6 Ways Fundraisers are Like Marvel Studio’s “The Avengers”

Ok, I know I don’t exactly fit the demographic of a typical Avengers fan. And yet, over the last few months, I’ve been watching Marvel Studio’s Avengers movies with my 16-year-old son.

There aren’t too many things he likes to do with me these days, so when he says, “Come on, Mom, let’s watch a movie,” I do my best to put down whatever I’m doing and curl up on the couch.

To my surprise, it turns out these movies are a lot of fun! And during this past extremely difficult year, we all needed a little extra fun.

So last week, Ethan and I watched The Avengers: Endgame, where the heroes from all the previous movies band together for one final, epic quest. Watching all those heroes work together got me to thinking how fundraisers are pretty heroic themselves.

6 Ways Fundraisers are Like The Avengers

In fact, I would go so far to say that as a fundraiser, you’re the superhero of your organization. And I want to shout my gratitude from the rooftops!

So THANK YOU for all you do! You — alongside the volunteers, program staff, and lot of other hard-working folks — make up the superhero league of the charitable sector.

You might be wondering how an average person like you can have so much in common with these epic, super-powerful, vanquishers of Evil (with a capital “E”). Well, grab a bowl of popcorn and keep reading.

1. Avengers — and fundraisers — help those in need.

Need I say more? Fundraisers are truly modern-day superheroes. They come to the rescue of those most in need, in every sector, raising funds for worthy causes across the board.

It doesn’t get a whole lot more heroic than that.

2. Avengers — and fundraisers — avenge the wrong-doings of this world.

Through their work, fundraisers are righting injustice, inequality, and other harms inflicted on our society, individuals, animals, and the planet. It takes a certain type of person to care so much to try to right so much wrong.

3. Avengers — and fundraisers — do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Fundraisers have a herculean job, working all hours of the day (often into the night) and on weekends too. There’s no job too big or too small.

Face it — it takes a certain set of skills and a whole lot of patience to do the work you do. And while that work is rewarding in its own right, there are times when it feels extremely tedious.

Yet, like any good superhero, you forge ahead — regardless of the day-to-day challenges you face. That’s both noble and heroic.

4. Avengers — and fundraisers — have superhuman powers.

Okay, this one might seem like a stretch… but its less of a stretch than you think.

The Avengers each have fantastic powers that help them fight injustice — Captain America with his super-soldier strength, Iron Man with his mechanical suit of might, Black Widow with her keen reflexes, the Guardians of the Galaxy with their ragtag ingenuity. With so many superheroes in all these movies, I could go on and on.

Meanwhile, fundraisers have what seem like superhuman powers too. You have the powers of…

• Handling difficult board members
• Dealing with challenging bosses
• Inspiring reluctant donors
• Reminding forgetful donors
• Working understaffed and under-resourced

You might not have super strength or super accuracy or super speed, but you certainly have some amazing gifts that most people don’t possess.

So don’t ever sell yourself short.

5. Avengers — and fundraisers — aren’t afraid to take on a challenge.

Fundraisers take on challenging circumstances every single day.

No, you’re not working to stop a sentient super android or an alien invasion or some other crazy threat. But you face dozens of smaller challenges that are equally frustrating and depleting.

It can be hard to remain inspired against the daily grind of curve balls you face. But you do it — day in and day out — because your mission depends on it. And that’s no small feat.

6. Avengers — and fundraisers — like to have fun!

The Avengers like to have fun! I was surprised by how much humor and levity are in all these movies. I guess repeatedly saving the world requires a little comic relief.

The same is true of fundraisers. No one should have only responsibilities without frequent opportunities to kick back and relax. And you’ve certainly earned those opportunities, so enjoy them!

Superheroes Aren’t Perfect, And Neither Are You

One of the earlier movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the MCU, as my son explained) called Captain America: Civil War, exposed some real imperfections in the thinking of many of The Avengers. And those imperfections paved the way for Thanos — the big baddie of the MCU — to cause a lot of harm to humanity.

No… The Avengers aren’t perfect — and neither are fundraisers.

Luckily, perfection isn’t a requirement for the work you do. Just like The Avengers, you do the best you can with the resources you have on hand. And although your job may seem like a constant uphill battle, I know you’ll keep on fighting the good fight.

In the end, the good ones always come out on top. And so, with that…

Avengers, assemble!