“With Appreciation” from Joel Coffman, Executive Director, 2016: Issue 3

RecognizeGood started as a public forum for gratitude in 2007, and has spun off into many different related programs in the years since. We’re proud to be the “thank-you organization” today, and as we continue to grow I personally love being able to stay solidly rooted in that foundational belief that showing gratitude publicly inspires the world around us. As you might expect, very often I’m asked, “So what does RecognizeGood DO?” The answer I always come back to is just that: we’re the thank-you organization!

I’ve noticed over time another value of saying thanks that goes beyond altruism and inspiration – it opens doors like you wouldn’t believe! Initial introductions in any walk of life are often challenging, in part because it often seems like everyone always wants something.

Approaching someone with a simple, genuine thank-you can be a novel and many times welcome point of entry for a new relationship. We’ve noticed this over time as we’ve said thanks now to hundreds of individual volunteers, service clubs and community-minded businesses, and have been able to maintain most of those relationships over time.

An upcoming RecognizeGood project will test that theory when it comes to nonprofits and their relationships with the Central Texas business community. What would happen if, instead of sending a corporate sponsorship letter, your nonprofit simply expressed its gratitude to a business who contributes to the greater good of the community we all share? Stay tuned as we fine-tune this pilot project and prepare to release it into the wild!

The benefits of saying thanks are truly valuable – if you doubt that fact, do me a favor. The next time you see someone give you the “courtesy wave” on Mopac, ask yourself if you don’t feel more connected, more appreciated, and generally just happier. Can one little wave of the hand, one tiny expression of gratitude really brighten your day? I know it does for me – long live the courtesy wave!