Guest post: Heartbreak, small gestures, love & fundraising

This is a guest post from Victoria Ward, who is Head of Fundraising at the British Youth Council. Prior to this exciting post, she held leadership roles in Individual Giving and Community Fundraising. ** Never one to shy away from being inspired by my own life experiences, today’s blog is about the end of my 7 year relationship. It recently came to an end and I, like many people going through break ups, convinced myself I was all alone. This was not the case. My friends gathered by my side on the day it happened, bringing gifts of wine and chocolate. They gave me encouraging words and have called me and fed me and been my comforters multiple times since that sad day. When I thought the love was gone from my life, it materialised in people who have been there all along. Their small but generous acts of kindness and care showed me that you don’t need big gestures to show someone you love them and that they are important. How does this relate to fundraising? Well, when it comes to donor care, small acts can often mean the most. A hand-written card thanking someone for their donation. A phone call after a meeting to say how much you enjoyed it. Small gestures that show the donor that their presence in your organisation is valued, appreciated and important. Show your donors that love is everywhere with real, human, kind-hearted interaction. You never know who needs to hear that they are valued.