For What You are About to Receive, Give Thanks

During Thanksgiving week, the feeling of wanting to help others resonates clearly. We enter what is known as the Giving Season. At the Community Foundation, this is a time of year when we send out more grant checks than usual. As I sign the checks, I reflect on the personal feelings, and goodwill made with every gift. Occasionally charities ask us to recommend their organization to our fund holders. I explain that giving is very personal. Almost all of our fundholder know what causes they wish to support. The charities that receive their grants resonate in their heart and head. It is meeting a need that stirs them to give. Believe me; every contribution is important to the donor. Yesterday I sat down with a very generous gentleman. He cares about charities that relate to his childhood experiences and to his understanding of how to make the lives better for youth in this community. The Community Foundation has had the pleasure of helping him discover where to give to satisfy his philanthropic goals. One charity serving our community will receive a $5,000 check from him this week. I hope they will take the time to send him a gift acknowledgment, include a personal note, and an invitation to visit. It is important that a charity think of a gift as a message of care and hope that conveys a personal connection the donor feels with the charity. I cannot emphasize this enough. Earlier this week I met with a donor who is concerned about the way charities respond to his gifts. He, more than most, requires that an organization not only thank him for his gift but also stay in touch and honor his requests for periodic updates. I don’t think that is too much to ask. Believe me, if a charity is responsive and connected he will send more money. The monetary gifts are an expression of his desire to help others. He just wants to know that his contributions are appreciated, and helping. I wish you and your families and loved ones the very best this Thanksgiving and hope that it is the beginning of your Giving Season. Please join me in giving and thanking others for all they do to make our community a better place. If you work for a charity, it is the time to make some calls. Consider inviting a few donors in for a visit. Share the impact you are making with your donors. Call me If you would like more information or to join us in our work in the community, Chris Askin, President, and CEO 775-762-1932 Connecting people who care with causes that matter