I dislike asking people to donate to my causes because I want them to do it because they want to, not because they feel obligated in any way. I choose causes because they mean something to me, so shouldn’t donations that are made work in the same way?
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Deciding to snow shoe as part of cross training today was far better than I could have expected it to be. Don’t get me wrong it was difficult, and far more difficult than just walking, but it was a great recharge for myself mentally. There is just something about being out in the wilderness and enjoying it’s natural beauty. There were so many deer and squirrel tracks around the trails that I was somewhat surprised I didn’t actually see any of nature’s creatures, but then again the trails were so hard packed that the snow shoes were a bit louder than usual that I am sure they were scared off.
Walking the trails allowed me to really digest various thoughts, and one of those was in regards to fundraising efforts. Let me just say, I HATE asking people to donate money. I may be in sales for my day job, and yes I take on a couple of fundraising efforts throughout the year, but I am NOT a fan of asking (slightly begging) people to donate money to these efforts, and I think I have realized why…
When you’re asked by someone to donate money, or purchase something from their kids who are fundraising you may feel an obligation depending on the relationship, whether co-worker, teammate, friend, family, or whoever. I sold plenty of Girl Scout cookies growing up (with the help of my mom, but I did go door-to-door) and magazine subscriptions, and even chicken BBQ tickets just to name a few. That’s different, people who are purchasing these items are receiving something in return. Asking someone to donate to a cause of some kind isn’t like that – there is no physical return on investment, not unless you count the inner feel-good-feelings to know that you are helping someone you just might never meet.
I dislike asking people to donate to my causes because I want them to do it because they want to, not because they feel obligated in any way. I choose causes because they mean something to me, so shouldn’t donations that are made work in the same way? I understand that what matters to me is different than the next person. Causes that are important to me range from homelessness, to cancer of any kind, HIV/AIDS, and so many more that I haven’t even tackled yet. I’ve talked before about noticing the difference in donations based on other people’s feelings. People are more likely to donate to something that personally affects them. Maybe homelessness isn’t important in 2016 because winter hasn’t been as harsh as it was in 2014 when I first ran this race and raised over $800 from people I personally knew. Numbers dropped last year, down to almost $600, even with it being one of the most brutally cold winters in history, and this year I am currently at $160 with less than a week to go before the race. Don’t get me wrong, no matter how much money I raise, I’ll still continue to tackle these causes because they remain important to me, and I’ll continue to post about these causes, asking for donations, but please only give if you find yourself moved. If you find something inside of you calling out telling you to do more.
I am sure there is more that I could share and write about all of this, and I knew I should stop in my tracks and get all of this written out when I was out on the trails this morning, but I found it more important to enjoy the moment with nature.
If you’d like to donate to help Freeze Out Homelessness, please click on the link below and then click on Donate Now in the top right corner.
http://rescuemission.donorpages.com/SyracuseFreezeOut5K2016/MonicaEverdyke2013/
