The small things still count
by Michelle Adler Rogoff - forgood Operations Director
Thirteen years ago, I wrote a blog post called It is the small things that count.
My list was pretty simple:
- Reply to people.
- Be on time.
- Ask for help.
- Be nice.
- Help others.
That was it.
More than a decade later, and now working at forgood, I find myself thinking about that list again. Because when it comes to making a difference, I think we sometimes make “doing good” feel bigger than it needs to be.
We think about giving up a whole Saturday to volunteer. Making a significant donation. Running a fundraiser. Joining a board. Making a big commitment.
All of those things matter. But so do the small things.
Sometimes a Cause needs someone to spend 30 minutes looking over a CV or some help with a spreadsheet. Often they need assistance with sharing a fundraising appeal or simply help to make an introduction. We find that in our conversations with our Causes one of the most important things they need from their volunteers is that they will simply do whatever it was that they said they would do.
None of this is going to change the world on its own but it might solve a problem that has been sitting on someone's desk for weeks. It might free up an NGO employee to focus on something more important or connect someone with exactly the person they need. At forgood, I get to see how varied the needs of Causes really are. There isn't one right way to help.
So perhaps I'd add a few things to my original list:
- Start small.
- Ask what is actually needed.
- Use what you already have.
- Do what you say you're going to do.
And don't underestimate the small stuff; we might not change the whole world today.
But we can answer the email. Make the introduction. Give the hour. Share the post. Show up.
Thirteen years later, I still believe that's where a lot of change starts.
The small things still count.
