Why Do I Give?

This week’s post is written by Crystal Lake Camps’ newest member of staff, Katie Davis.

I am a professional fundraiser. For some folks that may not sound like much fun. But the truth is, every day I get to help people connect with missions that ignite their passion to support something greater than themselves. For some people, the ‘fire’ may have four legs and fur. For others it may mean providing a warm coat and a hot meal to someone less fortunate. For supporters of Crystal Lake Camps it may be the glossy photos on Facebook of a wide-eyed smiling eight-year-old experiencing camp for the first time, a dusty horseback rider just completing her first overnight trip, or the Dining Hall stage lit up with young performers during a talent show.

Today is #GivingTuesday. On the outside this may just look like another strategy for getting donors to give to a cause. But it is also an opportunity to ask yourself, ‘Why do I give? What ignites and inspires me to commit precious financial resources to a cause? Does my small gift really matter?’

Why do I give? I give because it feels good. Giving allows me to feel more connected to my larger world family – a family filled with people I will never meet but who deserve a fun, rich, and interesting life nonetheless. I give because it makes my heart smile – and a smiling heart is a happy heart. And I give because I know that others gave to me when I was a camper at Crystal Lake Camps.

As I said at the beginning, I spend my days helping others connect their hard-earned dollars to their passions. It’s nice once in awhile to take a moment to connect to mine. I was the smiling eight-year-old standing on the porch of Kiya. I was the cowgirl sitting atop a horse with my boots on. I was the shy girl performing a skit on stage. And as an alumni of Crystal Lake Camps, I will be giving on Tuesday, December 1 and I thank you for giving too.

Make a donation to Crystal Lake Camps today!