The year of connection and resilience.

It means so much to me that other fundraisers have shared my best moments in fundraising. Signing off on the huge corporate investment and knowing that I was part of the team that made it happen (so much appreciation for you, Tania), or seeing my superstar friend and colleague present in front of a crowd for the first time (at #AFPGH Recharge, my first conference with AFP Golden Horseshoe), or my presenting at AFP Congress (thanks to the generosity and support of Rory, and with so many friendlies in the audience like Jenny and Angee).

So many moments – shared.  

Experiencing these milestones –big and small, my own and those of my friends – has been awesome and could not have happened had I not built a network of fundraisers. These connections, this network, have given me resilience.  And resilience is critical to fundraising success.

One of the hardest and most meaningful parts of my 2018 was seeing, listening to, and supporting fundraisers in various degrees of burnout.  Fundraisers who were reaching out to build their connections and their resilience.  Although burnout isn’t great, I was really glad to see more fundraisers connect with their network of colleagues and friends to seek support and cheerleading when they then needed it.  This isn’t easy, and I applaud them for being so brave.

Of course, there were many other fundraisers who struggled with burnout, exhaustion and lack of confidence and didn’t feel they could reach out. Feeling isolated and spent isn’t fun, and there are some resources and tips in our community on how to deal with fundraiser burnout.

You could read or listen to:

Fundraising Talent Podcast #17 with Sam Laprade 

4 signs you are burned out with Beth Kanter

How to collaborate without burnout

How to avoid burnout when you’re saving the world

If you have others that you can share with me, shoot me an email or comment below. I’d love to grow my resource list in this area. 

For my money though, it isn’t as much about consulting resources as it is about finding your people and building your own network.  That’s where the real support and learning come into play!

When dreaming up the Happy You Year conference with my fellow planners Ashlee and John, one of the reasons that I wanted to be a part of it was my belief in the potential of bringing fundraisers together and helping them build their group of people. The fellow fundraisers they could turn to for a hug, high five and some cheerleading when they need it.

For those of you in the GTHA, or willing to drive to Burlington for a great day, there are still a few spots left at the Happy You Year conference. You can register here: REGISTER It would be great to meet you in person. I’d love to support you in finding more people to surround yourself with, who can help you build resilience for those tough times.

If you’re not able to make the trip, the offer is still there. Building a network to strengthen your resilience is important. It is not an afterthought of being a fundraiser. It needs to be a core priority of your professional development. I love being a part of people’s network of strength, so if you need someone, let’s chat. Reach out to set up a time so we can talk through the challenges you are facing.

Let’s make 2019 the year of YOU.

You’ve got this!

P.S I’m not kidding, I really would be happy to hear from you! And if you don’t want to talk fundraising, I also like to talk about my puppy, my life as a hockey mom, my next trip…you know fun stuff!