Secret Santas Motivated to Give Anonymously

As a leader or employee of a non-profit organization, marketing, fundraising, and accumulating donors is at the apex of importance. You constantly strive to think of new and unique ways to reach people with the message of your cause, you ponder how to motivate donors to give and you spend hours creating campaigns scouring each word to devise the most impactful statements. However, the message of philanthropy and individual needs is spreading and anonymous donors are making a difference in many lives.

I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately about why people give and the answers are not surprising: tax refunds, setting an example for their children, and moral obligations are all on the list, but the biggest factor is just plain human decency — it’s the right thing to do and it warms the heart.

There is an article on the Yahoo! Finance page in which reporter Margery A. Beck conveys a story that is both heartfelt and pleasantly surprising. “At Kmart stores across the country, Santa seems to be getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers’ layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn’t afford, especially toys and children’s clothes set aside by impoverished parents,” writes Beck. And this isn’t just a onetime occurrence; Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Montana have also seen several of these instances.

Beck also comments that, “Kmart representatives say they did nothing to instigate the secret Santas or spread word of the generosity. But it’s happening as the company struggles to compete with chains such as Wal-Mart and Target.

“Kmart may be the focus of layaway generosity, Salima Yala, Kmart’s division vice president for layaway said, because it is one of the few large discount stores that has offered layaway year-round for about four decades. Under the program, customers can make purchases but let the store hold onto their merchandise as they pay it off slowly over several weeks.”

Fancy campaigns. No catch phrases. No expensive marketing executives analyzing the psyches of their donors and the triggers for giving. Just plain, old fashioned helping-your-brother-in-need grassroots movement. Kind of warms your heart, doesn’t it?