November is a mixed month for nonprofit fundraisers. We thrive on gratitude.
And yet, the to-do list is longer than a government RFP. Appeal letters, newsletters, emails, social media posts, and website updates to go with all of them. We have year-end worries about making budget goals that extend Halloween scares through the season. Our friends on the program side and all of our clients are counting on us to make it happen. No pressure or anything.
I urge my fellow fundraisers to remember that there is another side to November, and it’s not just taking a well-deserved nap after filling up on pie. November is for regathering ourselves before winter. Nature looks inward and calls us to find a quiet space.
The store shelves have moved past orange and purple straight into red and green. We may be forgiven for forgetting this season of softer colors embraced by browns.
I’m thinking especially of my friends in small shops around the country. You really are doing it all. Please, please, don’t forget to be grateful for your most vital resource: yourself.
Take the Thanksgiving break as a real break with your loved ones. Watch a parade and appreciate all the people who organized it without you having to lift a finger. Pull out the decorations or wait longer — I won’t judge! Breathe the brisk air and remember that every day has the possibility for renewal.
You have totally earned that post-pie nap. Carry on, nonprofit unicorns.
Image: homemade apple and pumpkin pies from my kitchen. Keeping it real with no stock photos.
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