Unlimited  

I checked something off my bucket list last week. I spent my Thanksgiving week in New York City. I’ve always wanted to visit NYC at Christmastime and it was magical. The window displays were far better than my imagination could ever venture--yes, even my imagination! I got a kick out of the Rockettes in what was truly a spectacular show. But the cherry on top was going to the Gershwin Theater to see the emerald-green Elphaba befriend the bubbly-blonde Galinda (pronounced Glinda, the Ga is silent) to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the Broadway production of Wicked. Experiences like that will change you for the better. Enjoying them at Christmastime in the electric New York City will change you for good.

The Land of Oz is full of much innuendo and outuendo, as you will quickly discover.  The music is swankified and the dichotomy of Glinda and Elphaba was so cleverly written.  Seriously, the genius behind this Wonderful Wizard of Oz prequel encouragerizes my own creativity and reminds me that things aren’t always what they seem. We’re so conditioned to accept the good vs. evil storyline. We make assumptions early on that Glinda must be good--how could someone who wears so much glitter be wicked?  And how could someone as hideoteous as Elphaba be wonderful?

Yet, as the yellow brick road unwinds, the writers of Wicked remind us that we should really be concentrating on something much more important— how, together, we can be thrillifyingly greater than any one of us is alone. Unlimited. Together we’re unlimited. We learn this throughout Wicked, but especially in the lyrics between Glinda and Elphaba in the song For Good.

I think you all know that the world is filled with Glinda’s and Elphaba’s. But what makes us strong is not who we are individually, but how we help each other. There’s great power in realizing “That people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them. And we help them in return.” If you are in the nonprofit world, you know this. You live this. You do this. You love this.

As this holiday season is officially in full swing, be encouragerized that you’re communicating an important missional message to your donors. Remember that what makes you strong is who you are collectively and how you help each other. 

Those donors are in your circle of influence for a reason; there is something they must learn.  And you can teach them! You know they're generous, but they might not know about those you serve and how they need help. You have this chance to be a philanthropic e-Harmony. You get the privilege and honor of introducing the most generous people in your community to the most worthy causes/recipients. With braverism, you sit between both groups of people who simply don’t know enough about each other yet.  And once this introduction is made the results truly are unlimited.

However, that means that you need to break through the holiday noise. The email boxes filled with receipts for online purchases, ads for every store they’ve ever shopped at and dozens they’ve never even heard of. Then there’s Christmas cards filling mailboxes, holiday parties, decorating, get-togethers, and baking—all the baking. It’s all so hectic and confusifying. How can you possibly compete? First, get past your own ennui; if you’re bored with what you’re sending them, they will be too. If you wouldn’t want to receive what you’re sending, don’t send it—stamps are too expensive to be immediately recycled. That’s disrespecation to stamps, postal workers, and the entire recycling process!

And in the spirit of being stampworthy, please don’t send your mass mail to every living and breathing ‘or current resident’ in a 50-mile radius. Find your people. Remind them how you can help them help someone they don’t know or may never meet—simply because they appreciate their plight.

You, my friend, know the unlimited potential between need and generosity. This ‘giving season’ as they say, is the best time to tell that story and it’ll be over in a clock-tick.  After all, your request might involve money, but that’s only a means to an end. It’s not about the transaction, it’s about the transformation. How can you help them help others? That’s a big job. But when you do it well, when you communicate that gap between need and generosity to those who have an affinity for what you do and the capacity to do something about it, they will all be changed for good.

Sinceriously,

Dawn
[email protected]
dawn brown creative, llc. 

Note:  I added a few Oz-isms to my blog today…hope you enjoyed them.  I’m very Ozmopolitan that way.