Day 198

Anyone will tell you that there are "secrets" to success in any given field - though one field that gets overlooked pretty often is data entry. But there's a secret for that, too - well, probably more than one.

The one I am thinking of today is the secret that... we're all the same. Whether you're dealing with a gift in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or a gift of fifty dollars, the donors are the same aside from their personal wealth. Who's to say that the fifty dollar gift isn't in fact more significant? 

Perhaps the wealthy donor can barely use the large gift as a tax write-off because s/he is "valued" in the millions or billions. The poor donor, however, gives fifty dollars a year - not because it's easy, but because s/he believes the cause is necessary. To this person, fifty dollars would go a long way - maybe for gas to take the kids to school. Maybe for an extra week of groceries for the family. And yet, the choice - the sacrifice - is made in order to support a worthy cause. 

To be fair, maybe the wealthy donor has made a real sacrifice as well. Who is to say? The point is this: In the non-profit world, there is a huge emphasis on The Major Donor. While this is important, I hope the Industry doesn't forget about the little guys - the ones who write their checks thinking "Well, it's going to be a little tight this month because of the donation, but it's well worth it."

What is the true "Value" of a gift?

Day 192

Today there was a workshop on furthering a career in my field. There was a panel of experts, and some interesting talking points. I felt like a little kid, with the "What did you learn today?" quiz at the end of the school day... only there was no snack to go with my answer. Anyway, here are the highlights.

• Always ask: What can I do to help [Company]
• There's a difference between working in your business and working on your business. (Basically, one is just doing the work to get a paycheck, and the other is working to improve the company).
• Work someplace that you can believe in.
• Quality of life starts with you and moves outward. Treat yourself the way you want others to be treated!

Advice for newcomers:

• Don't take it (setbacks/refusals) personally.
• Pay attention to help from outside sources.
• Be in the moment with people.
• Tap into people's individual strengths.
• Find a mentor.

Overall it was a great and motivating meeting - my need for a break has diminished to a dull ache instead of a desperate need.

 - WG

Day 191

It's been 6 months and 10 days since I was hired at Workplace, and I am once again shocked by the "other side" of the economic pyramid, though maybe not as shocked as I could be. After all, I've been at this non-profit gig for a while, and have developed a bit of a buffer between me and the depression that looms overhead, brought on by the realization that many of the people whose accounts I see every day could easily pay my salary plus some with what they give to charity in a quarter.

I am considering putting myself out there as a charity - just to see if anyone will fund my charity for a while. I really only need three times my annual salary to pull myself out of the hole. Is that really too much to ask? But I suppose I would have to show something in return for the help, and right now I do well to put a five in the basket every week. I never even won an award at a talent show, so really I don't know what I would tell people that they could expect in return for their investment.

Donations today totaled in the hundreds of thousands. Today. Of course, today is not an average day, but the fact that it's possible makes me think longingly of the bottle of cheap wine that sits in my pantry.

All I need to do is win the lottery.

OK, first step is to scrape up the money for a lottery ticket. Then win the lottery.