What is the Heart of Fundraising?

Hi everyone,

I hope October is off to a wonderful start.   I really enjoy the fall, but I also really enjoy warm weather!  Something we in the Midwest begin to lose in October.  One exciting thing about the fall is it is a time that we have a heavier focus on providing opportunities to give.  More opportunities to connect people in relationship with us to things that matter to them.  Remember, relationships matter and the fall is all about relationships.   It reminds me of some research that was started by Harvard in 1938 and still continues. 

In 1938, researchers at Harvard University asked a vital question that remains highly relevant today: 

What are the factors that determine if a person leads a healthy and happy life?

To answer this, the researchers began a long-term study involving 268 Harvard sophomores, whose ranks included a future president, John F. Kennedy. Eventually, the participants’ spouses and children were added to the study, which continues to this day.
What did the scientists determine, after decades of research, was the most important factor for whether a person lives a happy and healthy life?

Relationships.

“The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health,” Robert Waldinger, director of the study and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, told the Harvard Gazette. “Taking care of your body is important but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too. That, I think, is the revelation.”

Relationships are not just limited to friends and family but include those who allow me to be part of something bigger than myself, that I may not otherwise be able to fulfill.  Your cause.  As we listen to the podcast this month, remember relationships.  As you provide opportunities for people to make a difference by being part of something bigger than themselves, always remember the relationship.  

Behind every volunteer, every donor, every staff member, every partner, and every board member, is a person and a person is a relationship.  

Have a great October,
Jamie