Will you inspire your charity's donors to live generously in 2009?

If you have had enough of all the doom and gloom stories about falling income trends, lapsed major donors and cancelled direct debits I have just the thing for you to lift your spirits and make you smile.

So, make yourself a nice cup of tea or coffee and have a look at the websites below -they are created by people who understand what generosity is about and know how to inspire and motivate the young and old to get involved in changing the world through volunteering, giving or changing their lifestyles.

We Are What We Do - (www.wearewhatwedo.org) is a relatively new and growing movement inspiring people to change the world for better by one small action at a time. The small actions range from being kind to people around you, spending time with people from a different generation, volunteering, and lots more. Thousands of people, especiall young people, have joined and are already changing the world around them in small ways.

Generous - (www.generous.org.uk) The idea of the Generous Community was born in a conversation between a few individuals who felt that they wanted to do a little bit more and a little bit more often to make shared life on our planet more sustainable. The beauty of this approach is that it is about creating community - helping participants to feel that they are not alone in changing their lifestyles and that their actions count.

Living Generously - (www.livinggenerously.com) This website also promotes a sense of community and encourages people to look beyond themselves and use personal or family celebrations (birthdays, christmas, weddings, anniversaries, eco holidays, and much more) as opportunities for helping poor people around the world.

Check out these websites, read some of the blogs and the stories. I can guarantee that you will find plenty of ideas and insights that will inspire and uplift your spirits in these difficult days. And who knows some of these stories might even restore your faith in what ordinary people can do, even during recession, to make a difference in the world.

Then, think about your charity's activities and your donors - take a look at your charity's website and other communications. What opportuntities are you creating for your donors to feel that they are not alone in changing the world? What can you do to encourage them to live generously in 2009?