Thank you is truly the magic word in fundraising. Everything begins and ends here. Fundraising begins with a thank you because the fundraiser or the organisation that is asking must first imagine receiving the desired donations before setting off on that somewhat awkward task of asking.

Thanks means to be appreciative of the benefits received. And, that’s what I want to express here. Thank you to all the Brazilian volunteers who have helped to translate SOFII exhibits. Thank you for all of your love, energy and vision of a better Brazil that have inspired and sustained me throughout my 12 years living here. Thank you too, to the SOFII Foundation, Sue, Marie, Ken and especially Carolina, for all your support, confidence and generosity.

And, thank you, users of SOFII’s pages in Portuguese, especially my Brazilian fundraising colleagues. In Brazil, we don’t say thank you. We use the Portuguese word obrigado. It is derived from the Latin obligare: to bind legally or morally, that is, to put ourselves in one’s debt by favour or service. Think about this. Here lies our first challenge as Brazilian fundraisers whose current task is to shift our non-profit sector from a dependence on foreign funding and the Brazilian government to a culture of direct donor support. Perhaps we should visualise first the more suitable Portuguese word agradecer in our campaigns, which so elegantly and universally expresses: gratitude.

Frank Lucas is a non-profit governance coach and fundraiser in São Paulo, Brazil. He is a SOFII volunteer co-ordinating the talented group of translators. He is American born, but Brazilian by heart, as are his wife and daughter. To volunteer in Brazil, you can contact Frank here.

Hi, I’m Sandra. I found translating the SOFII exhibits fun and interesting. I especially enjoyed doing them with my nine-year old stepdaughter to see how giving is expressed around the world. Brazilians are very generous people by nature. We see extreme social inequities everywhere we go. Brazilians give of their time, prayers, property – almost anything they find appropriate. I must say, however, our actions are usually limited to individuals or small organisations that we are usually associated with.

I was particularly fond of the Operation Christmas exhibit. It reminded me of our own Christmas drives here but at an almost unimaginable scale. It would be wonderful to see our own Brazilian gift-giving traditions expanded to benefit children around the world.