Reflections on Generosity for Capital Campaigns

"...Humble ignorance can imagine that it might be wrong and hopes that its community will correct it early enough to avoid harm.  It can marvel at what it sees that it cannot hope to understand or control...."

This week, I’m reading a quote from Imposed Ignorance and Humble Ignorance - Two Worldviews by Paul Heltne, published in 2008.

Reflection Questions:

• Are we building structures and processes in our work that demand certainty or are we building those structures and processes to encourage discovery and wonder?

• Are we willing to be honest and humble with donors when we need to make a course correction?

Reflection on the Quote

Earlier this week, I was coaching a client through the process of asking for a corporate sponsorship.  She knew that this was an area that she knew little about, but instead of being defensive, she embraced this ignorance with openness and curiosity.  It stuck me.  How am I approaching my ignorance whether it’s about a donor or a fundraising technique or a trend in the field.

This also applies to generosity.  We can approach donor relationships with certainty, with standard practices, and yet we may never find out the true reason a donor is giving to our organizations.  In the face of our certainty, the donor may feel foolish to ask questions or be open with us.  Or, we can approach donor relationships with this humble ignorance.  We can build the relationship on a foundation of discovery, wonder, and openness. We can marvel at unexpected gifts. We can make course corrections and be honest with donors.

What do you think? Send me a text.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...Let us, then, be up and doing, 
   With a heart for any fate; 
Still achieving, still pursuing, 
   Learn to labor and to wait."

This week, I'm reflecting on a poem, A Psalm of Life, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published in 1838.

Reflection questions:

• How does thinking of your donors as partners as well change your perspective?
• If you are in the middle of a fundraising campaign, when was the last time you gave an update to your donors, to your partners for this campaign?

Reflection on poem:

This week, I was reminded of the active nature of charity by donors. One of my clients was near the finish line of raising enough to meet their goal and move forward on a capital projects.  But, just before the deadline they were short. Just a small gap.  They called one of the donors to the project and shared the information about the gap.  What did the donor do?  He committed to calling his network to fill the gap.  And, the gap was filled. It reminded me the quote often attributed to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  “The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.”  This quote is a paraphrase of his poem, A Psalm of Life.

When we are in the middle of a fundraising campaign, we often think of people as just potential donors.  In reality, many of these donors are also partners.  They have chosen us and our organizations as a conduit to the cause they care about.  Donors chose the charity, not the other way around.  That means many of them are emotionally invested into the success of the campaign.  They want to come alongside and be a partner. They want to act, achieve, pursue success for the cause. Just like this donor helping my client cross the finish line.

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What do you think? Send me a text.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

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"...There is a difference between quantity and fullness. You can have a lot of money and still be empty. There is no fullness in your heart...."

This week, Pope Francis passed away.  In honor of his teaching on generosity, I am reflecting on his homily from November 8, 2015.

Reflection question:

• Are you asking for leftover generosity?  Or, are you asking for true generosity in your messages to donors?

Reflection on quote:

In his words, he talks about giving from fullness and not from leftovers.  This is a mark of true generosity.  Yes, sometimes, our messages to donors request the leftovers.  Can you spare a dollar?  Every bit counts.  Would you just fill the gap? Remember us in your will. All of these phrases give the impression that the donor would only want to give from their leftovers.  Yet, that makes the decision for them and deprives them of true, sacrificial generosity.

What do you think? Send me a text.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"... If donors are largely unaware of fluctuations in the grants received by charities, then reductions in fund-raising becomes a sensible explanation for crowding out..."

This week, I came across a large scale research article from 2009 titled, “Is Crowding Out Due Entirely to Fundraising?”

Reflection questions:

• If your organization suddenly lost significant government funding, what unique strengths, especially through your donor relationships, could you leverage to better serve your specific community's needs?

• The nonprofit sector has faced profound shifts before.  Will you ponder with me how our current challenges could bring unexpected gifts as well?

