I have always thought of September as the real start of the year. I know the calendar says January is the first month, but in my life, everything has always started in September. In fact, I make my New Year’s resolutions on September 1st! Of course, I give up on them by September 15th, but that’s another story…

Anyway, I always start getting excited for the start of school in August. I get to thinking about all the things I want to accomplish in the coming year and I reflect on the reasons why I love what I’m doing.

Therefore, I thought I’d share with you the top ten things I love about the process of fundraising. Here’s my list. Please feel free to add to this list in our comments section!

1. Of course, the first thing I have to mention is that by raising money for a cause, I get to help those impacted by whatever non-profit I’m working for. Knowing that my hard work will turn into dollars and those dollars will turn into something useful makes all the effort worth it.

2. Another aspect of fundraising that appeals greatly to me is that when my non-profit collaborates on a project with another non-profit, I get a chance to network with other professionals in my field. I can learn from what they are doing, get tips and advice from experts on their staffs, and come up with new ways to serve our population.

3. When I approach a fundraiser, I love the challenge of creating a plan that works from start to finish. Of course, there are fundraisers that are very simple to carry out, but when you get your hands on a big golf outing or a school carnival or a silent and live auction, it takes a lot of planning work. Knowing that I have played a part in laying out a successful plan is a great pay-off for me.

4. Another reason why I love to be involved with fundraising is that I get a chance to find new ways to solve problems. Invariably, something goes wrong in the fundraising plan, and we’ve got to figure out how to fix it. Since no two problems are ever the same when it comes to fundraising, this requires creativity and teamwork. I love both those requirements!

5. I tend to be a pretty competitive person, so when it comes to running a fundraiser that I’ve organized before, I make it a personal challenge to improve on last year’s money total. This will mean finding new ways to monetize the event, discovering more effective means of winning over donors, writing more effective fundraising letters, using social media to greater effect, and convincing more sponsors to support our event. It’s a tall order, but there’s nothing like a personal challenge to get my juices flowing.

For the remaining five items in this list, check back soon!

Photo by: The U.S. Army’s photostream