Kitsch and cute, the Love Is… series illustrated aspects of love, as demonstrated by the male and female characters depicted. The pair were inexplicably naked in most of the images, but that didn't seem to matter. Those were simpler times, I suppose.

I hadn't thought about those cartoons for a good 35 years or so, but they came to mind when I began thinking about writing this post.

You see, I’ve been writing my blog for nearly five years now, and many of them have begun along the lines of “these are tough times for charities” but never more so it seems than right now, with, for example, the recent Presidents Club and Oxfam stories hitting the headlines.

So, this Valentine’s Day, I wanted to offer my own tribute to the charity sector that I love. Here are three reasons for my #charitylove:

Understanding and articulating passion, and encouraging others to share it, is at the heart of my love for charities, and always has been. What is it that fired up that commitment? How can you engender that passion in others? In communicating our passions, we need to engage both the head and the heart. Make that connection.

There is nothing more valuable than something that is given for free. That includes trustees. That includes office volunteers.That includes supporters cheering marathon runners. It includes the runners who are being cheered on! Across the country, voluntary participation is widespread and deeply embedded in the community. It is an impressive and powerful movement, and I love it. Together, we are changing the world for the better.

And finally, a word about charity’s missions. In the best organisations we all – staff, volunteers, supporters – know how we are aligned to the common goals and how our own contribution takes our charity a step along the way. Together, we are a force to be reckoned with. Nothing can stop us.

So that’s it – short and sweet, like those cartoon characters.

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This post was first published on 3rd Sector Mission Control