This is the 125th Fundraising Writing Newsletter. In this issue: β What my 102-yr-old stepdad taught me about donors β Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you β Wednesday, March 6, 2024 β Hi Reader, Brett here: My stepdad Arthur "Bud" Zwierlein died in September at age 102. I miss him, of course, but I'm holding onto how fortunate I was to have him in my life for 30 years, since my mom married again after my dad's death in 1992. Bud was an inspiration to many. He skippered a crash boat in the Navy in World War II. (Because: "Who wouldn't want to?" he'd exclaim.) He biked, golfed, and skied into his 90s. I hate to say anything positive about taxes, but it's because I'm helping my mom put her finances in order for her tax accountant that I've found I'm still learning from Bud... What my 102-yr-old stepdad taught me about donorsOne of the things I'm documenting for the tax accountant is mom and Bud's charitable givings from 2023. (Bud took care of their finances.) One thing I learned is that he held onto appeal letters, scrawling notes on them to track how much he gave. Keep in mind that this is a man who retired 40 years ago, in the 80s, and has been living on a modest fixed income ever since. Here's one example. This photo shows an appeal Bud gave to β $25 to the Wounded Warrior Project on 3/19/23: Here's another from a few days later β $25 to United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation on 3/23: And this one from the following month β $25 to the USO on 4/18: This spreadsheet Julie created shows all the donations Bud made before he stopped giving in the 5 months of declining health prior to his death π’: Okay, so what have I learned/confirmed from Bud? Three things:
Here's hoping these takeaways courtesy of my dear old stepdad Bud will inspire you as they've inspired me (tax accountant not included, of course π)! Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge youFor your brain, heart, and funny bone...
Until next time: May your days be many, active, generous, and inspirational! Grateful,
PS: Struggling to create an inspiring "case for support" that engages donors? Don't miss the upcoming master webinar "How to Write a Fabulous Case" with Tom Ahern, author of Turning Doubters into Donors, on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 1 PM Eastern. |
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