This is the time of year when I get the hankering to clean out my closets and cupboards of all the excess stuff I have gathered but haven’t used. You know the stuff I'm talking about, right? For me, it's stuff that seemed like a good idea at the time but I either never got around to using or just didn’t like how it worked out. For you, maybe it's the stuff that has been hanging out in your garage collecting generations of spider webs and dust mites – old stuff that might be useful when the zombie apocalypse happens but for now only serves as a home for Howard and his tens of baby field mice. Not judging – been there and done that!
I divide the spoils into three piles: stuff I haven’t used in over a year, stuff that is irreparable, and stuff I love and is useful or has meaning. The stuff I haven’t used in over a year gets donated to a charity or given away to friends/family. The stuff that is irreparable gets thrown away or repurposed. The third pile of stuff that I love and is useful or has meaning may get sorted through more than once or twice.
Fundraising can be a lot like spring cleaning. We have gathered ideas and plans and have even put several of them into action. Some have worked and others, well…not so much. Some ideas sounded amazing but because of time or logistics (or COVID-19!), they've sat on a shelf in our minds gathering cobwebs and nagging us like that dust bunny that is just out of reach under the bed. Let’s be real. What works for Johnny Be Great Composite Squadron might be a complete flop for Everyone is Awesome Senior Squadron.
Take some time to dig through plans and ideas and be prepared to:
- Throw out the stuff that's just flat out broken and can’t or won’t be fixed.
- Give away the stuff that may work better in another way/location.
- Try it again.
Why throw out something that's perfectly good, you ask? Because if it's broken beyond repair, it's simply dead weight that gets dragged around uselessly. It might look pretty cool, but in the end it serves only to tire you out. If your fundraising plan/idea isn't useful for you in this season, it’s OK to let it go. (Cue song now!)
Perhaps logistically, you dreamed bigger than your unit could currently handle. Reaching out to your sister squadron across town to team up is a great way to answer the logistical questions. Downsizing (or expanding!) our ideas to better fit our circumstances and needs is all part of the process for fundraising.
And remember, just because that fundraiser didn’t work out the way you wanted, doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth the effort. Ask yourself: Did you learn from it? Did you develop new skills? Did it strengthen community relationships? Are there things you can do differently that will make it more effective? I tell our cadets all the time, “You only fail when you refuse to try. And try again. And you haven’t failed if you learned something from the experience.”
This past year has revealed a lot about who we are as an organization and as unique individuals. We have all had to make adjustments in our methods of learning, teaching, working and playing. This season has created new opportunities for us and eliminated others. It has revealed areas of weakness, but it has even moreso displayed our tremendous resolve and resilience.
As you evaluate your fundraising activities and plan for your next season, stay mindful of your relationships with each other and in the community. Be vigilant to sort through the stuff that can weigh down current relationships. You might even find yourself uncovering some forgotten partnerships in the process.
Mahalo for allowing the Development Team to serve you and for all you continue to do!
Maj. Lisa Myrick
Deputy Chief of Field Fundraising
