Dear Friends and Colleagues,
In my most recent reflection, I wrote about the art of experiential fundraising and how intentional design can transform an event from an evening into an experience. As we arrive at the close of the year, I’ve been thinking about something much quieter, but just as powerful:
The thoughtful pause.
The holidays often arrive with a familiar urgency—deadlines, year-end appeals, final reports, and a calendar filled with gatherings. Yet beneath the pace, this season also offers a rare invitation: a moment to step back, take a breath, and consider not just what we’ve done, but how we’ve moved through the year.
For those of us who lead, fundraise, and convene others, that pause is not a luxury. It’s part of the work.
The Space Between Events
In fundraising, we often focus on the visible moments—the gala, the luncheon, the campaign launch. But the health of a mission is sustained in the quiet spaces between those highlights: the handwritten note, the unexpected check-in, the board member who feels seen and valued even when there is no ask on the table.
The same is true in our own lives.
This time of year, a thoughtful pause might look like:
- taking fifteen minutes to remember which conversations truly moved you this year,
- acknowledging your team’s effort in ways that feel specific, not generic,
- or simply sitting with a cup of something warm, allowing yourself to feel grateful and honest about the season you’ve just led.
These small acts are not separate from leadership—they are the ground from which meaningful leadership grows.
Presence as a Form of Generosity
In a season defined by giving, it is easy to measure generosity in gifts, goals, and totals raised. Yet some of the most impactful gifts we offer as leaders are far less visible:
- the way we listen fully when someone needs to be heard,
- the grace we extend when a colleague or volunteer is at capacity,
- the courage to say “not this year” to something that would stretch our teams or ourselves beyond what is healthy.
Presence is a form of generosity.
When we are fully present—with our missions, our teams, our families, and ourselves—we model a kind of steadiness that invites others to exhale. We remind people that impact is not created by urgency alone; it is sustained by clarity and care.
A Gentle Question for the Year Ahead
In my event work, I often ask organizations, “What do we want people to remember—and why does it matter?”
As we approach a new year, I find a similar question helpful on a personal level:
How do I want to feel as I lead—and what needs to shift to make that possible?
Perhaps you want the coming year to feel:
- more rooted in strategy and less driven by crisis,
- more collaborative and less solitary,
- more aligned with your values and less reactive to external pressure.
The thoughtful pause of this season is an opportunity to notice those longings without immediately turning them into resolutions or plans. Simply acknowledging them is a powerful first step.
A Final Reflection
We spend much of the year designing experiences that move others to believe in our missions. This holiday season, I hope you’ll allow yourself a moment that moves you—toward rest, toward clarity, and toward a renewed sense of purpose.
Events can raise dollars.
Experiences can raise belief.
But it is in these quiet, thoughtful pauses that we often remember why we chose this work in the first place.
Wishing you a season of gentle pause, meaningful connection, and just enough stillness to hear your own wisdom again.
With gratitude,
Monique
