Hands-On Fundraising

Donor Communications

  • About
  • Hands-On Fundraising Blog
  • Services
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Blog / I’m no hero and neither are you

I’m no hero and neither are you

I’m no hero, but I’m trying to do it all right now.

I bet you know what I mean. Year-end is especially busy for those of us who raise money for nonprofits. It’s the high holy season of giving, and if we’re not ever present in our donors’ consciousness, we risk losing support.

If we do what we know we’re supposed to do, we’re already:

  • Communicating with our donors throughout the year.
  • Developing a compelling message with real emotion and urgency.
  • Gathering enough information from and about our donors to segment our lists effectively.
  • Creating an engaging social media presence.
  • Using email to regularly update our donors on the impact of their gifts.
  • Crafting a compelling year-end appeal and follow-up efforts.
  • Thanking our donors promptly and often for their support.
  • Getting grant proposals in on deadline.
  • Cultivating corporate sponsorships.

What else am I missing?

I’m really feeling the pressure this year. Mine is a new position at my organization, so I’m also trying to align everyone at the organization with a fundraising mindset. Oh, and converting our Excel mailing list to a database.

The thing is, most of the pressure is self-inflicted. I know it needs to be done, therefore I need to do it.

And as I realize how foolish that sounds, I wonder: how many organizations do the same thing? How many of our nonprofits have a bit of a hero complex? Do we send a message – unwittingly – that we’re extraordinarily competent and we don’t need help?

That we’ve got this?

We have to loosen our grip if we want to make room for other people to help. And that’s really what we’re supposed to be doing, isn’t it?

I’m going to try to make more room in my life for my life. I’ll try to let my best be enough. It wasn’t going to be perfect anyway. I’m going to ask other people to help. And I’m going to think about that as I create messaging for my donors.

Because in the end, it’s not about me. It’s not even about my organization. It’s about the people we serve and the people who help them.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • More
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Related

Filed Under: Blog, Caring for yourself, Donors Tagged With: Donors, Fundraising, help, individual giving, Nonprofit, Nonprofit organization 2 Comments

Fundraising advice served fresh to your inbox

Get yours here:

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Comments

  1. Beth says

    November 12, 2013 at 9:27 pm

    So spot on to the messaging of Brene Brown (Daring Greatly, The Gifts of Imperfection). We cannot do it all. And actually so many of our organizations were originally started by volunteers, why not let the donor/ volunteers help? This is a perfect post for this time of year Great post!

    Reply
    • Mary Cahalane says

      November 12, 2013 at 9:53 pm

      Thanks, Beth.

      Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Fundraising advice served fresh to your inbox

Get yours here:

Search

Recent Posts

  • Boost Your Year-End Fundraising: 4 Financial Management Tips
  • Human. Connection.
  • Maximising Small Donations: How to Inspire Supporters to Give More
  • Why you should be creating a donor newsletter
  • What if you can’t afford a copywriter?

Work with me!

Let's talk about how I can help your organization raise more money.

Contact

  • Donor communications
  • Fundraising Strategy

Copyright © 2025 · Mary Cahalane · Hands-On Fundraising · 847 S. Main Street · #183 · Plantsville, CT 06479