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?