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My Lush List
Leave it to a soap company called Lush to inspire me to start a blog about philanthropy. Lush is an international "handmade cosmetics" company, selling incredibly delicious-smelling soaps, shampoos, and lip balms—but, perhaps more importantly, absolutely brilliant at selling a value-driven experience for their shoppers.

Your Lush purchase comes in a bag printed with a straightforward, clever, sometimes quirky listing of what they stand for as a company. You are not just buying a bar of Banana Moon soap for $7.95, but also a way of life, a vision of who you are and what you believe. They are serious about this list, too. It permeates every part of their website, catalog, stores. Who they are is clear.

I first found Lush while attending the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference this past spring in Vancouver, BC. I sat in on a session by Canadian fundraising guru Fraser Green and he pointed out that if a soap company can have a clear list of what it stands for, why can't nonprofits. If Lush inspired multi-million dollar sales by being more than just soap, couldn't nonprofits be more effective at raising funds if we were more than just overwritten, jargon-filled, tired mission statements no one can remember anyway?

I've been thinking about Lush ever since. And it has led me to this blog, because I want to spark a discussion about how we as a sector and a profession we can do our work better. I am not sure yet if I have anything truly "new" or earth-shattering to offer, but I am passionate about and honored to work in the nonprofit sector and I've been doing it now for 16 years. I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences, thoughts and opinions and hearing yours.

Since I believe in practicing what I preach, I start with my own Lush List. Before you read anything on this blog, you should know who I am and what I stand for.

My Lush List

(aka Sarah's Philanthropic Manifesto)

• I believe that giving is at the core of being human.
• I believe we all seek connection, impact, love, and understanding.
• I believe giving is an act of passion and an expression of our values.
• I believe more people would give if they could find a cause that "fit" them and if the experience was good.
• I believe philanthropy must be taught – it is not genetic, we learn it by seeing it, doing it, and thinking about it.
• I believe "asking" someone to donate to a cause that fits their values is noble and empowering.
• I believe you can never thank enough.
• I believe I am a broker of dreams, not a fundraiser. I believe that I work with game changers and not donors (credit to Sissy Bouchard of Seattle for these terms).
• I believe that I can only broker dreams for causes I care deeply about and donate to myself.
• I believe that anyone who thinks fundraising is like selling used cars hasn't yet had a real philanthropic experience.
• I believe that philanthropy is "not born of wealth, but of generosity" (credit Peter Drury of A Child's Right for this wisdom)
• I believe that nonprofits are the catalysts of change and that behind every major social movement, you will find a nonprofit organization.
• I believe the nonprofit sector must be filled with smart, strategic thinkers and that this is as critical to our economic and social well-being as attracting the best to teaching, science, and business.
• I believe a fundamental role of every nonprofit is to encourage giving.
• I believe that kids should learn to give, to ask, and to thank.
• I believe in focusing on and learning from what works, while being intolerant about what doesn’t.
• I believe a live conversation, face-to-face, is always better than email or the phone, but that in a pinch, any form of communication is better than none.
• I believe that if I won the lottery, I would take the most pleasure in giving it away.
• I believe in reading good books, quiet hikes in the mountains, and the humbleness of sitting by the sea.
• I believe the world is getting better, not worse—I may not believe this every minute, but I have to…it's the only way I know to get up each morning.
• I believe that I am deeply affected by my sense of place and that my good fortune to live in the Methow Valley with its profound beauty and close-knit community shapes my view of the world and what matters in it.
• I believe there aren't really new ideas to be formed, but new ways of looking at the same old issues can inspire people.
• I believe the most important role in my life is as Keeley's mom and Erik's soulmate, but I also believe that I am more than this and I have a responsibility to do more than this for the world.

So that's my Lush List. Any of these resonate with you?  What's your Lush List?  Better yet, send me an example of a nonprofit you know that has a Lush List.  Thanks!