INSPIRED

Each week I write this Breakthru Guide as a small act of devotion: to join with givers, to honor this great vocation, and to stand with the brave souls who keep showing up everyday and extending invitations.

💖Please share with your friends who are on the frontlines raising funds for amazing causes💖

Welcome to the newcomers!

Not long ago, I had one of those days where everything felt off.

Emails piled up like a tide I couldn’t stop.A key giver postponed our meeting - again - and it hit harder than it should have.

And there I was, stuck in a Zoom meeting, staring at my own tired face and wondering, Why am I even doing this?

That evening, still carrying the weight of it all, I came across a podcast from Mel Robbins. She shared eight affirmations she repeats every morning. It felt steady. Grounded. Like someone handing you a flashlight instead of another ‘productivity hack’ or donor-segment flowchart.”

I started whispering them to myself the next day during my morning swim. And the next. They were helping me come back to the sacred center of my life and work.‍

Why Do We Need Affirmations? (Especially as fundraisers)

‍Most people imagine fundraising as a simple transaction - just asking for money.

But if you’re reading this, you already know the truth. This work is deeply human. Emotional. Spiritual.

We listen to stories that haven’t been told out loud in years.

We honor legacies and hold grief that families barely know how to name. We navigate wealth, read the tremble in a voice, decode silence, and - on our best days - invite people to do something bold and beautiful with what they’ve been entrusted with.

And yet… We often enter that work tired. Distracted. Discouraged. Feeling like we’re doing it alone.

Affirmations don’t magically erase that. But they do anchor us.

They call us to ourselves - to who we are, why we’re here, and how we want to show up, even when the inner script is spiraling.‍

A Word of Thanks to Mel

‍These particular affirmations began with Mel Robbins. Here they are, in her words:

1. Today is going to be a great day
2. Something cool is going to happen to me today
3. No matter what happens today, I can handle it
4. An exciting new chapter is starting today
5. I need to give myself more credit for how hard I’m trying
6. I'm allowed to be a work in progress
7. If I keep showing up, life will reward me
8. I have an important contribution to make to the world

She didn’t write them for fundraisers - but as I listened, I couldn’t help thinking how perfectly they fit our world.

So I started “translating” them into fundraising language. And naturally I shaped them into an acronym - something we can tuck into our bags and carry with us into hard meetings, long travel days, and sacred conversations that define this work.

INSPIRED: 8 Affirmations to Anchor Your Fundraising Life - a way of grounding yourself in what this work truly asks of you.‍

‍I - Impact: We have a meaningful contribution to make in the world today.‍

‍N - Nerve: hatever today holds, we can meet it with steadiness and courage.‍

‍S - Surprise: Today will bring unexpected moments where connection breaks through.‍

‍P - Progress: So much of our effort is invisible. But it counts. We deserve more credit than we give ourselves.‍

‍I - In Process: We’re still learning. Still being shaped. And that’s great for the mission we carry.‍

‍R - Resilience: If we keep showing up - daily, faithfully, imperfectly - trust grows. Transformation follows.‍

‍E - Exploration: This week marks the start of a new chapter - one that invites us to pay attention, take risks, and follow the Spirit’s lead.‍

‍D - Delight: In the middle of all the logistics and the pressure, we get to do this sacred, joyful work. That alone is astonishing.‍

‍What’s Coming Next

‍In upcoming weekly guides, I’ll do a deeper dive tied to each affirmation - each one an anchor meant to steady us, refresh us, and remind us that this work matters - and so do we.

‍Your Turn

‍If one of these affirmations already hits home, claim it.
Write it down.
Speak it out loud.
Tape it to your desk or dashboard or bathroom mirror.

Which one do you most need this week? I’d love to hear.

Next week we begin with Impact.

* * * * * * * * * *

‍If you haven't taken advantage of some of the resources I've created to help major gift fundraisers, take a look now!  Initial calls with me are free and "no strings attached".  Sometimes folks feel like they need to wait and not 'bother' me until they have a pressing issue.  No need for that...just make the call. 🕺

‍Here's where you can access a lot of content for free:

* Major Gift Fundraising MRI Scan - A story-based self-assessment that helps you name your instincts, clarify your posture, and grow with intention. Takes less than 20 minutes and gives you a custom coaching summary based on your responses.

* JappaFry Writer - A freely available AI tool that draws from over 175 pages of original teaching, storytelling, frameworks, and strategy from my 30 year career in major gift fundraising.

‍* Follow me on LinkedIn - You'll get short pro-tips and reflections on major gift fundraising every day between 5-7am pacific.

* Breakthru Newsletter - As you've seen here, these are longer weekly posts (audio and written) sent directly to your email.

* Breakthru Blog - the newsletter from the previous week gets posted here each week for everyone (so email subscribers get it a week early).

* Breakthru Podcast - Interviews with high net worth givers about how we as fundraisers can get better at inviting them to the party.  And audio readings of Breakthru Blog posts.

‍Before getting to the PAID stuff: My opinion is that no small ministry with a tight budget should be spending more than $3-5k (total) for major gift coaching/consulting.  Most of you will be good-to-go spending far less than that.  This was a major issue for me when I was a frontline fundraiser - major gift consultants were an expensive 'black-box-of-confusion' for me.  That stops now.

‍Here's the PAID stuff:

‍* Online Catalyst Course - This is a full brain dump of my 28+ years of experience - good, bad, ugly.  It's built around the fundamentals, the sacredness, and the fun, of major gift fundraising.  It's infused with Henri Nouwen reflections.  Many people can take this course and they will be 'cooking-with-gas' and not need any additional coaching from me on the core systems.  I'm grateful that this course has gotten *great* reviews.

* Live coaching with me - I refer to this as "brain rental".  The ROI on live coaching, as you might imagine, is extraordinary.

Finally, be sure to connect with my colleague Ivana Salloum.  She's super awesome and can help with scheduling and access to resources, etc.

I look forward to hearing about your good work!

Blessings,