Reflections on Generosity for Capital Campaigns

Small Town Capital Campaigns
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Kick off your week with a 5-minute reflection on generosity to ground yourself in the right mindset for capital campaigns.  Each reflection includes a question to ponder throughout the week to aid your work.

  1. 5D AGO

    134: Neuroscience and Giving - Volunteering Feels Good

    "Volunteering can satisfy psychological needs: the need to belong to a community, to see one’s values an action or to develop skills and purpose." I am reading from Neurogiving. The Science of Donor Decision-Making by Cherian Koshy, published in 2025. Reflection question: How are you showing gratitude to your campaign volunteers? Reflection on quote: We are exploring how generosity is deeply embedded into what it means to be human and how that impacts capital campaigns, using insights from a book recently released by my friend and colleague Cherian Koshy. This week, we are looking at volunteering as it relates to capital campaigns. When I am discussing with the Executive Director the number of campaign volunteers that will be needed for a capital campaign, I often hear two concerns.  How can we ask someone to give so much of their time, often months and even years to the campaign?  And, secondly, how can ask them to donate financially as well?   As Cherian points out, we can ask because it’s inherent to being human.  We desire social connection and meaningful work that shows progress.  Joining a campaign committee or being the campaign chair provides immediate social connections and meaning.  Further, as the committee raises funds together, they see the progress towards the goal and the actual building going up.  Further, campaign volunteers naturally want to give to the campaign because of their engagement.  They want to give both their time and money to be a part of the progress.  They are doubly invested. In small towns, their passion about the project will then draw others to join in. And, as result, when we keep sharing the progress of the campaign and show gratitude for their engagement, campaign volunteers will keep volunteering because it makes them feel good.  Here's how to purchase Neurogiving from Wiley or Amazon. Quote used by permission. 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

    5 min

  2. JAN 12

    133: Neuroscience and Giving - Maintaining Trust

    "...Donors don’t just invest their money, they invest their trust. Admitting uncertainty or limitations can actually boost credibility...."  I am reading from Neurogiving. The Science of Donor Decision-Making by Cherian Koshy, published in 2025. Reflection question: How are you consistently updating donors, even when the capital campaign or construction is facing challenges?Reflection on quote: We are continuing exploring how generosity is deeply embedded into what it means to be human and how that impacts capital campaigns, using insights from a book recently released by my friend and colleague Cherian Koshy.  This week, we are looking at donor trust as it relates to capital campaigns. One challenge during capital campaigns is maintaining and growing trust after the donor give a pledge or donation.  From the time the donor gives to capital campaign, it can be months and sometimes years before the construction actually starts or the building project is completed. It’s easy to fall into the trap of waiting to give an update.  However, admitting uncertainty or limitation boosts credibility. This is especially essential in small towns where a vacuum of information can be filled with false speculation about the viability of the building project. We build, maintain, and grow trust by giving ongoing updates to donors. In turn, those authentic updates give confidence to the donors in sharing their excitement about the project with others. Here's how to purchase Neurogiving from Wiley or Amazon. Quote used by permission. 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

    5 min

  3. JAN 5

    132: Neuroscience and Giving - Personal Identity and Giving

    "...If a donor donates regularly – even small amounts –they gather evidence from their own behavior that “I am a generous person.” Once someone embraces a donor identity, they naturally want to act consistently with it..." I am reading from Neurogiving. The Science of Donor Decision-Making by Cherian Koshy, published in 2025. Reflection questions: When you are talking with long-term donors, are you entering into conversations of curiosity to find out why they give?Are you aligning your capital campaign ask with the donor’s stated identity and motivation for giving?Reflection on quote: We are continuing exploring how generosity is deeply embedded into what it means to be human and how that impacts capital campaigns, using insights from a book recently released by my friend and colleague Cherian Koshy.  This week, we are looking at donor identity as it relates to capital campaigns.  As we prepare for a capital campaign, one of the necessary reports that we pull from our donor database is a list of long-term givers and some of these long-term donors are donors who are able to give more significantly during the quiet phase of the campaign. As we schedule times to meet with these donors, it’s important to understand how the donor’s self-identification as a generous person to this cause affects their motivation to potentially give to the campaign.  In small towns, we can assume we know why they are giving to our cause, but until we have entered into conversations of curiosity, we won’t know.  Once we have a better idea of how their identity is driving them to give, we can frame the capital campaign ask as being in alignment with their generous identity. Here's how to purchase Neurogiving from Wiley or Amazon. Quote used by permission. 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

    5 min

  4. 12/22/2025

    131: To a Generous Holiday Season

    As you know, this podcast highlights the transformative beauty of generosity. I will be taking a brief break until January, and in the meantime, I encourage you to reflect on the role of generosity within your own holiday traditions. As I consider the myriad of holidays during this season, I am reminded of the universal themes of generosity and connection that they all share. Yet, in the flurry of holiday preparations, it's easy to overlook the simple but profound gift of giving that is at the heart of each celebration. As we move through this season, I invite you to reflect on this question: How will you show generosity to yourself during this busy season, so you can pour from a full cup of love and kindness to others? Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 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

