What do you believe about fundraising?

For me, fundraising is an invitation—a call to engage in the meaningful work of creating the world we long for.

It’s far more than a transaction of money or resources, it’s an opportunity to become co-creators of the change we wish to see.

Fundraising opens doors, not just to resources, but to the possibilities that arise when we come together around a shared purpose. In asking for support we’re not just meeting needs, we’re inviting people into a vision for transformation that cannot be achieved alone.

Through fundraising, we are inviting people into a journey where their contribution becomes a vital thread in the fabric of change. Giving can transform the giver, widening their perspective and deepening their connection to the world around them.

For those who ask, fundraising requires vulnerability and trust. It’s an acknowledgment that none of us can create transformation alone. Whether we’re building a school, sustaining a nonprofit, producing art, or healing a community, the work requires many hands and hearts.

At its best, fundraising is a reflection of our shared interconnectedness and responsibility to care for one another.

It asks us to open ourselves, to reach out, and to trust that others will respond.

A Blessing for the Givers and the Askers

May you stand at the threshold of asking
With hands open wide as the dawn,
Knowing that to ask is to invite the world
To join in the sacred work of creation.

May the weight of need never bend your soul
Toward despair, but lift you instead
Into the space of knowing
That what you seek is already on its way,
Carried by unseen hands,
Waiting to meet you at the edge of your asking.

And may those who hear your call,
Those who are stirred by the echo of their own desire
For a world made whole,
Find in the act of giving
A doorway into the vast expanse of their true selves.

For to give is not to lose,
But to let the river of generosity
Flow through your heart,
Filling every hollow space
With the power of connection.

May you, who give, find the beauty
Of your own becoming in the act,
And may the gift you offer
Ripple far beyond the shores of this moment,
Touching lives unseen, unfurling the future
In ways you cannot begin to imagine.

Together, may the givers and askers
Be woven into the fabric of something greater,
A tapestry of giving and receiving
That holds the world in its care.

And may every act of generosity,
Every humble request,
Draw you closer to the truth
That we are all co-creators,
Building, with each small act
A world where love and justice
Are the common future we share.

May this reminder build a bridge between you,
Giver and asker,
Until the distinction fades
And you both stand as one,
Blessed in the light of change
You have created together.

Amy Varga

President

Since 2013, Amy Varga and her team at The Varga Group have worked with over 200 higher education institutions, independent schools and nonprofits to help them raise more than $350M. The Varga Group team helps organizations grow their fundraising, train their board, coach their leaders and successfully navigate their capital and comprehensive campaigns. The Varga Group is based in Portland, Oregon and works with clients nationwide.