Reflection on quotes

The last three months have highlighted a critical challenge many nonprofits face: the delicate balance between government funding and private donations. Many nonprofits have built programs around federal grants, only to see them reduced or eliminated, leaving the organization scrambling to fill the gap.  So many of my coaching sessions have centered around this issue.  One striking statistic from this 17 year look-back research is that every $1000 grant reduces giving by $727. So, I invite you to join me in reflecting on how the reversal of "crowding out effect” that federal funding has on fundraising may actually help us build more sustainable funding models for the future.

Let's be honest – the loss of federal funding creates real hardship. When grants and contracts disappear, the impact is immediate and often devastating. Programs get cut, staff positions eliminated, and communities lose vital services. I've worked with many organizations facing this exact situation, and I want to acknowledge that rebuilding fundraising capacity takes time – often multiple years – and private donations rarely replace federal dollars on a one-to-one basis.

But here's what I am pondering.  Smaller, local nonprofits have something that larger institutions often lack: nimbleness and deep community connections. When a nonprofit is no longer bound by rigid federal guidelines, the nonprofit gains the freedom to design programs that truly reflect their community's unique needs and strengths.

I've witnessed a remarkable transformation when an organization shifts from "We need to design this program to meet grant requirements" to "We need to design this program to meet our community's actual needs." This pivot often leads to more innovative, responsive, and ultimately sustainable services.  This pivot also tends to engage our donors more deeply into the mission.

This engagement could create a more diverse and loyal donor base. Unlike government funding that can disappear with budget cuts or changing priorities, community-based support tends to be more stable and adaptable over time. Our donors become true partners in our mission rather than just funding sources.

What do you think? Send me a text.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

..."It is the most beautiful, the most noble side of neighbourly love, wherein the word has fully become deed..."

This week, I’m sharing quotes from The Untapped Power of Jewish Fellowships and Forgotten Approaches to Care to connect the practice of hevrot to our work in fundraising.

Reflection questions:

• How are you “thinking in relationship” to avoid depersonalizing our donors?

• How are you bringing groups of donors together to create networks of care?

Reflection on quote:

At its core, fundraising isn't just about securing donations—it's about fostering genuine human connections built on care and mutual recognition.  This week, I’ve been researching the Jewish practice of hevrot. The article, The Untapped Power of Jewish Fellowships, defines hevrot as small, local voluntaristic groups of individuals who join together to do good works or promote piety. The practice dates to at least the second century.  The research in Forgotten Approaches to Care further explores this practice. 

Rather than seeing donors simply as sources of financial support, we recognize them as partners in a shared mission. When we frame our work through an ethics of care, we acknowledge the interdependence that exists between all members of our community.

Think about what makes fundraising truly meaningful—it's not just the transaction but "the most beautiful, the most noble side of neighbourly love, wherein the word has fully become deed." When we approach donors with this mindset, we invite them into a relationship built on genuine care rather than mere obligation. As fundraisers, we have the privilege of weaving these networks of care that strengthen our entire community. When we face challenges or donor fatigue, we return to this fundamental truth: we're not just raising money—we're connecting people to purpose and to each other.

What do you think? Send me a text.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...There's only one thing I will not concede: that it might be meaningless to strive for a good cause."

This week, I’m reflecting on his words from Summer Meditations by Vacslav Havel, published in 1993.

Reflection question:

• What is the internal battle within yourself that you are facing related to the external threats to the cause you serve?  And, how will you stand for principle in that internal battle?

Reflection on the quote:

When I consider the challenges we face in raising sufficient funding for the good causes we serve, I look for wisdom those who faced greater challenges that I will ever face.  I think of those who faced torture for speaking truth, those who faced imprisonment for desiring a more just world.  One such writer was Vacslav Havel. He was a playwright and political dissident - tortured and imprisoned for speaking against the lies of a repressive government.  His writings speak to persistence in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. 

When we face external threats to the cause we serve or the funding we receive, we also face an internal battle within ourselves.  Do we give up or give in?  Or, do we continue to work for what is right and good?  When we stand for principle decently, reasonably, sincerely, civilly, and tolerantly, it gives hope and it attracts donors to wish to stand with us.

