Last month, thousands tuned in online to watch the Generosity Film Festival which was organized by Leadership Network and sponsored by Thrivent. The festival included many of the best short videos produced by church leaders to promote generosity that had been submitted and chosen by a panel of the sponsoring groups. Some were funny and some were inspiring. One in particular I found fits for those of us stuck in the Gratification Gap.
The Gratification Gap is one of three Generosity Gaps that hold us captive and prevents us from taking generosity to the next level. The Gratification Gap describes long time charitable givers and volunteers who wake up one morning and say, “is this all there is to generosity?” They feel like they might be making a difference but are not seeing lasting change.
In a dramatic way the story told in this video is one of connected givers. A couple who has been giving to their church for some time has the opportunity to meet those who have benefited from their generosity. After meeting with them, this couple realizes that connected givers move from simply making a difference to creating change.
Isn’t that what you want from your acts of generosity? Are you tired of making a difference? Want to create real change? Get connected with others and in the meantime be inspired by watching this video.
I wonder, do you know the people affected by your generosity? If you were connected, what difference would that make for you?
Read my book, Connected for Good: A Gameplan for a Generous Life to discover ways in which you can become a connected giver.