[Fun]draising. Very little seems ‘fun’ about it, right? Right!
Under normal circumstances, fundraising can be challenging, requiring many parts to be moving at the same time. Fundraisers spend a considerable amount of time researching, explaining, and beggi— I mean, asking others to invest in their dreams. All the while, potential donors check, check, and re-check the organization for alignment with what they care about, before deciding whether or not they will give to the organization, according to their means. This intricate (and sometimes delicate) dance can certainly be exhausting. Now, under abnormal circumstances like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, one would think that fundraising would be even more challenging - impossible, in fact. We are in a time when many people have either just recovered or are still struggling to recover from financial losses incurred since 2020. However, despite the current circumstances, to my pleasant surprise, people have continued to donate magnanimously to LEA. This has energized me, Vanessa, and our Board of Directors tremendously, inspiring us to continue pressing forward!
When I think of WHY this might be the case, I keep returning back to the same realization: people are sowing seeds into our impact fund not simply because they believe in LEA (i.e., the product) and what it could mean for millions of students around the world, but also because they BELIEVE IN US; they believe that we have been called to do this work and that under our leadership and vision, it can come into fruition. They TRUST US to stay the course and to honor our commitment to public service. They EXPECT US not to give up, no matter how difficult certain days are, just as they haven’t given up on LEA, no matter how financially difficult this pandemic has been. For these reasons and more, we will continue to sow alongside these generous men and women in the form of our time and our energy.
We will not let them (or future donors) down. The harvest is near. #reapwhatyouSOW
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