A colleague suggested that I add a statement about what you can expect while working with me to my site. Here are one day’s musings on that topic.
We’re doing serious work. You’re worried about your funding. There is a lot about funding that is not in the least bit fun.
However, creativity and fresh thinking thrive on joy and trust in ourselves. Keeping hope in focus requires allowing it space to shake off the weight so it can soar.
My jokes about chocolate are only half-jokes. There’s a reason chocolate belongs in fundraising. I have proof going back to a long-ago phonathon room, where a fun assortment of snacks set the tone for reaching out across the miles to reconnect with alumnae. We made it a party because connecting with others requires energy.
On some days, the mission is heavier than others. The application form is more tedious than usual, the required budget template is even more strangely designed. The need is so great right now that we can’t believe we have to stop and fill in the field about our long-range plans using only 250 characters. These are exactly the times at which we need to pause to refill our own cups. To know that we are here, we are whole, we are loved, we are enough.
You are doing work that is so important that you cannot let it drag you down. I admire the Brits who know that stopping for a cup of tea is the first step in coping with difficulty. Tell me about how one of your participants or clients is doing now, and how they are helping to change the story for others. When all else fails, there are pet photos. Please don’t let our meeting make you miss your yoga class.
My role as a consultant is to bring fresh energy when you need a boost. Coming from outside of the day-to-day duties of your organization, I can see in your eyes when you need to stop for chocolate.
We are going to accomplish the hard things. You don’t have to do it alone. You have your colleagues, your board, your volunteers, the folks at your local sandwich shop, and me, your friendly grant writer. It’s going to be ok.
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