Fundraising Update: Giving and Giving Thanks

During this week of thanksgiving, I want to say a very heartfelt “thank you.” Thank you for not only all the fundraising, rabble rousing, letter writing, meeting wrangling, and community cow poking you do, but also for your spirited partnership. For the amazing vision, passion, and commitment you bring to the world every day. For the stand you make for mothers and children, for families, and communities. For the lives you’ve changed, the peopled you’ve inspired, and the legacy you are leaving with each passing day. You truly are everyday heroes. Thank you so much for allowing all of us on staff to have the great good fortune to call you our colleagues, our friends, and our partners. Please know, this week and every week how thankful we are for all of you — and never doubt that you are the heart and soul of this amazing organization.

As we head into this holiday many of us will take stock of the beauty of our everyday lives — the ups and downs, the highs and lows. And for many of us, on the top of the heap of the things to be thankful for — up there with our friends and family, good health, and security — is our participation with RESULTS and REF. We are thankful that someone took the risk to tell us about this amazing organization that has allowed us to find one of our greatest gifts of all — our voices. This gift has allowed us to stand boldly and demand what we know is right — a safe, healthy, prosperous world for everyone, no matter where they live on earth.

And the truth is your courage and tenacity never ceases to amaze me. I want to give a shout out to a few of our fabulous fundraising folks in Colorado, Marion, Marty, and Camille, who will be sending out postcards for their Friends and Family Campaign to their donor base. Their postcard will be a follow up to our national office’s annual fundraising appeal letter that will go out this week. It’s that personal touch and a reminder from a trusted friend that could mean the difference in someone supporting RESULTS/REF or not writing that check at all. These are rough times for a lot of folks and they are going to be looking hard at the donations they make this year — your letter, postcard, or call could make all the difference.

So as we sweat, grit our teeth, and suffer a few sleepless nights over writing our Friends and Family letters, or hosting a small house party to fund the work we love so much, I ask you to remember the joy you felt when someone presented you with the opportunity to become a part of RESULTS — either as a donor or an activist — and I ask that you act from that place of joy and passion. And remember, when your stomach starts grumbling and your palms are getting sweaty, there is no way to fail when one person raises their voices to bring dignity to another.

On this Thanksgiving, thank you for all you do to bring dignity, hope, and kindness to your community, and our world.

For support in your fundraising effort please contact Stacy Carkonen.