Thankful for YOU – Before and Beyond the Box

Thankful for YOU – Before and Beyond the Box

“Everyone should have a fair chance to discover who they are and what they can become.”

Seems reasonable.

Greetings from the UK! After a full and fabulous week teaching in Nottingham, I’m in London now and still buzzing with gratitude. Craig Berens, in the photo, CEO of YMCA Robin Hood, invited me to spend time with his entire team — front-line staff, development folks, leadership, and even Boards across England and Wales. His vision? To explore my mindset and methods for inspiring generosity… and to build confidence in the joy of giving when we clearly show people the impact their gift can make for causes that align with their values and interests.

And oh my, did they step into that joy!

These are remarkable humans doing difficult, meaningful work — and now, they’re feeling more comfortable, more confident, and more grounded in offering people the chance to support that work.

One big message I shared was this:
Your giving opportunities must be vibrant, grounded in your strategic plan, rooted in your operation budget, and boldly painting tomorrow’s vision.

Seems reasonable, right?

We created a picture of all the touches that took “Jack” (not his name) from a struggling orphan through medical school.

But then came a story that cracked something open in me.

 

The Box

One of the participants told me about their annual event: The Big Newark Sleep Out.

People register.
They commit to sleeping outside in a cardboard box for one night.
Others sponsor them.
Money is raised.

You want people to “get it.” Really get it.
Yes, it’s cold. Yes, it’s uncomfortable. Yes, after one night you get to go home, take a shower, and crawl into your warm bed.
It makes a point — and a powerful one:

“Make a choice to sleep rough and support those who don’t have the choice.”

But here’s the thing:
“Fine, give them a place to sleep” doesn’t actually solve what put them in the box.
And “Just send them to school” is equally disconnected — an oversimplification that misses the complex struggles people face to move their lives forward even with basics met.

If we want people to truly understand — and therefore support — the work, we need to tell the whole story.

Before the Box.

In the Box.
Beyond the Box.

Real impact comes from a narrative that honors all the dimensions:

• BEFORE the box:
  Mental health support, crisis intervention, and the safety nets that keep people from sliding into homelessness in the first place.
• IN the box:
  Emergency shelter, dignity, warmth, safety, and someone who sees you and says, “You matter. You belong.”
• BEYOND the box:
  Housing. Skills. Community. Opportunities. The tools and support to flourish, not just survive.

That’s where generosity does its most transformational work — when we help people imagine impact across the full journey, not just one moment of it.

Thankful for YOU

So as I write from across the ocean, I’m reflecting on you — donors, doers, board members, fundraisers, dreamers — who help create stories of hope before, during, and after the box.

You remind me every day that generosity is not about the transaction.
It’s about restoring possibility.
It’s about lighting the way. It’s about starting a movement!
It’s about believing that every person should have a fair chance to discover who they are — and who they can become.

Seems reasonable.
Actually… it seems essential.

Thankful for YOU.
Spark JOY.
Shine ON.

Invest in Joy!™