Never Forget this One Simple Fundraising Truth
Today’s Fundraising Friday is brought to you by three simple words:
Giving. Is. Fun.
Have you ever met an unhappy generous person?
I haven’t.
Why?
Because giving is fun!
True story.
The joy that comes from generosity is one of life’s most profound yet underappreciated secrets.
But sometimes we forget.
We assume we’re bothering people.
We avoid asking.
And we unintentionally suck the joy out of one of the most pure sources of goodness any human can experience.
Our hesitation robs everyone involved of a chance to participate in something truly meaningful.
When someone gives, their brain is flooded with what scientists call the happy hormones: dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin!
These aren’t just feel-good chemicals … they’re the body’s way of reinforcing behaviors that connect us to our deeper humanity.
In other words, the act of generosity has the same impact on your brain chemistry as:
Eating your favorite food, while listening to your favorite song, while walking along your favorite beach, while laughing with your favorite friend, exercising, while somehow also lounging on your favorite couch, eating a bowl of your favorite ice cream that magically has the nutritional value of broccoli, while reading your favorite book, and snuggling with a loved one.
I’ll take one larger order of that please.
When you invite someone to give, you’re inviting them to experience ALL OF THAT JOY AND GOODNESS at the same time and then some!
Why in the world would you ever deny someone that experience?
It’s like having front row tickets to a U2 concert and keeping them in your drawer. (Please don’t get me started on my love for U2. This is neither the time nor the place for it.)
Remember this the next time you’re about to invite someone to give (the part about generosity, not U2).
You’re not awkwardly trying to get someone to do something painful. You are extending a genuine invitation to joy.
If you can remember this one simple truth, you’ll make the entire experience better for everyone involved.
Giving is fun. People want to give. But they still haven’t found what they’re looking for.
Your job? Help them climb those highest mountains and scale those city walls until they find it.
Happy Friday Friends! Enjoy the music now stuck in your head.
-Michael
