This week I’m giving away a book!
You may remember this book, Inspiring Generosity, with tons of good quotes to help your donors give to you.
This post got over 4,500 unique visitors in the last couple months, and because it’s so popular, I’d love to give this book away!
Give me a good reason why you deserve this book in the comments below, and you could win it!
Here are some choice quotes from the book:
“Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain.” -Helen Keller
“If you can’t feed a hundred people then just feed one.” -Mother Teresa
“My piece of bread only belongs to me when I know that everyone else has a share and that no one starves while I eat.” -Leo Tolstoy
“Winter comes to ever one of us sooner or later. And every spring, just like clockwork, the garden is reborn. By the time we die the real question is, “What have we done to leave our garden better prepared for spring-someone else’s spring?” -George Vaillant
“By practicing true generosity you can come to see that there is no separation between the one who gives and the one who receives. In giving, one receives, and in receiving, one also gives.” -Frank Jude Boccio
“Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and your labor for others. . . and our very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.” -Walt Whitman
“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” -Albert Camus
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” -William James
“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have ligthted the flame within us. ” -Albert Schweitzer
If you get stuck on your thank you notes and don’t know what to write, this book can help you fill out some space to praise your donor’s generosity.
If you get stuck on the empty space in your enewsletters or donor quarterly newsletters, this book can help you praise your donors there as well.
If you want to add a quote to your next appeal letter, you will like this book.
It’s very convincing. If it had an ask at the end of it for a charity, I would bet that a lot of people would run out and give.
If you’re always looking for ways to convince people to be more generous to your cause, you might like this book.
If you’ve ever wanted to be more donorcentric, in short, this book can help you.
There are also longer stories interspersed in this book that are inspiring as well. And there are poems too.
Two thumbs up! This should be in any fundraiser’s library, simply for inspiration.
If you’d like to get this book, just write a comment below about why you deserve this book! Best comment wins!
I am a fairly new director of a non-profit providing services for victims/survivors of domestic violence & sexual assault. We operate a 33 bed shelter in addition to mom-residential services for 4 counties. I supervise 35 staff and do not have an assistant or a secretary. It is vital for me to use every minute of my day efficiently. Quotes can be so impacrful in connecting individuals to one’s work. This book would make my time devoted to fundraising even more efficient & effective and in the long run benefitting those I serve.
Your quotes are wonderful. I am mentoring non profits in my city, Alexandria, VA and will definitely advise them about your work and books.
It’s not just for our donors, but to remind us why we work for non-profits in the first place. Honestly because I also need inspiration.
This book would be a valued resource. Each day I select a quote to include on the bottom of my emails. Every day I change the quote. The quote is an extension of my personality. It is a way to share encouragement and light. My profession is business development (sales) so I reach out to many people that don’t know me or what I do. Quotes help make a connection and initiate a common bond that can result in a relationship!
Let me introduce you to a friend of mine – education. Education knows no boundaries. Education is blind. It crosses all demographics (gender, race, religion, nationality, height, weight, healthy, disabled). Education is not biased or intolerant. It doesn’t care who or what you are or what you look like. It just wants to find a home. And it never expires or runs out. It is as old as this planet and will continue as long after we’re gone.
The cost of attending college is out of control. That means it is getting more and more difficult to introduce people to my friend, education. As a fundraiser, I try to combat this by raising money for scholarships. By raising scholarship money, I make a difference for many young people and their families – many who are first generation college students and many who wouldn’t be able to attend college without scholarships.
There are tons of worthy causes, but I feel there is nothing more important than educating someone. I am always looking for ways to raise more money so I can bring more people into the fold of becoming educated, and your book will be just the ticket I need.
When I was in my teens, my father told me, “You might lose your job. You might lose your home. You might lose your health. You might even lose your wife. But the one thing that can never be taken from you is your education. That is yours to keep forever.”
I am in the middle of my first major gift campaign for our rural hospice agency to reduce debt for our inpatient facility. I love this post and these quotes. I need all the help “inspiring generosity” I can get!
