The Most Beautiful Sight These Eyes Have Ever Seen...

In the movie "Rudy," this is what the main character's father says when  he arrives to watch Notre Dame play Georgia Tech. That line came to mind today when I finished a big project. It was the most beautiful sight these eyes had ever seen: an amazing Excel spreadsheet.

I often write about fundraising and/or development. And, I've certainly used the words interchangeably. But when I actually take a step back, they are different words. Development is an important, and necessary, part of fundraising. Specifically, development involves gathering information and data - accurate and up to date - while simultaneously developing relationships. Today, I arranged all the information I have through two years of working: Names, Addresses, Email Addresses, Addresses, Date of Last Contribution, and Date of Last Contact. 

Previously, I was working from 4-6 different spreadsheets. That may seem a little crazy, but it all happens piecemeal in the beginning. There's a spreadsheet to keep track of donations, one for addresses, and one for solicitation letters that need to be sent out... Now, they're all in one place. An investment of time that will, no doubt, create dividends in the future.

Sometimes, it's the little things that feel like big accomplishments.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark