You are a nonprofit professional. We're sure you don't pat yourself on the back every day for the good you do, but you're pretty special. You have dedicated your life to giving back: to helping the world's disadvantaged, filling the gaps in social services, nurturing arts and culture, and saving the environment.

You resisted pressure from your parents to become a lawyer or an accountant in order to serve more altruistic ends, often with little pay, long hours, and little recognition. This is an ode to you - the nonprofit professional. Borrowing from some of the greats, we hope to inspire you and remind you why what you do is so wonderful.

• "What we do may only be a drop in the ocean, but the ocean wouldn't be the same without it." - Mother Teresa
• "It takes a noble person to plant a seed and grow a tree that will one day provide shade to those whom one may never meet." - Dr. D. Elton Trueblood
• "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill
• "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
• "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
• "Remember, the final measure of your life won't be how well you live, but how others live because of you." - Bill Gates

It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day, and lose sight of the bigger picture: the good that you have done and the impact that it has on the world. But you should step back every once in a while to see how great it is. A research study conducted by Michigan State University and published in the European Journal of Social Sciences in 2010 examined a simple act of altruism - the act of opening a door for someone - and the effect it had. The research found that when a door was held open for someone, that person was more likely to hold the door open for the next person. So, altruism begets altruism.

If the simple act of holding a door open can inspire others in such a way, you can imagine the wave of good that your service has had on the world. So, whenever you get frustrated because you haven't quite met your goal, or your heart feels heavy thinking about those still in need, remember what you have done, and rest assured knowing that the good you do stretches far beyond what you can possibly see.

Sumac is a complete, integrated software solution for nonprofits that tracks lapsed donors and distributes personalized electronic and paper communication easily and cost-effectively. Sumac is giving back to nonprofits by offering its software free to organizations with fewer than 500 contacts.

For more information, visit www.sumac.com.