Last week we celebrated the candy-coated, rose-scented, sonnet-clad holiday of love. And lest you think I'm cynical, I do celebrate and embrace love in all its forms. I just don't need one special day designated to tell me to how and when to express my love with others. I believe it's important to tell -- nay, show -- the people you love how you feel about them as often as possible.

The problem far too many people make is thinking it's okay to impart only certain days with special significance or meaning, and ignore small tokens or ordinary moments in favor of grand gestures solely. Nothing could be further than the truth.

Allow me to get a tiny bit personal here and share a story from my college days. A boy I was dating at the time came over one random evening and brought me a box of my favorite candy he had picked up on a whim at the gas station. Let's call them "Jammy Tummy Jelly Beans." Now at first you might not think this gift was romantic or thoughtful at all, but I beg to differ. It showed that:

• He knew me well enough to know I loved this brand of jelly beans.

• He was thinking of me for no special reason, which is kind of sweet.

• He put his thoughts into action and actually did something to show he cared.

Now how does this little story from my ancient dating life relate to my usual posts, which are primarily about fundraising? Glad you asked!

Don't buy into the notion that donors just want to hear from you on special occasions, such as anniversaries, gift acknowledgements and emergency mailings. Of course, these are valid strategies that should be implemented regularly, but the magic is in developing a real relationship with these donors. Think back to my story and ask yourself if you could ever randomly do something nice for your donors out of the blue . . .

1. Do you know your donors well enough to know what they like? Conduct a survey via mail and/or email at least once a year to ask their preferences and input. Have your R&A team dig a little deeper into their demographics and giving history to discover trends of what does and doesn't appeal to them. If you have the time, conduct some calls to your best donors and spend a few minutes asking questions to get to know them better so they can tell you what they like best and least about your organization. The more you know, the better you can communicate with your donors and the more connected they will feel with your mission and organization.

2. Do you really stop to think about your audience and talk with them, or are your communications all about yourself and talking to them? Trust me, readers can tell the difference. Don't just talk about what you are doing and make it all about "us and we." Instead, focus on how the donor is making a direct impact in the world. Tell them about it often -- don't be afraid to communicate regularly and share real, personal stories of lives that are changed. People want to feel like they are part of the story, not just on the sidelines always looking in at what other people are accomplishing. Would you rather be a supporting character moving along the plot line or just a narrator, impersonally observing the story?

3. Are you backing up your "love" for donors with action? Even though budgets are tight, don't forget cultivation. Occasionally send a card or email that just says "Thanks, you're great!" on a random Tuesday. Share posts through social media focusing on the incredible work donors are doing, not your organization. Share pictures and brag about these dedicated friends in your newsletters and annual reports. It is no exaggeration to say the work of nonprofit organizations would not be possible with the support of donors and volunteers, so really let them know you value their contribution and care about them.

Everyone likes recognition, and taking the time to perform a few of these simple actions can go a long way to showing you are sincere and deeply committed to the people who are passionate about your mission. Now that's the kind of lovefest that's worth celebrating all year long!

Side note: A little research into the origins of Valentine's Day taught me some things I never knew. I assumed this holiday was manufactured by the greeting card industry to take advantage of old pagan traditions and make money off suckers in love. Well the pagan roots are true, but it turns out Pope Gelasius declared February 14th to be St. Valentine's Day back in the 5th century, people exchanged written greetings on the day as early as the 1700s and the first mass-produced Valentine's Day cards were made in the 1840s. So what do you know, this festival of love actually started out with some legit roots!