Blog Post by: Jennifer Downes, CFRE
Every morning as I walk my six and eight year old to the entrance of their school, we greet every single person that we pass with a, “Good Morning.” Simple, right? But you would be surprised with the expressions we receive from this act of kindness. The majority of the time we get a delighted, “Good Morning” response and you can tell that our words made that individual (adult or child) smile, even if it’s just for a few seconds of their day. Sometimes people look at us like we’re crazy and don’t respond at all. That’s ok, as we keep moving forward and, more importantly, keep being kind.
Why is kindness so powerful? According to mentalhealth.org, “When we practice kindness either to other people or towards ourselves we can experience positive mental and physical changes through lowering stress levels and increasing the body’s production of feel-good hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin.” Wow, being kind literally changes your mental and physical being. Talk about a powerful tool that everyone needs to start using more often!
Are you having trouble with staff fatigue or overall morale at your workplace? How about with your donors? Are they feeling your stress? Let’s face it, 2020 and 2021 have carried just a little bit of stress! In a world that has so much happening, it seems that those around us have forgotten what the power of kindness truly holds! Simple acts of kindness can help boost feelings of confidence and happiness which will contribute to an overall positive workplace and happy donors!
A few examples of this would be to give random compliments to your staff. Send them a note acknowledging an accomplishment they’ve made or just an encouraging message. Even better, bring in a sweet treat for the whole office to enjoy! With your donors, sending them a handwritten note (especially on their birthday) or picking up the phone to just check in and see how they’re doing really goes a long way.
There are so many simple things that can show someone that being a human truly means being kind to one another. Let’s use acts of kindness to re-energize your staff, build stronger relationships with your donors, and truly help make the world a better place.
*Image Credit: BeverlySpeaks.com