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. 15h ago

    Series 1: Navigating Uncertainty (Episodes 117-122)

    As we wrap up Season 4 of this podcast, we're re-airing one episode from each of our nine series—a chance to revisit the foundational wisdom on capital campaigns, from navigating uncertainty to leading with integrity. Next season, we're turning our attention to the specific context of rural giving, exploring what makes small-town fundraising different, how deep relationships shape generosity, and how to build capital campaigns that honor the unique dynamics and constraints of rural communities. Episodes in the Navigating Uncertainty series: 117: Navigating Uncertainty - Growing Generosity118: Navigating Uncertainty - A Trusted Leader Makes the Case119: Navigating Uncertainty - Avoid Rage Giving in a Campaign120: Navigating Uncertainty - Hope in Giving121: Navigating Uncertainty - Leaders Give Confidence122: Navigating Uncertainty - When Failure Sparks 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

  2. 6d ago

    158: Leading with Integrity - Openness About Setbacks

    "...whatever you do, let your aim be goodness, goodness as it is rightly understood. Hold to this in every action..." This week, I am reading a quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, written around 171 AD. Reflection questions: Think about a recent setback in your campaign. What would it look like to tell your donors about it honestly, seek their advice, instead of quietly working around it?Where could a moment of openness with a donor actually deepen their trust in the project rather than shake it?Reflection on quote: Throughout this latest series, we've talked about how leading a capital campaign is like standing at the base of a mountain where the trail is obscured from view by the undergrowth of the forest and how we are called to lead that journey with integrity. Along the way, we've explored curiosity when facing scrutiny, honesty when sharing the campaign's impact, and clarity in how we communicate with our community. In this final episode, we're looking at how openness fits into that same leadership: what it means to be honest with donors about the challenges we meet along the way. On a hike, you cannot avoid every root, every loose rock, every stretch of overgrown trail. As much as we want every activity in a capital campaign to go well, that's not real life, and when something goes sideways, it's tempting to stay quiet and hope the donors and the community don't notice. But our setbacks are actually one of the best opportunities to build trust with donors if we're willing to be open about them.  When we see failure during a capital campaign as an opportunity, we can hold on to that phrase, "All that happens, happens right." We don't plan for failure. But no matter how carefully we plan a campaign, some setback is inevitable. When we've led with integrity, that setback can actually move the campaign forward as long as we stay transparent and open with our donors. That brings us to the second half of the quote: "Let your aim be goodness in every action." We don't fail on purpose. Nobody plans to host a poorly attended event. Nobody hopes for a cost overrun during the construction. But failure is simply a part of capital campaigns. So we stop aiming for perfection or for looking polished, and we aim for something better: goodness, openness, transparency, doing right by the people who believe in this project and have already given to it. They want to see it thrive. They want to give advice because it's their community, too. When we are honest with them about the bumps along the way, we are not weakening the relationship. We are strengthening it. 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

  3. Jul 20

    157: Leading with Integrity - Clarity for the Giver

    "...And he will refrain from giving to anybody and everybody, that he may have something to give to the right people, at the right time, and where it is noble to do so..." I am reading from Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle, written in 350 BC.  Reflection questions: Where are you being vague in your conversations with donors or in your campaign materials?How will you lean into providing clarity to our donors in your leadership?Reflection on quote: This month, we are exploring what it means to lead with integrity during a capital campaign.  For this series, we are using the metaphor of standing at the base of a mountain where the trail is obscured from view by the undergrowth of the forest. Each step is a step of faith, but the journey is grounded in building trust with our staff, volunteers, donors, and the community.  It is both exhilarating and challenging as we make our way to the mountain top to complete the capital campaign.  This trust building requires honesty, clarity, openness, and curiosity in our leadership. This week, we are exploring the principle of clarity through ancient wisdom.  Note: Aristotle uses the word liberal to denote a donor of money from their wealth. Aristotle points to a key principle for capital campaigns; that is, the importance of clarity when speaking with a donor about the campaign. He outlines that virtuous major donors will give to the right people, the right amount, and at the right time.   In the capital campaign context, we lead with clarity when we define why we are most equipped to expand our programs and services now and how we can be trusted to sustain our essential services through our new building or renovation after the campaign is over.  We lead with integrity when we clearly explain the true costs of the campaign and the gift range the donor may consider themselves in.  And, we lead with clarity when we demonstrate why the campaign is needed right now and a gift will have the most effectiveness when given now.   While it may seem more polite in our small towns to be vague in donor conversations, vagueness only leads to donor confusion, sending them back to the trailhead or lost off-trail.  Instead, it is more noble to lead with clarity that we are the right people for the right amount at this right time to receive a gift to the capital campaign.   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

