The Fred Factor

I recently read an article about a mailman named “Fred.” Mark Sanborn has just written a book about his experience with Fred. The book is called “The Fred Factor: Every Person’s Guide for Making the Ordinary Extraordinary.”

It seems that when Mark Sanborn moved to Denver, his mailman named Fred stopped by to welcome him to the neighborhood. Mark told Fred that he was a public speaker and would be out of town a lot. Fred said if Sanborn would give him a copy of his travel schedule, he would hold and handle his mail while he was away to discourage burglars and deliver it only on the days he was home. Over the next 10 years, Sanborn continued to receive consistently remarkable personal service from Fred the mailman. Sanborn could not believe the passion Fred brought to his work.

“We all know mediocre, indifferent service when we see…or, worse yet—experience it,” says Sanborn, “so too, we all recognize and are inspired by outstanding service delivered by people who delight in achieving excellence and whose willingness to go the extra mile makes a real difference in the world and in the lives of those they serve.”

As fundraisers and development officers, we all have the opportunity to provide outstanding service to our donors who have given to make a difference. Go the extra mile, do the little things and, above all, do these things with passion. Your passion and commitment will make a difference.

Remember, anyone can be a “Fred.”