Confidential Matters, Take 1

Meet January. She’s an actress in New York and a donor to a charity that I admire: Kiva. I admire Kiva because they have mastered the art of motivating generosity by inspiring confidence in their donors, rather than just hammering them with pictures of poor people and discouraging statistics about how big the problem is. Check out January’s quote below about why she supports the organization:

I don’t have a lot of money to spare, and I’ve always had a feeling of “what good will my ten or twenty dollars really do?” Now, I can see what it does, and I couldn’t be happier to share as much as I can.

January has come out and said what millions of your fellow citizens are afraid to — so pay attention. And although she’s talking about making a charitable donation, she could easily be talking about a rain barrel on her house, a rain garden in her yard, her signature on your petition, and any other opportunity you might offer her them to help protect nature or control pollution.

And Kiva is one of the world’s fastest growing charities because they recognize that they have to work their butts off to convince January and other donors that their $10, $20, $50 investments make a difference for poor people around the globe.

You can do it, too. It starts with that flash of insight that Americans are quick to believe that the problems are real and your mission is important — and what often holds them back is doubt in themselves. So next time you’re gearing up to ask for something, think about you could prove that it’s worth it — that one rain barrel, one $50 check, one short shower, one signature on that petition — makes a real difference.

It’s a good feeling to know you’re doing your part to protect nature and control pollution. And it’s even sweeter when you help inspire and empower somebody else along the way.

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