Do you have a personal compass that nudges you when it’s time to think about you? Does it ask you to think about “Where am I now? How does it fit into my desired career trajectory and life goals? Am I doing something that maximizes my skillset in an environment that helps me thrive?”

Most people address these questions in a cursory manner, if at all. “It’s not something I’m thrilled about, but the money is good.” I like what I do, but I don’t like the people.”

Frequently, people have “fallen” into a career path without assessing how well it fits for them personally. For some, it proves to be a fortuitous pathway and things go well. Others wake up thirty years later and realize they dislike what they do but by now have such a specialized skillset they’re at a loss on how to transition. In the fundraising field in particular, it’s a common theme for professionals: “Well, I started out in (fill in the blank with almost any field!) but then sort of fell into fundraising.” Of course, there are now degree program specific to fundraising but they are not prolific and didn’t even exist when most of those now at a senior level started their careers.

But isn’t that a little sad? Working requires so much of our time and effort. It has the potential to add a great deal of meaning to our lives when we can use it to serve others or to fully utilize our talents. Because of the high investment and the high potential, seeking outside professional navigation can help you answer those all-important questions.

DONE WELL, THE COST OF DONOR RECOGNITION WILL MORE THAN PAY FOR ITSELF, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF DONOR LOYALTY, PATIENT CONFIDENCE, STAFF MORALE AND COMMUNITY GOODWILL.

It began almost 250 years ago. Men and women coming together to build schools, hospitals and orphanages. Brave women religious who traveled to the wilds of America to bring health and healing to those working in mines and lumber camps. They worked in the open, in tents and partnered with those being served to build the facilities that would change the landscape of healthcare in America for centuries to come. Wives brought fruit, vegetables, linens and crucial supplies to help care for the sick and injured. This was all done without government support. It was accomplished through private philanthropy and lives dedicated to serving others.

This legacy of philanthropy is seen throughout our communities and in our hospitals across the country. Changes through the years—capitation, private health insurance, government health insurance through Medicaid and Medicare—have been touted as “fixes” for our healthcare system of payment and cost containment. Yet, throughout all of these financial programs the need for philanthropy has steadily increased. The healthcare reform act will not change that need. It will increase it.

Moody’s Investor Service Analyst Sara Vennekotter states that “While median revenue growth showed an uptick…it remained low by historical standards, and will likely fall again in coming years due to tightening federal funding. Inpatient volumes that have been weak due show no growth. For FY 2013 and beyond, we expect lower payments for inpatient procedures from all payers and a continued shift to outpatient services as healthcare reform forces hospitals to operate with less while being required to prove higher quality care. Margins are likely to soften due to the continuous pressure on revenue forcing hospitals to drastically reduce expenses.”1