Who’s Counting The Years?
Congratulations to Reinier Spruit, who a few days ago celebrated his 15th Anniversary as a fundraiser.
He celebrated by publishing his list of 18 Ingredients for Successful Fundraising, lessons learned so far in his illustrious career at organisations from Medecins Sans Frontiers Holland to Greenpeace International. It’s a list we would all do well to embrace.
But many Agitator readers know of Reinier through the 101fundraising blog he co-founded just over five years ago … a ‘crowdblog’ on fundraising.
As Tom Ahern put it on 101’s fifth birthday, “There are exactly three blogs I feel guilty skipping because I know I’ve cheated myself and my clients. 101fundraising is one of those three essentials.”
Reinier’s celebration of 15 years at the mast got us thinking.
In a sector with so much turnover and ‘in and outers’, should we do more as a profession to celebrate longevity?
Is there — should there be — a place somewhere, an honour roll, a roster at least of fundraisers who stick with it, make a life of it … retaining the enthusiasm so evident in Reinier?
And what’s the minimum service to celebrate and note — 10 years, 15, or (no disrespect to youthful Reinier’s 15 years), 20 or 25?
Of course we’re making a big assumption here — that fundraisers improve with age like fine wine.
Your opinions please.
Congratulations Reinier, you get an Agitator raise.
Roger and Tom
3 responses to “Who’s Counting The Years?”
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Thanks for the post today my fundraising friends!
I do believe “fundraisers improve with age like fine wine”, but only if they are willing to keep learning, which is essential for personal development.
I also strongly believe that the problems in this world that we’re trying to solve with our causes can only be tackled if we commit ourselfs to this beautiful sector.
To paraphrase part of a story told by Kumi Naidoo (IED Greenpeace International):
“The biggest contribution you can make to the cause of justice and humanity? It’s not giving your life, but giving the rest of your life. The struggle for justice is a marathon, not a sprint. And the biggest contribution that any one of us can make is maintaining a lifetime of involvement until we win those struggles.”
(http://www.reinier.fr/blog/The-struggle-for-justice-is-a-marathon)
Cheers!
Reinier
My vote on the longevity honor roll? YES!!! For one thing, it would give True Yearners something to aspire to (I’m talking to you, Ashley). CFRE asks for a 5-year minimum.
In a related story: one of the neatest innovations I’ve encountered in the convention of listing donors is from Tad Ames, super-ED at the Berkshire Natural Resources Council. BNRC is saving nature. Recognizing that that’s a long-term project, Tad lists BNRC’s donors NOT by how much they give, but by how many YEARS they’ve given. So cool.
Thanks for passing along BNRC’s approach, Tom. Not only is it cool but perhaps it would help an org get a baby-step closer to that “donor-centric” ethic so often espoused but …