Almost every fundraiser I know is motivated by high ideals: Saving the world! Helping those in need! Promoting love, justice, beauty, goodness.
In our hearts and minds, we soar like eagles.
But our daily work is filled with little things. Repetitive things. Boring things.
Get used to it.
Great fundraising touches our highest ideals. But it's 90% small stuff.
Like direct mail. It works best when you focus on the details. When you check a few dozen boxes on a must-do list, avoid production errors, and scrupulously obey postal regulations.
Yawn.
But that's how the amazing stuff we live for comes to life.
The most miserable and frustrated fundraisers I know are on a life-long quest to create fundraising they personally feel great about.
The most fulfilled and delighted fundraisers I know are focused on getting things right and connecting with donors ... and now and then they remind themselves of the miraculous transformations they and their donors are making together.
We aren't in fundraising to entertain ourselves. We're here to help great things happen. Which is maybe the best and deepest kind of entertainment around.
