In this week of Thanksgiving, I encourage you to pause for just a moment or two at your organization and in your life to see what there is to be grateful for.

• How many people did you serve so far this year?
• How many amazing staff members have worked hard to deliver your services this year?
• Who is showing up at board meetings and committee meetings?

All these and more are things we have to be grateful for.

I also recommend you continue to stay informed about the economy so you can speak about it from knowledge and not fear. The Minnesota Council on Foundations has a new resource to help you do that.

To find out more, visit the Economy and Philanthropy page at mcf.org.

The article posted on the mcf.org page from The Christian Science Monitor is about American giving and it has some great information. Here are some stats from that article:

• A first-time national survey of online consumers released Monday finds that 51% (89 million people) plan to donate to nonprofit groups via the Internet during November or December.
• 67% of those will donate the same amount or more than last year.
• 33% say they’ll be giving less.

I wish a blessed Thanksgiving to you and your community!

The economy continues to be the topic. While reading my online subscription of the Chronicle of Philanthropy I learned of a new resource for us all in these challenging times.

The National Council of Non-Profits has added some new information to their website to help us all survive in the tough economy. So, if you are a grant seeker or grant maker, policy maker, non-profit staff or the general public, you may want to check out the Economic Vitality Center.

The site shares ideas submitted by non-profit organizations about how to cope with tough times. Some of the examples include holding brainstorming meetings of local nonprofit groups and sharing back-office functions to save money.

The site also contains statistics on the impact of the economy on the non-profit world as well as the impact on different geographic regions. From my recent visit I recommend that it is a site to visit regularly for new, helpful information during the coming weeks and months.

This week the “theme” has been worry and fear. Uncertainty about the economy has caused many of the people I spoke with to be concerned about year-end fundraising.

I understand the concern. We are certainly living in uncertain times. And for most organizations your services are needed now more than ever.

So rather than staying stuck in the fear and worry talk to your donors! Check in with key donors who will tell you how things are going. Ask questions about their giving during this time as an interested party not someone hungry for their money right this minute. When you get a special donor on the phone be sure to share:

• What’s working
• What’s missing
• A short story

And by all means listen to them. What are they feeling? Remind the handful of donors you will call starting Monday why your organization is amazing and why more financial resources will make a difference.

And when should you start to do this? Now! And all year-long.

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