What do you think? Send me a text.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity..."

This week, I’m reflecting on several sayings of the Prophet Mohammad and the Quran and along with the definition of Sadaqah.

Reflection questions:

• How are framing our messaging around giving to include this meaning of charity as speaking truth?

• How do we give our donors the opportunity to speak truth, to speak up when our missions are facing some type of external challenge?

Reflection on quotes:

We are in the middle of Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims. A common practice during the month is giving voluntarily to charity, which is also known sadaqah. The meaning of each religious concept of charity points to the underlying motivation. The word, sadaqah, is defined as to be truthful, true or sincere, to speak the truth, to establish or confirm the truth of what is said, sincerity, soundness, excellence in a variety of different objects and the giving for the sake of Allah.  In general, sadaqah means a noble act of giving by a person to others sanctified for the sake of Allah in many forms and ways according to one researcher. So, this week, I’m reflecting on several sayings of the Prophet Mohammad and the Quran.

As I read the definition of sadaqah, I thought about how giving brings truth to the donor, the organization or person receiving it, and to our communities. By giving, the donor has the opportunity to engage more deeply with the causes we serve.  By giving, the donor lives out their true intentions and desires for our communities.  By giving, the donor speaks the truth that our missions matter.

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What do you think? Send me a text.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

“...Confidence is that feeling by which the mind embarks in great and honorable courses with a sure hope and trust in itself...”

This week, I’m reflected on the words of Cicero as weaved through several of his works, published between 89 BC and 43 BC. 

Reflection questions:

• Is there an area where you are stuck in indecision and procrastination?  

• How can you bring confidence, hope, or trust in a good outcome to that area of indecision?

Reflection on quotes:

This week, I’m been thinking about the effects of indecision and procrastination.  Why does it become so hard to take the first step?  To follow though?  To pick up the phone? To schedule the meeting? To write the letter? 

Our indecision and procrastination not only affects us, but it robs donors of the joy of generosity when we delay giving them the opportunity to be involved. Indecision can steal from our nonprofits when we wait too long before asking a donor and they move onto a different cause.  When we are stuck in the misery of indecision and memories of past blunders, we must reflect on the great and honorable causes that we serve.  And, trust that there is a beautiful space of generosity when we invite donors into that space.

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What do you think? Send me a text.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"Thenceforth they are no longer isolated individuals, but a power conspicuous from the distance whose actions serve as an example; when it speaks, people listen...."

This week, I’m reading selected quotes from Democracy in America by Alexis De Tocqueville. Published in 1835.

Note: his use of the word association is our current word for nonprofit.

Reflection questions:

• How are we sharing the impact of the causes we serve?  In sharing our impacts, are we welcoming our communities to unite with us and have their power enhanced?

• How are we showing donors the collective impact we have together by combining our efforts?

Reflection on quote:

In this time of anxiety, let us not forget the power nonprofits have to create purpose. When each of us trying to work independently, we are weak.  We can cause little change and we can’t force others to help.  When, however, we combine as nonprofits to meet the needs in our community, our communities listen.  

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What do you think? Send me a text.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"....The Stage which was not for low Farce design'd,
But to divert, instruct, and mend Mankind."

This week, I’m reading from the play The Modern Husband by Henry Fielding, published in 1732.

Reflection Question:

There are times when stress is only relieved with a bit of dark humor.  How will you gather with your community of friends and colleagues to laugh in the face of the absurdities we face in our fund development work?

Reflection on the Recorded Quote:

There are days that if we are not laughing, we are crying. Those are the times for a bit of dark humor.

When our work feels like a dark comedy or a nightmare, we can remind ourselves that past generations faced similar challenges.  They too saw folly perceived as brilliance.  This is why in 1732 Fielding wrote, “a rich man without charity is a rogue, and perhaps it would be no difficult matter to prove that he is also a fool.” 

This work has entered the public domain.

What do you think? Send me a text.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop