"...When we have decided to accept, let us accept with cheerfulness, showing pleasure, and letting the giver see it, so that he or she may at once receive some return for their goodness..."

This week, I am reading a quote from On Benefits by Seneca the Younger, published in 59 AD. Seneca uses the word “benefit” to denote an act of charity.

Reflection question:

• Think back to the last few donations you’ve received. How have you received them? With lukewarmness, distraction, pride, or true expressions of gratitude?

Reflection on quote:

When a donor makes a gift to our organizations, they're not just writing a check. They're extending trust, hope, and belief in our missions. Yet too often, our lukewarm responses leave them wondering if their gift even mattered. Seneca understood something profound: how you receive that first donation determines whether there will be second and another. Gracious, public gratitude creates a positive cycle where donors experience immediate joy from seeing their impact, naturally leading to deeper engagement. And, as this quote outlines, authentic gratitude which celebrates both the gift and the giver creates abundance. When we celebrate donors enthusiastically, we are inviting our entire community into a story of collective transformation that's far more powerful than any individual effort.

What do you think? Send me a text.

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

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...And joy is the appropriate attitude with which to help others because acts of generosity are a source of blessing to the giver as well as the receiver..."

This week, I’m reading a quote from John Chrysostom from the 400 A.D.s.

Reflection questions:

If you are writing a fundraising appeal for an urgent need, step back and ask yourself these two questions.

• What will the donor feel when they read or hear your appeal?

• Does the appeal honor the subject’s dignity or, if a place or thing, the subject's significance or importance?

Reflection of the quote:

In the United States this week, a law was signed that will cut many social services. Naturally, many human services nonprofits are expecting an increase in need and are therefore preparing fundraising asks. Also, this week, the United States, there were some tragic natural disasters. Nonprofits serving in those areas are also preparing fundraising asks. Each day, across the globe, something urgent occurs that leads nonprofits to ask donors to give. How we portray the urgent need matters.

When we are faced with an urgent need involving our constituents, whether it is a person, animal, place, or thing, the way we portray the fundraising need matters. There are methods that invoke fear, scarcity, and obligation. These techniques have been described as “poverty porn.” The essential of poverty porn is outlined in this week’s quote. It invokes a reluctant sense of duty and makes the subject - our constituents - embarrassed and demeaned. They also make the donor feel fearful, angry, and resentful. In the short-term, these techniques do raise funds. However, in the long-term, donor don’t keep giving because anger is a life-sucking companion. Within this week’s ancient wisdom there is a better way. That is, to ask with a spirit of joy and gratitude and to set a vision for the donor that they get to be a source of blessing to meet this urgent need.

This quote has entered the public domain.

What do you think? Send me a text.

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

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...All that happens, happens right: you will find it so if you observe narrowly..."

This week, I am reading a quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, written around 171 AD.

Reflection questions:

• When you have failed in your work recently, how are you observing narrowly for the right things that came out of it?

• Are you seeking perfection or goodness in your fundraising activities?

Reflection on the quote:

In working with over 100 clients, it’s not surprising that I’m well-acquainted with failure as well. A donor event that no one shows up to. An email campaign that raises zero dollars. A year-end direct mail campaign that goes out in January. A fundraising event where no one gives. As much as I want every campaign, event, fundraising activity to be successful, that’s not real life. So how do we grapple with that. This week, I am reading a quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, written around 171 AD.

All that happens, happens right. Notice that Aurelius didn't say, all that happens, happens perfectly. Or, successfully. But, he says “right if you observe narrowly.” We can get stuck in embarrassment or paralysis. We can fear that donors will stop giving to us because of our failure. Instead, a failure can help us have more honest interactions with donors. For instance, ask the donor help us understand the best way to give you the opportunity to donate. Or, a failure can lead to the right conversations with the right donors. For example, a smaller-than-hoped-for event can open up a more in-depth conversation that wouldn’t have been possible if the event was larger. Failures can lead to growth when we have the right attitude, which is the second half of the quote. Let your aim be goodness in every action. We don’t fail in fundraising because we want to fail. But we will fail because failure is a part of life. So, we don’t aim for perfection or status. We aim for goodness. Goodness for the cause that we serve. And, remember, donors don’t give to us. They give to the cause through us.

This work has entered the public domain.

What do you think? Send me a text.

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

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop