Lasting Effects
You may not be able to determine the overall results of your efforts at the end of a fundraising project. If you raised money to beautify a neighborhood, keep in mind that the results may not be obvious for some time. A year later, you will see if the work helped revamp the neighborhood. However, if you immediately put the money to use to help maintain a community garden, then you've taken a meaningful role in making a difference where you live.
Are there any benefits from supporting a political candidate even if he does not win?
Yes. A losing candidate can help rally support for other party candidates by building up his profile. He can also run in the next election and have a higher profile. A candidate may also lose the campaign but score a different victory by drawing attention to specific problems or issues.
Sometimes progress takes years. Merck Pharmaceuticals donates a medicine called Mectizan to people suffering from river blindness in the most remote parts of Africa. The medication is administered once annually. Over the twenty-plus years of the unique Mectizan donation program, the number of people suffering from this serious, debilitating disease has decreased. The program is slated to continue for many more years, and the results may not fully be seen for another decade. This is also the case when raising money to fight a disease such as HIV; progress is very slow. Conversely, a response to a local disaster or political fundraiser will have more obvious short-term outcomes.
It's worth noting that most fundraising projects have a carryover effect. Rarely does a project end without a discernable trace. Even a small-scale school fundraising project resulting in a few new textbooks may mean a dozen more children will make it into college in the future. There are both tangible and intangible results that will come from your fundraising project.
