It’s the Season of Miracles, So Why Not Dream BIG for 2021’s Grant Goals

When you have kids, the holiday season starts earlier than most of us adults would like. My youngest has been blasting Christmas tunes since August, her eternal favorite being Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas. We have already watched a National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (a Thanksgiving Day tradition carried forward from my childhood), The Christmas Chronicles 1 and 2, the Grinch, and Die Hard. As my Dad says, it’s not Christmas until you’ve watched Hans Gruber fall off Nakatomi Plaza on Christmas Eve after a Christmas party gone very wrong. When you grow up with a military dad, it can’t get any more Christmas than that!

In the hustle and bustle of the year’s end, it’s easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas. It’s a time of giving and thankfulness. It’s a time of goodwill towards your fellow man. It’s a time to remember what you value most in your life. It’s also a time of miracles.

I believe in miracles: BIG & small. So why not take this time to consider what you wish for 2021, set some goals, and make them happen. Consider it a bit of miracle assistance. I’ll start.

PROFESSIONALLY:

1. Grow the Fundraising HayDay podcast with my cohost Kimberly to reach a larger and broader audience.
2. Make better use of the tools and platforms that will keep my grant work organized. 
3. Stop the madness of the deadline rush by working ahead when possible. Okay, let’s be honest. This would be a BIG miracle, because I say this every year, and yet every year I seem to live and die by deadlines. 

PERSONALLY:

1. Read more. I have never set a specific goal, but this year I am shooting for reaching 50 books.
2. Make healthier choices when it comes to diet and exercise.
3. Be more intentional about the time I spend with my kids. They are in middle and high school now and the clock is ticking towards a time when they will venture out to forge their own way in the world.

Beyond that, I have a few wishes for improvements to our world as a whole, and the grant community specifically. And while I don’t have all the answers, it’s best to start the conversation of what we want things to look like. Here’s my miracle wish list:

1. Funders and grantees build a relationship of trust, working together to improve the communities we all serve.
2. The human race spends more time listening to others than shouting. I’m not so naïve to think we will all agree on everything, but my hope is for open dialogue, kindness, and compassion for your fellow man.
3. Organizations find ways to work together sharing resources and expertise, rather than competing against one another.
4. Grant funds actually go to the communities that need the most help, where the money can do the most good.

And before you turn into Scrooge and tell me that’s never going to happen, let me shed some light on one incredible organization already working to make philanthropy the best it can be. The National Center for Responsible Philanthropy (NCRP) shares this, “Philanthropy should be accountable and transparent, employ effective grant making practices, and benefit marginalized communities.” Chew on that for a moment. Doesn’t that sound like the ideal way to practice giving?

In the latest episode of Fundraising HayDay (Season 3, Episode 15), Kimberly and I had the pleasure of chatting with NCRP’s Janay Richmond. She shared with us the ways in which her organization is working to ensure philanthropy is being used for the public good, leading to impact and results. And it is enlightening and uplifting to know organizations like NCRP and people like Janay are out there fighting the good fight.

So, in this spirit of the holidays and the possibilities of miracles, I wish for us all to dream big for 2021. Together we can all make a difference in the communities we serve and the grant world as a whole. It starts with one of us and grows from there. What are your plans for the coming year? I’d love to hear them. Add a comment or shoot me an email at fundraisinghayday@gmail.com. 

It’s the Season of Miracles, So Why Not Dream BIG for 2021’s Grant Goals

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