or save their allowance or holiday gift money to make a donation. Whether that is animal welfare, the environment, sick children, global hunger is irrelevant. Something touches children and their first instinct is to want to help. By fostering that caring nature, you'll be creating a culture of generosity that can only grow as kids mature. When they reach college, that attitude to want to help, to want to make a change, to want to make a diference for others should be well entrenched. Colleges won't have to establish a culture of generosity. It will be just a natural part of the experience.

NPR Commentary on Advice on Making the Most of Your Charitable Dollar

Here's an interesting commentary that played on NPR on December 29, 2009 about making the most of your charitable dollar.  One of the featured speakers is Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy.  His organization is a watchdog group and he certainly puts a slam on Larry Jones' Feed the Children, a charity known to mislead their donors. Read their review here on this  being the "Most Outrageous Charity in America." 

There are some excellent suggestions on what to look for when making charitable donations. There is an excellent list of tips when considering charities.   They rate charities on an A-F scale.  Their suggestions are:

1. Know Your Charity -- Read the annual report and the literature. I would add that it never hurts to peruse a charity's 990.

2.  Find Out Where Your Dollars Go -- Be sure to know what percentage of your gift is used for the organizations programs versus what is used for administrative costs and fundraising expenses.

3.  Do Not Respond to Pressure -- Legitimate charities will give you time to consider a gift as well as send you additional information. Don't fall prey to the high pressure of telemarketers.

4.  Keep Records of  Your Donations -- Don't give cash; don't provide a credit card number over the phone to a charity you are unfamiliar with.  Direct from this site is advice on what to keep for tax records:

"For tax purposes, you will need to keep a record of all your contributions of any amount. For contributions under $250, records may be in the form of a bank record, cancelled check, or written communication from the charity. The written communication may be in the form of receipt or letter that must contain the charity's name and the amount and date of the contribution.

For all tax-deductible contributions of $250 or more, the IRS requires that you obtain a receipt from the charity (a cancelled check will not suffice)."

5.  Remember "Tax Exempt" Does Not Mean "Tax Deductible" -- Request a copy of the charity's tax exempt letter if you question whether they are a legitimate 501(c )(3) organization that allows you to deduct the gift from your taxes.

6. Do Not be Misled by a Charity's Familiar Name -- Some questionable organizations will use a name that closely resembles a more well-known charity.

7.  Do Not be Enticed by Emotional Appeals -- Know the facts by reviewing the literature about the organization.

8.  Ask if the Charity is Registered by Federal/State/Local Authorities --Non-church charities with more than $25,000 in income must file financial information with the IRS.

9.  Beware of Charities Offering Gifts -- Don't feel compelled to give because you receive address labels, calendars, greeting cards or other gifts.  Note that these gifts may increase the organization's fundraising expenses. 

10.  Consider Giving Generously --  If you are satisfied with the charity and determine it to be worthwhile, give generously. 

There are several other good suggestions listed.  I found this to be a solid resource, especially for anyone who continually gets approached by charities that you may have never heard of before.  Mr. Borochoff mentioned in the broadcast that there are a number of organizations claiming to benefit veterans.  Review this information carefully, as many of these are not ranked favorable and practice questionable fundraising procedures.

My Fav Charities

It's December 31, 2009.  What better date to relaunch the Electric Philanthropy blog?  If you are still making last minute choices on charities to support, I thought I would suggest some remarkable organizations for your consideration.

Best Friends
The Best Friends Animal Society is quite possibly the most remarkable organization working on behalf of animals today. They accept all kinds of animals: injured, abused, neglected, abandoned, elderly and those needing special care and treat every one of them like a long-lost pet.  Their direct mail program is second to none (and believe me, I've seen just about every kind of direct mail package known to man) with each story more compelling than the next.  I can't say enough about them and they deserve every single penny they receive.

The Children's Miracle Network
Ok, so I may be slightly biased about CMN because I work at a children's hospital, but even if I didn't work at Dayton Children's, I'd still think this is a remarkable charity.  CMN supports 170 non-profit pediatric hospitals.  The best thing they do is ensure that money raised locally benefits the local pediatric hospital.  This organization is committed to bringing the best healthcare possible to children in the US, Canada and now parts of Europe.  No one wants to think of sick or injured children and with the state of pediatric healthcare reimbursements, these hospitals desperately need every bit of support they can get.

