Behind The Scenes
If you haven’t done so yet, go watch “The Greatest Night In Pop” on Netflix.
Reminiscent of The Beatles “Get Back” documentary (but not nearly as long); it captures the remarkable night in 1985 when more than 40 of the biggest stars in American music came together to record “We Are The World”. It’s one of Netflix’s most successful documentaries for good reason.
Most of us are fascinated with what happens behind the scenes of our favourite entertainment. Whether it’s music, sports, movies, or even politics; we wonder what people are really like and what is going on backstage.
It’s been my privilege for nearly twenty years to spend time behind the scenes of dozens of charities in Canada and internationally. I’ve seen leaders, teams, and programs at their best and their worst. I’ve seen some stuff.
Here are a few things that stand out:
-With almost no exceptions, the charity leaders I’ve known are hard-working, diligent, and sincerely committed to their cause. They care and they try.
-Charity people aren’t overall better, worse, smarter, dumber, or more/less dedicated than the leaders I know in other sectors. But they do tend to be motivated more by some kind of idealism, even when the challenges of the work can bring out their cynical side.
-Raising money is hard. The constant pressure to generate donations to support the work is unrelenting and it can take a toll. But seeing the way generosity can impact the donor can be truly magical when it clicks.
-But people dynamics are harder. I’ve seen plenty of tears, raised voices, and some conflicts that just don’t get resolved. Nothing weighs more heavily on the leaders I work with than their desire to bring out the best in people and their inability to always get it right.
-A little encouragement goes a long way. As hard as things sometimes are; the leaders that last have found strength and hope in all kinds of places to stay motivated and engaged. And many of them could really use a call, visit, or message from someone like you to let them know their efforts are appreciated.
I know the nonprofit world isn’t as intriguing to most people as Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen are. It would be silly to try to compare them. But as someone who has seen more of the inside stories than most ever will, I am still unabashedly a fan of the people who make charities work.
In so many ways they are my heroes.
Contact me if I can be helpful to you and/or your organization.
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