Merry and Bright

I don’t usually send holiday cards. (I started out using a then half-truth ­— that I feel they’re an unnecessary strain on the environment — to cover up what amounted to my own procrastination and forgetfulness. But over time, the environmental factor really did become my main concern.)

But when I got married, I was so enamored of the phrase, “To the Man I Married,” that I once again found myself scanning the shelves for the perfect sentiment. And once again, I found myself with the same dilemmas. 1) I’m a writer and thus picky about the words I choose to represent me, be they my own or someone else’s. And 2) I wear my heart on my sleeve, so it’s hard to find cards that say something I don’t say to and show my loved ones as often as possible. So for the most part, I’m back to not bothering with greeting cards.

As we move into the year’s most joyous season, I hope you, as well, already know how much the FundRaising Success staff and I appreciate you — for your support of the magazine, yes, but more importantly for the work that you do. I hope you already know how blessed and honored we feel to be even a small part of it.

Whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of year, may it be blessed — with joy, with abundance, with love and with peace. And may the good work you do to make the world a better place come back to you a hundred-fold.

Do you know a fundraising star?
I’ve been complaining about the rush to Christmas since the first ornaments appeared on store shelves the week before Halloween. So I hope you’ll forgive me as I look ahead to the February issue of FS. That’s when we announce the winners of our annual Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards — and it’s my favorite issue. Plus, it’s entirely appropriate to open the submission period with Thanksgiving just behind us, because the awards are a way to show our thanks, in some small way, for the work that you do.

To nominate a peer, colleague, co-worker, employee, staff member, volunteer, client or agency partner, just send an e-mail to mbattistelli@napco.com with “FOTY nomination” in the subject line, and include the following information: nominee’s name, organization, title and e-mail address; your contact information; a photo of the nominee, if possible; category of nomination; and an explanation of why you’re nominating this person (500 to 1,000 words).

This year’s categories are Lifetime Achievement (for a body of work over the course of 30+ years), Fundraising Professional of the Year (for specific fundraising achievements in 2013), Fundraising Stars (for a body of work, a compelling project or special circumstance, an overall attitude or approach, etc.), Rising Stars (up-and-comers with fewer than five years in the sector), the Live It! Award (for fundraisers who champion causes and support philanthropy in their personal lives), Best Fundraising Blog and Best Industry Speaker.

There’s no fee to make a nomination, and the nomination deadline is Jan. 13, 2014.

So look around you. There’s no doubt you know one or more folks who deserve to be recognized for their efforts. We’re looking forward to reading all about them!