Years ago, I had something of incalculable value.
And I didn't fully realize it until it was gone.
I'm talking about my years at The Domain Group, a fundraising agency based in Seattle.
What I had was a fellowship -- a group of like-minded people with a shared dedication to make something great happen.
It was informal. Who belonged was never put in writing, and changed over time as coworkers came and went. But we were a community. We enjoyed each other's company and were equally obsessed with doing better fundraising.
Members of the community went to lunch together almost every day. We argued. We brainstormed. We kvetched (a lot). And we made each other better.
We were exactly what Seth Godin described in What's a fellowship? -- Tolkien-style ... a collection of humans engaged in mutual support.
(It's worth noting that like another more famous fellowship, ours was also attacked by evil beings and scattered.)
That loose, sometimes unfocused, often irresponsible -- but always wonderful fellowship made me what I am today. Which is why I agree with Seth:
...if you find yourself in [a fellowship], that's a wonder to be cherished. They don't need a name or a published agenda. Simply being in it is sufficient.
I urge you to find (or create) a fellowship. They're all over the place. Digital tools make it possible to have wonderful fellowships with people who never see each other in person!
I'm been thinking about fellowships because there's one available to you right now -- for a short time: The Fundraisingology Lab, an amazing community of the world's coolest and smartest fundraisers, is open for one more week only.
from Future Fundraising Now https://ift.tt/2Tu8geQ
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