Would love the book on inspiring generosity and to be added to mailing list.
I have enjoyed reading your letters and seeing you in the midst of different events. I do run a not-for-profit Christian Camp and Retreat Centre, and have for the last 23 years. I am a learner and want to always grow so that my ministry here continues to grow.
I use quotes often, even each of my 30 staff get a quote from me when they leave each summer. I hope is reflects upon their character and will give them hope, or courage to go forth and make a difference.
If I do not win this book I will most certainly buy it! Thanks for being you!
I have been at my current job for just over one year. Our major giving program is depressing at best. I have been working diligently to liven it up and turn it around. This book would give me the tools and encouragement that I need to do just that! Mazarine, I need your advice!
I would love to receive your book of treasures to help me convey how we feel about our donors, volunteers and friends at Livingston County Catholic Charities. Sometimes words escape us as we try to show people how truly thankful we are for their blessings that they bestow on us.
I often find myself googling inspirational quotes for my thank you letters and annual reports. While those quotes are usually “thank you” oriented, I would love to find just the right quote to motivate people to give for my next appeal letter. As a one-woman shop, having quotes available at my finger tips would be a big time saver. Plus, you’ve got me curious about the stories too.
Please, pick me!
This book is the closest thing to a professional fundraiser our organization would have – please help build our skills and resources!
We have a very new development group. This book would be a great resource in helping us market our mission of helping those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.
Mazarine – As of 2016, I’ll be off and running into the world of donor development and full blown fundraising. For 12 years, I have been doing two “friend-raising” events and one annual appeal to connect with donors. No staff. No time for donor relations. I have also been the marketing person doing annual reports, newsletters and advertising. NO more! I now have a marketing specialist, a fundraising and events coordinator and soon a database assistant! How great to be able to focus on donors finally! How great to be able to now connect one on one with the people that I know who have supported us over the years! Already, I have learned from your webinars as well as your email blogs. How great to be able to get more info from your book to guide me on the path to success! Thanks for your sharing your experience & insight!
We are really growing fast and need to develop a year round fundraising model. We’re working on it and a lot of new materials, so this would be a great resource!
In the non-profit world we are constantly trying to inspire our donors and volunteers. Even though this is the job, it can be discouraging. I could use, Inspiring Generosity, for my own inspirations and when my muse has left me.
I just started in my role as a fundraiser for non-profit this year! Help! I’m over my head and need all the help I can get! We want to end sexual exploitation in Canada, so we’re going to need tons of champions and supporters for this cause. I need to inspire their generosity. So, would you generously provide me with this resource? 🙂
I need this book! I’m sending out handwritten thank you cards to donors every day, and need to keep things fresh. I enclose a new “success story” with each, and would love to include pertinent quotes to give “punch” to stories. Every time mid-donors give, they receive these cards, so I need to keep getting things new, personal, inspiring and convincing.
Thank you.
Mary Quilliam,
Mazarine, inspiration and fresh ideas are so important to keep us fundraisers going. It is great to see your willingness to share your expertise with others. I look forward to reading the book.
I need this book! I’m sending out handwritten thank you cards to donors every day, and need to keep things fresh. I enclose a new “success story” with each, and would love to include pertinent quotes to give “punch” to stories. Every time mid-donors give, they receive these cards, so I need to keep getting things new, personal, inspiring and convincing.
Thank you.
Mary Quilliam,
I work in a small performing arts and arts education nonprofit organization where I do my best to help my co-workers understand how to inspire generosity. If you were so kind as to select me to get this book, I’d share the book with my co-workers, help them inspire generosity and, together, we’d use the book to inspire generosity in San Antonio arts patrons. ARTS San Antonio is known for attracting diverse and youthful arts audiences and for providing arts education in urban schools without an arts curriculum.
Our precious people with profound disabilities who cannot walk, talk, feed or diaper themselves need funds for their fabulous day program. I want to help raise money to support their program.