    1 min

  5. 12/15/2025

    130: Neuroscience and Giving - Empathy Builds Buildings

    "... In light of the science, inviting someone to give is really inviting them to tap into these biologically rooted joys of generosity..." I am reading from Neurogiving. The Science of Donor Decision-Making by Cherian Koshy, published in 2025. Reflection questions: What stories are you telling that lead into the tours of the construction or the displays of the architectural renderings? Are you fully embracing the concept of generosity as a deeply rooted biological need for being human?Reflections on the quote: Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring how generosity is deeply embedded into what it means to be human and how that impacts capital campaigns, using insights from a book recently released by my friend and colleague Cherian Koshy.   As we pull out the donor packet with architectural renderings and details about the construction and renovations to show a potential capital campaign donor, it is vital that we don’t forget the role of empathy.  Beautiful drawings of the new building or renovation won’t spark giving.  As Cherian wrote, empathy is the bridge to giving.  A story of a beneficiary walking into that building to receive the services they desperately need. A story of a program staff having the space finally to creatively overcome the challenges their nonprofit seeks to solve. A story of a place where the public to be immersed in goodness, wonder, and beauty.  These stories of other humans are the sparks that bridge a donor’s understanding to the act of giving to capital campaigns in our small towns.  In addition, it is through these stories and one-on-one conversations that we see the donor for their hopes, fears, and comfort.  When we see the donor and the pleasure and bonding that giving brings, we can present the case for support as an opportunity for the donor to experience the deep roots of joy. Here's how to purchase Neurogiving from Wiley or Amazon. Quote used by permission. 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

    5 min

  6. 12/08/2025

    Spotlight: A Trusted Leader Makes the Case

    This is a "re-air," because during economic uncertainty it's important that the leader continues to communicate consistently during this year-end giving season. "...If you don’t know what harbour you sail for, no wind is favourable. Because we live by chance, chance necessarily has great power over our lives..." In our series on uncertainty during small town capital campaigns, This week, I’m reading from Seneca’s Letter 71, first published in 65 AD. Reflection questions: How trusted is the Executive Director or CEO among your donors and the community?Is the vision for the capital campaign being communicated clearly, consistently, and with courage amidst uncertainties?Reflection on the quote: Continuing with the theme of economic or societal uncertainty during a small town capital campaign, I’ve been reflecting on the role of the Executive Director or CEO.  While the trust of Board and the Campaign Chair matters, it’s the Executive Director that matters most in terms of the success of a capital campaign.  When an Executive Director is trusted in the community, the community is more open to hearing the vision. Then the vision must be communicated clearly, consistently, and with courage.  The community has to know which harbor the nonprofit is directing the community to fund under the leadership of that Executive Director. Otherwise, trivial circumstances and chance events will blow the capital campaign off course. However, when there is trust and a clear vision from the leader, the vision becomes steeped into the community and the community embraces the vision and generosity towards that vision despite uncertainty. 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

    5 min

  7. 12/01/2025

    Spotlight: Growing Generosity During Uncertainty

    This is a "re-air," since economic uncertainty continues this year-end giving season. "...for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs..." This week, I am reflecting a quote from George Eliot’s Middlemarch, published in 1871 to ask the question, "will donor give during uncertainty?" Reflection Questions When was the last time you did a temperature check with your donors? Asked them how they are feeling in the uncertainty?  Asked them how they are keeping the darkness at bay? And, just listen.Then consider, will your vision inspire donors to give to a capital campaign? Reflection for Capital Campaigns One common question I receive is “is this the right time for a campaign because of … the fill-in-the-blank economic or societal uncertainty?”  Will donors give? During uncertain times, the ordinary people who are our donors often feel overwhelmed.  When there is increased division, enmity, and strife, it’s easy to feel powerless and to focus inward. We begin to feel as though nothing will change and, for some, this can lead to a decrease in their giving.  And, yet, neuroscience has proven that the act of giving boosts a donor’s mood and their feelings of agency.  When we give donors a concrete way that they can help their community, they no longer feel as powerless.  Their donations become the small acts of kindness and love that they can do to push back against the enmity.  Through giving, we empower them to partner with us to keep the uncertainty in check.  We empower them to grow the good in each of our communities through these unhistoric acts.   A well-planned capital campaign can cast a vision that becomes a visible reminder of the good they can do in the community.   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

    4 min

  8. 11/24/2025

    127: Genuine Community Building - Expand the Horizons for Donors

    "...And expanding one's horizons in such ways, being exposed to new information and new possibilities in life, tends to enhance human well-being..." This week, I’m reading a quote from The Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson. 2014 edition. Reflection questions: What unique stories can your program staff share about the necessity of the capital campaign?How can you best include their stories in the campaign? Reflections on quote: At the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference earlier this fall, I had the opportunity to meet Clay Buck, a consultant who has done significant work in helping organizations with more abstract missions connect donors to that work.  One of his key insights is the importance of bringing the stories of program staff to donors. For all types of missions, the stories of program staff have a role in capital campaigns, especially in small towns. Capital campaign donors are used to meeting with the Executive Directors, CEOs, Board chairs, and Campaign chairs.  Donors capable of making major gifts expect to see the organizational vision, building renderings, case statements, and beneficiary stories. Yet, when we consider the research into generosity, we see that donors want to expand their horizons.  That’s where the stories of program staff, in their own words, can come in. Their stories can make the vision for the building or renovation more real and concrete for the donors.  They can more credibly paint a before and after picture of the day to day impact that the donor’s gift to campaign will have.  Whether it’s a recorded video with a program staff or the inclusion of a program staff on a donor tour, their involvement in the storytelling for the capital campaign stretches the imagination of the donors in greater ways. To purchase this book: The Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson. Copyright: Oxford University Press 2014. Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear. 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

    4 min
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Kick off your week with a 5-minute reflection on generosity to ground yourself in the right mindset for capital campaigns.  Each reflection includes a question to ponder throughout the week to aid your work.

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