110: A Great Present

"...We must not consider how great presents are, but in what spirit they are given..."

This week, I am reading a story and quote from On Benefits by Seneca the Younger, published in 59 AD.

Reflection questions:

• Consider the volunteers you interact with, how are you going beyond thanking them for their time and instead honoring the gift of their own self?

• How are we giving them an opportunity to grow and restore themselves into better versions of themselves?

Reflection on quote:

In the nonprofit world, we frequently use some form of the saying, Work, Wisdom, and Wealth, to refer to the various forms of generosity. With that first gift, work, we are seeing a decline in volunteerism.  So, let’s consider how to care for the generosity of time.  

From Seneca’s perspective, time is a gift of one’s self and of great price. In fundraising, we discuss the donor’s journey and how we are stewarding them. What is the donor journey for volunteers?  We have an opportunity to recognize these volunteers as some of our greatest donors.  We give them the circumstances to expand their sense of belonging, their community, and their knowledge. The circumstances for self growth. Finally, as our volunteers show up with joy, we can allow that attitude to permeate our organization’s culture.

This work has entered the public domain.

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Music credit: Woeisuhmebop