The Bill Traylor Family Foundation strives to broaden public understanding of the history of Bill Traylor through multifaceted programs: annual Bill Traylor commemorations known as “it jus came to me” days of remembrance; distribution of education materials and teacher resources; a variety of public programming designed to enhance understanding of Bill Traylor and his art and related issues, including those of contemporary significance; exhibitions; research and publication; collecting and preserving material evidence, art and artifacts related to Bill Traylor. Clearly stated, we need, “Inspiring Generosity.”
When it comes to Fundraising, I’m new. Only volunteering for Compassion International has given me insight into my new position at Food For the Poor. Over the last three years, I have been searching for more feedback on how to do this job better. Connecting and communicating with people was never an issue for me, however, long term relationships with Donors to raise more money for our work seems more difficult and less than impactful for me. As Les Brown says – In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact. How can I use EVERY one of those minutes to be a positive connection at this Charity. Please help me – I believe your book, “Inspiriing Generosity”, will help be grown to be a great asset to this charity I love. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to receive your book
Your book would help us to better steward our donors. We are trying to move our local hopice organization from a reactive fundraising organization to a proactive fundraising organization. The steps are small but we want to do a better job of thanking our donors both big and small.
The truth is there are thousands of worthy organizations that need your help. Reading the other posts, I am humbled by the great things they are doing. This book would help motivate any of these groups. But, as Mother Teresa said, “If you can’t feed a hundred people then just feed one.”
Why do you want to donate “Inspiring Generosity” to Show-Me Christian Youth Home?
…It helps YOU make the biggest IMPACT possible.
Your $20 donation will be part of the catalyst to motivate children in this generation to become beacons of hope to their struggling families and future communities. Think about it…each quote in the book provides a seed of inspiration, which becomes the inner fuel to help each child to keep moving forward.
…It helps communicate to our supporters the most important thing we can…”Our utmost gratefulness!”
Fundraising isn’t about taking money, it is about investing in something greater than ourselves or what we could do on our own. We are communicators called to ignite the flames of passion and service in those that have the resources. What better way than to provide quotes or positive thoughts that will continue to resonate in our supporter’s heart long after they have finished reading our thank you card.
…it helps me do a critical role in my job better…”Providing a way for each our stakeholders to take one small step to be part of the solution, not feel paralyzed by a problem that seems too big”
I have to be honest. I am a young, inexperienced, first-time Director of Development for a $1.6 Million Children’s Home. I am serving not because I have the knowledge to do it on my own, but because I am passionate that every child deserves a fair chance to succeed in life. Believing that “God does not call the qualified, but He qualifies the called,” I am have stepped forward. Yet, I know I have to find the team and acquire the resources to meet the challenge before me, which is to help provide homes, families, opportunities for the 76 children that cannot live with their biological parents.
Sharing the wisdom found in “Inspiring Generosity” will light that fuse to ignite the passions in our children, our staff, our volunteers, and our donors to look past their doubts and focus on feeding their “one.” Together, we will feed not only a 100, but thousands!
I don’t you want to miss being part of this incredible moment. Do you?
I hand write all my thank you notes. This would be a god send.
I am the director of an animal shelter. You would think that it would be so easy to raise funds for kittens and puppies, but it isn’t so in a rural community… this book will be a God-sent to inspire our donors when I write the personal thank you notes or sign the formal thank you notes as well as keep ourselves motivated and never lose the sight of why we do what we do.
Thank you!
Mazarine, “less” is always “more” even in a “thank you” note. I’ve been collecting aspiring/inspiring quotes for years and I love what the impact of quotations do, not just for the recipient but for the writer as well. My personal aim is to always be authentic and genuine in everything that I do and I feel that writing a quotation at the bottom of specific article, note, donor plea, etc. just drives home the words I’ve already written. I’d love to add your book to my collection!
My signature quote: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” – Theodore Roosevelt
I was working for Southwest Airlines at the time and as a young woman in her twenties working for a little known airlines (with only 20 planes in the fleet), SWA had a philosophy of care for their clients, that I’ve never seen since. I “got it” then and have brought that same philosophy to everywhere I go, people I talk to and places I’ve worked. Guess what—it still works! SWA now has 600+ planes to their fleet. Customer service is their #1 asset.