The Hole in the Wall Camps
Paul Newman founded the Hole in the Wall Camps to give children battling chronic and life threatening illnesses a normal summer camp experience.  To say these camps are magical is an understatement.  I have volunteered several times at Camp Boggy Creek in Florida and have visited the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut and the Victory Junction Gang Camp in North Carolina.  I will do anything I can to help support all of the others, including the Flying Horse Farms Camp that will open in Mount Gilead, Ohio in the near future.  These camps allow kids to soar in every way, all the while ensuring they receive state-of-the-art medical care at the same time.  Remarkable.

Donors Choose
Brilliant concept here and I still believe one of the most unique charitable organizations in existence today. Teachers list their needs, donors pick where they want to help. It's the best possible kind of donor-directed support. 

There are thousands of worthy charities out there.  What matters most is you finding what matters most to you.  I have my personal reasons for always supporting the Sigma Sigma Sigma Foundation  Tri Sigma has helped sculpt the person I am today.  But that's a more personal individual choice, like supporting a church, University or civic organization. The suggestions for this blog are more broad-based.   I'll keep listing organizations I believe are doing remarkable things. I'd like to hear from you...who do you recommend and why?

Columbus Foundation Launches PowerPhilanthropy

From time to time, you'll see organizations doing amazing things to provide great services to the community. The Columbus Foundation recently launched a new program that provides an excellent, user-friendly opportunity for community donors: Power Philanthropy

The following information comes from the Columbus Foundation website: www.columbusfoundation.org.

What is PowerPhilanthropy?
As someone who cares about charitable giving, you want to know that your efforts will make a difference. You understand that supporting a nonprofit organization is more than check-writing—it’s an investment in your community.

At The Columbus Foundation, we want to help build your understanding of nonprofits and topics that interest you, so you can give wisely. PowerPhilanthropy, a new online tool, was developed with you in mind.

As a simple, searchable database, PowerPhilanthropy:
Connects you with nonprofit organizations and programs that strengthen the community;
Enriches your knowledge of the nonprofit sector by delivering in-depth portraits of hundreds of local organizations. These comprehensive portraits tell stories and offer vital information about programs, finances, management, and services.

You’ll be able to easily manage your giving, safely and securely online, from anywhere at anytime. Start connecting to the nonprofit of your choice. Find out how you can experience the power of philanthropy.

This website highlights types of giving; how to make a gift; has information for professional advisors; has an outstanding knowledge center where you can download PDFs on anything from strategic planning to nonprofit governance; includes an event calendar; and has resources on grant making. And that's just in section 1 on "Find Information."

In the next section, "Connect with Idea and People", you can create a user profile and gain access to the following:

• PowerPhilanthropy Projects that have been reviewed and vetted for inclusion into our nonprofit database;
• Call to Action Projects that feature high performing programs that have received support from the Foundation; and
• Current Initiatives that have been cultivated by the Foundation to address broad community issues.

The final section, "Give Wisely" is the prize and not only educates donors on how to make a gift, but links them up to support various community charities.

This is a terrific "one stop shop" and an excellent example of using a website as a very useful tool to support the community. Kudos to the Columbus (OH - of course) Foundation for their thoughtful establishment of a digital tool that makes giving a simple task and for giving the community easy access to key information on charitable giving.

YouTube Welcomes Non-Profits

It's been far too long since my last post. No excuses except that a job change had me wrapped up in my own professional world getting adjusted to a new position. I've returned to the world of fundraising and am the new Director of Annual Giving for the Children's Medical Center of Dayton. But have no fear, my interest in utilizing emerging technology for fundraising has not diminished and I am returning back to the Electric Philanthropy blog.

And all in good time to learn that YouTube has set up a special program for non-profits. Check out the website: www.youtube.com/nonprofits.

This is a perfect scenario for those who want to launch an electric outreach campaign but may not have the resources to hire a company to create their materials. This gives your non-profit the chance to tell a compelling story without having to spend big bucks to do it.

YouTube allows non-profits to create their own "channel." It is your job to promote that to donors and constituents but it certainly provides a simple way to broadcast you messages and post videos with a strong message. Here's how they explain what is offered:

Your Nonprofit channel includes:
*Premium branding capabilities and increased uploading capacity
*Rotation of your videos in the "Promoted Videos" areas throughout the site
* The option to drive fundraising through a Google Checkout "Donate" button

As an incentive, the first 300 non-profits to sign up will receive a video camera from Casio. You'll need to rush to it to quality. Join groups like the American Cancer Society, Autism Speaks, Friends of the Earth and several others that have jumped in and been an early adapter of this program.

Be adventurous and put your message out there in a new way. You may be surprised by who is watching your channel and can reach a whole new target audience.

An Easy Way to be a Philanthropist

What is your definition of a "philanthropist?" Do you conjure up thoughts of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, billionairres committed to changing healthcare and poverty global-wide? Do you think of men like Rockefeller or Carnegie, industrialists who made so much money that it still goes to work today? How about the wife of McDonald's legend Ray Kroc who left millions upon millions in her estate to benefit education and other charities?

Do you ever think of the plumber who lives across the street? How about your mailman? Your hairdresser? Yourself?

WordNet defines "philanthropist" as someone who makes charitable donations intentended to increase human well-being. The American Heritage Dictionary has a similar definition: The effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations. Note: Neither definition describes how much one has to give to be considered a philanthropist. My favorite description is "the love of humankind in general."

Anyone can be a philanthropist. It simply means you give to help others, primarily because it is the right thing to do.

I was recently watching a news show and it profiled an innovative charitable organization that is nearly entirely web-based called www.DonorsChoose.org. that allows teachers to post needed items for their classrooms. In an era of substantial educational budget cuts, many teachers are in need of equipment and educational resources for their classrooms. This is particularly true in poverty-stricken areas, inner cities, and areas hit by disasters such as school districts in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The items posted are for things any philanthropically-minded person could support on any budget. Donors can search for projects to support based on geographic region, subject, special needs, amount needed for funding, or type of program. Donors can donate any amount that can fully fund a program or partially support a program. When doing a search, one can see what percentage is needed to complete a grant request.

The theory is simple: Teachers Ask. Donors Choose. Students Learn.

There are hundreds of requests to browse through. And making a donation to support an interesting project does not require a major gift. This is an extremely easy way for someone to make an online tax-deductible gift that can truly make a difference, even if the gift is small. Many of the projects can be fully funded with a donation for less than $200. Any project can be funded in part by donating $10 or $20.

Be on the lookout for a thank you note and a photo from the children you supported. Teachers are encouraged to communicate the results with donors of how your gift was put to use.

Have kids? Consider introducing them to the idea of charitable giving by having them select a project to fund with their allowance once a month. Make a gift to support these programs in honor or memory of someone. Want a creative way to recognize a special teacher? Donate to a project in that teacher's name.

DonorsChoose.org is one of the easiest ways I've seen for someone to make a gift in an amount comfortable for themself but have the opportunity to target it to a special program. Many charities would prefer unrestricted gifts, so if giving for a specific purpose to help children with their education is something of value, check out the website. Better yet, play around and actually make a donation. Not only will you feel good about your gift, you may be inspired by the creativity American teachers are demonstrating in an effort to help this country's most challenged students become interested and engaged in their learning. To date, nearly $13 million has been donated to 568,670 students just through www.DonorsChoose.org.

If you are building your own charitable giving website, give some thought to:

• Posting specific needs
• Allowing donors to restrict their gift to fund a specific project
• Allowing donors to make full or partial donations
• Display how much is needed to fully complete a project (take the % one step further and use a flash-based gauge to visually demonstrate progress)
• Browse projects
• Set up a gift registry so people may select projects they want to fund and friends can make a gift to support those favorite projects
• Establish a giving blog that allows donors to spread your charity's message to their own personal readers
• Make online giving simple with easy to follow steps
• Make it personal; have the beneficiaries write personal thank you notes
• Offer your donors a widget to download from your website; You can send updates via the widget to show how much money has been raised, send gift giving reminders, share a great story and keep people in touch with your message and organization
• Allow your donors to interact with you and help spread your message virally
• Create a MySpace page where donors committed to your organization can have your organization as a friend
• Provide donors with items (i.e. your logo with a key message, wallpaper, etc.) that they can copy the coding for their own MySpace page

There are endless ways you can create opportunities to interact with your donors and constituents. Find your favorite charities online and look at what they do to keep you engaged. Then look for ways your own organization can replicate the concepts. Be innovative and creative. Try to make charitable giving something fun for people of all means to become philanthropists and help humankind.

What Every Foundation Needs

I should make that headline a recurring title. Or a book someday. Today's recommendation comes from a little known item that the Stelter Company provides. If you don't have this on your website as a planned giving tool, shame on you. This is a fantastic utility...and I get no residual benefits for promoting it!

At one point, I was interviewing with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A wonderful organization that provides incredible services for critically ill children. It is hard not to become fascinated by the work they do. And believe me, their development officers love that about the organization and they have a website that makes giving simple. But they take it one step further. They make planned giving simple. How?

The Make-A-Wish Foundation allows donors to build their own planned gift right on the website using a very easy to follow interactive decision tree. It is likely built on something like PG Calc and is a service that Stelter provides. It walks donors through a series of easy to understand questions and literally builds the best planned giving option for them based on the answers. How great would it be for a donor to build this gift and then print it off and have it ready to be used. Instant planned giving opportunity that takes about 15 minutes or less.

The Build Your Own Planned Gift while powered and supported by Stelter, is designed to look like the remainder of your organization's website. No link to another site, no confusing questions, no hard language to figure out. I saw it as the Turbo Tax of planned giving. So easy (and actually pretty interesting) to use.

A little extra benefit...any tool like this can be measured and tracked. From the backend, staff can see who visited this section and used the tool. They can see where a donor completed the process or stopped midway. In either case, that is the perfect opportunity for a development officer to pick up phone and find out what questions the donor had and how you could count on them to join your prestigious planned giving site.

I will give the Make-A-Wish Foundation a flunking grade because I used the tool and stopped right before signing the dotted line. No one followed up with me. In fact, I even called them to ask some questions and still no one ever bothered to follow up with me. Guess what organization missed out on the chance to be included in my will?

Here's where I would emphasize my usual point: Just because you have an interactive website and great technology does not mean you skip the fundamentals of fundraising. Fundraising will always depend on personal relationships. Planned giving officers need to do their job and not rely on tools to do it for them. Tools simply help with the engagement process and opens a door for further conversation. Don't cheat the process!

All that being said, this is a great tool to educate donors, introduce concepts, provide a non-threatening and easy to use utility, use the tracking functions to learn about the behavior of your prospects, and take another positive step in building relationships and ultimately securing valuable resources for your future.

To learn more about the Gift Planning Tools, check out www.stelter.com.

To build a dynamic website and use the most cutting edge information and technology, contact Mediasauce at www.mediasauce.com or 317-218-0500.

What's Fun in Fundraising?

My oldest brother could not find a job when he came back from the war in Vietnam. So he took a year off to be a ski bum. That year turned out to be the rest of his life. He found something he loved to do and made a successful career for himself. He lived his passion.

I started a fundraising career at Arizona State University quite by accident. I needed a job, preferably on campus. I received letter recruiting Dean's List students to call alumni. I thought I would check it out. It turned out to be a lot of fun! I talked with alumni about the University, the new developments on campus (of which there were plenty) and had the chance to be a positive ambassador for the school. What I liked best was that every call was different, every call was a chance to share good news, and every call was the opportunity to reengage alumni and trigger positive memories. After a year, I became a student supervisor and my job was to train and motivate other students to make those kinds of calls. Finding incentives, creating competitions, and getting my peers excited about representing ASU was a great college job.

Like my brother hitting the ski resort for a season, I had no idea my college job was lead into a really fun career in fundraising.

What's fun about fundraising? Here's just a taste:

• You can represent a cause you are passionate about
• You can meet other like minded people who share that passion
• There are endless ways to be creative--writing, presentations, special events, new appeals, new ways to share your message
• Getting someone to say "yes" is an envigorating feeling
• Finding new and effective ways to overcome objections can be a personal challenge
• You help people
• You make people feel good about how they are helping a worthwhile cause
• You see smiles
• No two days are ever the same
• You can set goals and measure your performance on key benchmarks; you always know where you stand
• You can convince people to think in new ways
• You meet people from all walks of life

I suppose if you are a person that doesn't like other people, this may not be the best career route. But if you are a creative person that looks for new challenges, I assure you, you'll have fun in a development position.

Now, I won't be so naive as to say that every day is a party. But if you spend a career in advancement work, it's not hard to look at the time you've spent fundraising and realize there were far more good days than bad. Remembering the good moments when you provided a grant that truly changed someone's life is an incredible feeling. Helping a donor realize the impact his or her gift can make in changing lives is empowering--for everyone involved. Getting to say a sincere thank you or recognizing someone else is like handing someone a present. It's more fun to give than to receive. Watching someone's face light up because you've taken the time to acknowledge them will make you feel good. And if you feel good, you'll stay motivated.

There's plenty of fun in fundraising. It's hard work but the benefits far out weigh any costs. If you are new to the development field, give yourself time to enjoy the process. If you are veteran, think back to how your hard work helped make a difference for a cause or issue you passionately believed in. I guarantee you'll agree that it has been a fun ride.