As a special thank you to our friends at Mauldin High School - who raised over $66,000 for Camp Courage - we created this special camper collage.
Ever find unexpected joys in your job? Things that, on your first day at work, you may not have expected but that you now embrace wholeheartedly?
For me, it’s a simple thing: Saying thank you to donors.
Now, as much as I love saying thank you with a handwritten card or with a special celebration, what I love even more is planning an unexpected surprise that will stick with our supporters, that will hang on walls, that will grace coffee tables, that will share what a difference they have made for our patients.
It’s a creative challenge to come up with a customized gift that can showcase the importance of a donor’s impact while still being something that’s desirable to display or share.
Some of my favorite projects have involved building special photo collages and gathering signatures from our pediatric cancer and blood disorder patients at Camp Courage; making multiple phone calls to figure out how,exactly, you manufacture one custom-designed superhero cape; collaborating with a graphic designer to create a gorgeous by-the-numbers historical breakdown of a fundraising contest.
Here’s the thing about surprising someone: while I thoroughly enjoy being a mastermind of sneakiness when people least suspect it (don’t you just love that?), the best part is seeing the look on those supporters’ faces when they see that special collage, cape or creation that tells the story of the patients they’ve helped and the things that have been made possible because of their partnership.
And, naturally, I’m working on my next sneaky-with-a-purpose thank you gift as we speak.
What about you? What’s your unexpected joy at work? How have you said “thank you” lately?