The quotes make me smile.
I need this book for inspiration! We use quotes all the time in our fundraising materials.
I am new as a fundraiser and hand-write all of my thank you cards as a token of appreciation; because of our line of work (addiction recovery) and the economic standing within our community, fundraising is even more difficult than before. This book of inspirations would help us continue to inspire our current donors as well as cultivate more society members and donors. I also collaborate with our marketing guru to create inspiring and engaging campaigns to which this book would be most helpful. Thanks!
As a one-woman shop( Infant nonprofit). Our group helps teens and young adults with cognitive disabilities learn to be more independent through learning job skills that can be done in the community or at home. The book could give me inspiration to continue the work of helping others and most of all as a call to action for current/new donors and volunteers.
You could make the difference in my life and in the life of many others if I would receive this book. Thank you for your generosity!
Simply put, I need all of the help I can get.
Because it’s time we stopped talking about our organization and how wonderful our work is, and start talking with our wonderful donors !
“A book is a device to ignite the imagination.” ― Alan Bennett, The Uncommon Reader and “Imagination is more important that knowledge.” – Albert Einstein. I specifically need THIS book, “Inspiring Generosity”, to ignite MY imagination to better inspire and impassion our current and potential donors, volunteers, collaborative partners, peers, co-workers, organizational friends and the wonderful children we serve because, “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” – John Keating
I think you should give me this book because you rock and because I would be thankful for your generous gift! What better reason do you need?
From someone who uses quotes but doesn’t currently have a proper “go to” resource to refer to/choose from…
I believe using quotes does wonders to connect donors to a cause. I like it when I am able to relate personally to a quote, so I constantly try to challenge myself by choosing just the right quote on an appeal letter, below a signature on an email, and/or in reinforcing a mission, etc. I work at Jewish Family Service of Rhode Island (an ideal social service organization for story-telling and identifying through the use of quotes) and would greatly benefit from this book. Choose me, and I will be happy to share how the quote I will choose will directly increase my end of year campaign!
I’ve invested in several of your courses and have never been disappointed in the content! I’ll bet this book delivers the same high-level content as your e-course materials. I would be honored to win this book – especially if you autographed it for me. 🙂
Aw thank you Kim! 🙂 I am so grateful to you for investing in my courses, and I hope they’ve paid off for you! I am going to close this contest now but I wanted to say that I do have a sponsorship book up for grabs if you’d like to leave a comment there! 🙂
This book sounds amazing. A lot of the quotes you posted as examples spoke to me personally and would tie in well with the nonprofit I work for. I too hand-write all of my thank you notes, manage our social media pages and website, and also write all of our appeal letter and newsletter content. I struggle at times to come up with inspiring text. This book would help put me at ease when I’m at a loss for words. Thank you for the opportunity to possibly win this fabulous book of quotes!
“For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.”
This six word story has been falsely attributed to Hemingway, but nobody knows the real author. The point is, I tend to make long stories longer, and really need a way to express my gratitude to donors without turning into a rambling mess.
I want my thank you notes to be like that story. Say more with less.
Also, if you send me the book, I’ll send you some Montana Huckleberry Chocolate (yes, I’m attempting to bribe you).
Aw Juliane,
Thanks for the attempt at Bribery! 🙂 I’ve chosen the winner so I’m going to close the contest. But I do have another book up for grabs, all about sponsorship, so if you’d like to leave a comment there, you could win! 🙂
-Mazarine
Though I’ve been a fundraiser for close to 20 years, I am going through a particularly rough patch in my career and could sure use some inspiration. I need to be reminded of why I became a fundraiser and that there are few careers as rewarding as providing the means for others to realize their full potential.
Thank you,
Dorothy
Roses are red, violets are blue, this is the best that I’ve got for you.
I’m new in my fundraising career and trying to fund the money for 14 20-something year olds who are missionaries. Would love any book on sponsorship!