Giving Feels Good

One of my priest friends likes to use the term, "give until it feels good." When I first heard this from him, I was less than fully supportive, I must say. The fund raiser in me worried that perhaps such an approach would enable people to make token gifts that would fall short of what would be necessary for full success. It struck me initially as a 'feel good" bromide rather than a prescription for campaign success.

However, as that particular campaign unfolded, it became clear that the words did resonate with many people. Certainly, any non-profit needs to propose giving levels to prospects so that mutual understanding of needs and goals is established and maintained. Given that, though, I was pleasantly surprised by how often that simple term, 'give until it feels good," kept coming up in conversations with both donors and volunteers.

Upon reflection I realized that my initial impressions failed to account for what we've long long known is the most important stimulant to making a donation - EMOTION! Giving is fundamentally an emotional action. A gift may, and in fact should, have an analytical and practical component, but we lead with the heart.

I think this has special relevance for us today given our economic circumstances. The pressures of our 401ks and our stock market portfolios has perhaps blinded us to the fact that our forebears who built magnificent churches and schools didn't worry about either one because they didn't have them in the first place, in most cases. Lest we forget, the lifespan of our ancestors was considerably shorter and most of them wouldn't see much time in retirement. Yet they gave money for causes larger than themselves.

A good friend of mine related a story to me a few years back and it was so compelling to me that I shared it with her fellow parishioners in a campaign in Connecticut. She was an early and eager donor to our campaign despite facing some economic challenges in her own life. She was happy to give generously, however, and told me she felt it was a privilege to do so! She explained that as a small child , she would often go to church with her grandmother. Her grandmother was a woman of very modest means, but even in those years always gave my friend a five dollar bill to toss in the collection basket each week at Mass. That young child grew into an adult with an appreciation for how important such stewardship was but also for how good it made her feel to share from her substance. Obviously, both she and her grandmother could have found other uses for the five bucks - they weren't awash in material goods - but making the sacrifice felt good.

I've been with the Cunneen Company raising money for over ten years and I have worked with over 2,800 volunteers in that time. I've not once ever had a donor say to me that they've regretted making a gift nor has one ever reported hearing such a sentiment from one of the people from whom they've sought a gift. No, giving is its own reward - in good times and bad.

So, rather than anguishing over our situation, let's remember the good advice offered in the book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus if you are using the Douay -Rheims translation) in chapter 30, verses 21-24 - "Do not give in to sadness, torment not yourself with brooding; gladness of heart is the very life of a man, cheerfulness prolongs his days. Distract yourself, renew your courage, drive resentment far away from you; for worry has brought death to many, nor is there aught to be gained from resentment. Envy and anger shorten one's life, worry brings about premature old age."