Follow Your Passionate Heart
"We get by with a little help from our
friends..."
John Lennon and Paul McCartney
I just got back from the three-day Inspired Fundraising
Retreat 2017. To say it made an impact on me would be a gross understatement.
Imagine yourself in a room of nearly 100 passionate people, each representing a
small to medium-sized nonprofit. Each works with different missions and
different types of clients. Some focus on helping people move beyond poverty.
Some help children in the U.S.
or other parts of the world. Some are faith-based. Some focus on veterans.
Others focus on providing shelter and adoption for animals of all ages. Some
help people learn job skills. Others focus on helping those with special needs.
Some of the organizations represented were just getting started. Some had been
in existence for many years.
It was a really diverse group of people and organizations.
But they all had several things in common that became apparent almost immediately:
·
They all want to do good works in whatever arena
they'd envisioned
·
They all are incredibly passionate and
determined
·
They are all generous and cared about others
(including each other)
·
They all have inspirational stories to tell
about what their organization has done or is doing for their clients (humans
and animals)
·
They all are determined to survive and thrive
Yes, this was a conference about fund-raising in nonprofit
organizations, but it was about so much more. It awed me to see so many people who
share their programs daily with their clients. People who are determined to
improve some small part of our world. These are people making a difference.
Sandy Rees, a friend and colleague of mine from Get Fully
Funded, put on this conference to share practical information and to give the
participants opportunities to learn and practice what they learned. They learned to improve and share everything
from their "elevator speeches" about their organization, to how to
take care of their donors, to how to increase their fund-raising so that they
could do more good works. They learned how to plan their fund-raising, and how
to evaluate its success. One organization won a $1000 grant from Sandy in a Shark Tank-like competition.
Another coach and I were there to help explain the concept
of mindset and how important it is to
success or failure. Most importantly, we were there to help them learn
practical strategies for harnessing their mindset so that if they do have any
mindset limitations getting in the way, they'd know how to do something about
them.
I'll be following up with just about everybody I talked
with, to help them begin the process of getting rid of the mindset limitations
through a one-to-one phone call I offered anybody who was interested. For free.
That's not because I'm so wonderful, but it's because I felt it was the least I could do. In the face of so much
dedication, passion, and hard work, I want to help support these people and
their organizations.
While you may not work in a nonprofit organization, I'll bet
you give to causes you believe in. I only hope you understand just how very important
your support is. No matter how much or how little you give, it makes a
difference. A big difference. It may save someone's life. It may make someone's
life a bit better. You contributions may be combined with others to keep
supporting that organization's programs and clients. It will be put to good
use. If you can't help financially, you can offer to volunteer your time.
Nonprofits and their programs depend on the kindness of strangers as well as
friends. What better way to go from being a stranger to becoming a friend?
In this world, which is so divided, supporting organizations
that have the good of others in their mind and actions is a great way to do
your small part to help a small corner of the world to heal. If we each do our
part and join with others for the good of our world or small portion of it, we
all can make a difference.
If you want to make a difference, but aren't sure what organization
to donate your time or money to, feel free to contact me at Linda@InnerResourceCenter.com or call
me at (865) 983-7544. We can talk about what types of causes you are most drawn
to, and hopefully, I can help you figure out how you can make a difference.
Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a
personal and business coach in Maryville, TN. Nineteen years ago, she
created a vision that brought her across the country to create a new
business and a new chapter to her life. She has spent nearly 40 years
helping people overcome their obstacles to living a satisfying and
successful life, first as a psychologist, and later as a
personal/business coach. For more information go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com to find resources to transform YOUR life.
FIND YOUR HEART'S PASSION.
Find YOUR resources at The Inner Resource Center, LLC