If you’re a fundraiser, read this for inspiration
- Thu, July 21 2011
- Filed under: Fundraising essentials
I’ve been reading Lynne Twist’s wonderful book, The Soul of Money. I recommend it: It’s a wonderful set of reflections and stories that weave lessons that are part spiritual, part self-help and all fundraising. Twist’s take on money and giving and life was deeply enlightening and inspiring to me. It made me happy.
If you’re having a bad day, read what she says about her work fundraising for The Hunger Project:
Fundraising to end hunger wasn’t just a job or a fad or a political statement for me. It was an expression of my own soulful commitment, and as such, I could only do it in a way that would call on people to reconnect with their own higher calling, or soulful longing, to be the kind of people they wanted to be, the kind of difference they wanted to make, and see how they could express that with their money. So rather than feeling that fundraising was a matter of twisting arms for a donation or playing on emotions to manipulate money from contributions, it became for me an arena in which I was able to create an opportunity for people to engage in their greatness.
So well said.
We aren’t here to extract money from people. We’re here to give people the chance to do wonderful things in the world. What a gift of a job.
Comments
I love, love, love this book as well! I often give it to clients and share it out at trainings. Lynne’s view of money and how we share it and talk about it has been the basis of my trainings for years. She is a gift to our profession.
I recently wrote a short post about her book as well. You can read my take on it here: http://lorijacobwith.com/2011/05/the-soul-of-money/
Wow, well I guess I’m gonna have to check out this book now too, you guys have me interested! And I applaud your last 3 sentances of your post, wish more people lived by that credo!
I took Lynne’s training several years ago and it made me feel better about going into the fundraising field. The ways she helped us not just understand but feel the sacred act of asking someone to make their life more significant by giving to your cause.
Thank you for highlighting her work. I wish more nonprofit leaders would read her.
Mazarine
http://wildwomanfundraising.com
Mazarine, I totally agree. It could be the single most book for a nonprofit leader to read. I wish I’d been at the training! Maybe I should do one.
I’m so delighted with her perception. She’s so full of wisdom. Fundraising to end hunger is not just a simple way of earning money for donations. It’s putting ourselves in the shoes of the people that are in need. Being a blessing to them. Putting ourselves as a sacrifice.