🎵Celebrate Good Times🎶

I remember the moment as if it happened yesterday.  Tim walked into my office with a big smile on his face.  He reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a check, and handed it to me. I was a little stunned. I took the check, put it in my shirt pocket, and gave him a big hug. Five days earlier I had resigned myself to the reality that we would not be getting a gift at all from Tim and his wife Kelley.

“Aren’t you going to look at it?” He was eager for me to see the amount. So I did and, again, was stunned. The check was for $50,000.

I looked at Tim. We both had tears in our eyes. He smiled broadly again when I asked my next question, “Alright man…where are we going to celebrate?”

That evening was spent at our favorite happy hour haunt on the Seattle waterfront. We laughed. We remembered. We talked about the future.  And, best of all, we celebrated together the privilege of partnering for an awesome impact.

That scene was close to six months in the making. I promise, in a future newsletter, to tell you the full story of the months leading up to Tim and Kelley’s gift. For now, I want to emphasize the impact of celebrating as a consistent part of fundraising team culture.

Celebrating fundraising accomplishments is more than just a feel-good moment; it’s an essential discipline that builds momentum, strengthens relationships, and reinforces the value of generosity and teamwork. When your organization wins a hard-fought grant or receives a second gift from a new major giver, it’s more than a financial boost—it’s a milestone that deserves acknowledgment and celebration.

‍Why Celebrate?

‍Celebration is an act of generosity in and of itself. It’s a form of recognition, and recognition is a powerful motivator. When you celebrate wins - big or small - with your team and givers, you’re acknowledging the hard work, dedication, and shared vision that made those wins possible. This recognition reinforces a culture of gratitude and keeps everyone connected to the mission, reminding them of the impact their efforts have on the cause they’re supporting.

‍Celebrating with Your Team‍

Your team is the backbone of all fundraising efforts. Their dedication deserves to be celebrated. Here are two simple ways to celebrate your team’s success:

🍕Take them out for a nice lunch or dinner. No talking shop. Just revel in the good work they’ve done and maybe offer a specific blessing to each one of them on how you appreciate their presence on the team.  Never forget this: words of blessing are a superpower of healthy leaders.  Extra credit: Take them on a fun excursion like a Caribbean cooking class.

🕺Ask a top giver to join your next team meeting. Ideally this would be in person, although a video or even a recorded message is effective. Have them express gratitude and encouragement directly to the team (especially those who are not typically front facing with givers).

‍Celebrating with Givers

‍Givers play a crucial role in the success of your organization. Celebrating their contribution is key to building long-term relationships. Here are two creative ways to celebrate with your givers:

📈Create a beautifully designed, personalized impact report that highlights the specific difference their gift has made. Include photos, testimonials, and stories from beneficiaries to bring their contribution to life. This should feel exclusive and tailored, showing their tangible impact. It’s not just a thank you; it’s a visual and emotional narrative that connects their giving to real-world outcomes.

🥂Invite them to a special experience, have a tasty meal, and raise a toast of gratitude and celebration. If possible, bring along a team member who is not typically front facing with givers.

Make Celebration a Habit

‍To truly embed a culture of celebration within your organization, it’s important to include it as a regular and consistent practice.

It’s not just about marking the end of a successful campaign; it’s about building a continuous loop of gratitude, recognition, and inspiration.

By doing so, you create an environment where everyone feels valued, motivated, and committed to the shared vision of your organization.

I genuinely celebrate you all and the great work you’re doing!  See you next week.

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If you haven't taken advantage of some of the resources I've created to help major gift fundraisers, take a look now!  Initial calls with me are free and "no strings attached".  Sometimes folks feel like they need to wait and not 'bother' me until they have a pressing issue.  No need for that...just make the call. 🕺

‍Here's where you can access a lot of content for free:

‍* Follow me on LinkedIn - You'll get short pro-tips and reflections on major gift fundraising every day between 5-7am pacific.

* Breakthru Newsletter - As you've seen here, these are longer weekly posts (audio and written) sent directly to your email.

* Breakthru Blog - the newsletter from the previous week gets posted here each week for everyone (so email subscribers get it a week early).

* Breakthru Podcast - Interviews with high net worth givers about how we as fundraisers can get better at inviting them to the party.  And audio readings of Breakthru Blog posts.

‍Before getting to the PAID stuff: My opinion is that no small ministry with a tight budget should be spending more than $3-5k (total) for major gift coaching/consulting.  Most of you will be good-to-go spending far less than that.  This was a major issue for me when I was a frontline fundraiser - major gift consultants were an expensive 'black-box-of-confusion' for me.  That stops now.

‍Here's the PAID stuff:

‍* Online Catalyst Course - This is a full brain dump of my 28+ years of experience - good, bad, ugly.  It's built around the fundamentals, the sacredness, and the fun, of major gift fundraising.  It's infused with Henri Nouwen reflections.  Many people can take this course and they will be 'cooking-with-gas' and not need any additional coaching from me on the core systems.  I'm grateful that this course has gotten *great* reviews.

* Live coaching with me - I refer to this as "brain rental".  The ROI on live coaching, as you might imagine, is extraordinary.

Finally, be sure to connect with my colleague Ivana Salloum.  She's super awesome and can help with scheduling and access to resources, etc.

I look forward to hearing about your good work!

Blessings,