Working in fundraising is all about staying motivated by your mission to help your cause. As I have spoken about in other posts sometimes you hit a wall and you have to keep pushing. Raising support for your organization can have some really great moments but it also takes a lot of personal will when things are not going the way you would like. Here are a few things I do to stay motivated.
- Talk with one of your clients or program staff and get a story about your organization from them. This is a great way to reconnect to the mission (see Great Donor Stories).
- Take a walk, grab a cup of coffee, or say a quick prayer. Anything that gives you a break from your daily work and allows you to take a deep breath and refocus. I often get so bogged down by the details that it helps to clear my head and then reengage.
- Take a Lunch. This forces you to interact with other co-workers and get away from your desk.
- Keep a paragraph from a favorite book or a verse of scripture at hand that reminds you why you do what you do.
- Have a quick chat with a co-worker. If you like your co-workers take a couple of minutes to hear from them about their work. This can help you see momentum in other fundraising areas and, if you like your co-workers, is a great way to improve your mood.
Do you have any tricks or tools you use to stay motivated? Let me know I’d love to use them myself.
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Reviewing my work plan seems to motivate me. I like that by the year end our plan is dog eared and used – and some of those reviews are simply to get everyone fired up to come good on all we promised to achieve.