  4. Jul 14

    156: Leading with Integrity - Honesty Builds Trust

    "...Admitting uncertainties or limitations, for example, saying, 'We can’t help everyone, but here’s how we are trying,' can actually boost credibility..."  I am reading from Neurogiving. The Science of Donor Decision-Making by Cherian Koshy, published in 2025. Reflection question: As you're preparing your case for support or talking with donors, consider where can you be more honest about limitations instead of glossing over them or exaggerating the impact your campaign will have.Reflection on quote: Last week, we discussed how leading a capital campaign is like standing at the base of a mountain where the trail is obscured from view by the undergrowth of the forest and one key principles is to be curious when facing scrutiny. This week, we will be looking how honesty fits into leading with integrity when sharing the impact the capital campaign will have on the community.  When we're leading a capital campaign in a small town, we know our neighbors and we want to appear competent and confident to them. There's a temptation, when we're asking for significant donations for something as big as a capital campaign, to want to present a version of our organization that looks like it has everything figured out. As if, we’re solving the whole mountainside of problems. But that's not the story that builds trust. Think about the difference between a leader who says "This project will absolutely solve every challenge our mission, our community faces" and one who says "This project won't solve everything, but it's a meaningful step, and here's exactly how we expect it will help." The second leader is building trust and leading with integrity.  The second leader is marking the actual trail that leads up the mountainside. When we lead with honesty — including honesty about our limitations — we're not weakening our case with donors. We're strengthening it. 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. Jul 6

    155: Leading with Integrity - Inviting Scrutiny

    "...that which is a hindrance is made a furtherance to an act; and that which is an obstacle on the road helps us on this road..." This week, I am reading a quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, written around 171 AD. Reflection question: As we are facing scrutiny, is our posture one of defensiveness or invitation and curiosity?Reflection on quote: When we are at the beginning of a capital campaign, it is like standing at the base of a mountain where the trail is obscured from view by the undergrowth of the forest. It is a step of faith to stride ahead from the trailhead, but that is just the first step for a journey in building trust that is both exhilarating and challenging as we make our way to the mountain top.   Similarly, in capital campaigns, as leaders, our role is to lead both our organization and the community along the trail that begins obscured. This journey requires honesty, clarity, openness, and curiosity in our leadership. So, this month, we are starting a series on leading with integrity.  The first principle is to be curious when faced with scrutiny.  When the trail is obscured from view, it is a natural human reaction to wonder if we are going the right way. In the same way, those within our organization, our current donors, and the community will all wonder if the capital campaign is the right path for the organization. Our vision for the project, the work to accomplish the vision, and the project itself will be scrutinized.    We can either become defensive and see the scrutiny as hindrance and obstacle.  Or, we can lead with curiosity and invite the scrutiny to help us be successful in the capital campaign.  We can be curious to use the scrutiny to improve our planning.  And, we can be curious to understand the motivations behind the scrutiny.  Often, those who are scrutinizing the project when invited with curiosity to share their concerns and ask their questions will become the greatest advocates and allies to the capital campaign in our small towns. 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

  6. Jun 29

    154: Developing Discipline - Ongoing Stewardship

    "...We must now consider what is the main cause of ingratitude..." This week, I am reading a quote from On Benefits by Seneca the Younger, published in 59 AD. Reflection questions: Have we noticed signs of excessive esteem, greed or jealousy slipping into our thinking when we are reviewing our campaign goals and what donors have given?What are ways you can lean into gratitude this week?Reflection on quote: In our final episode on developing discipline during capital campaigns, we are discussing ongoing stewardship and the mindsets that can block gratitude.  Throughout this series, we used the metaphor of riding a wild stallion without a saddle. Previously, we discussed developing disciplines with money beliefs, prioritizing tasks, planting seeds of awareness, and the fear of rejection.  During capital campaigns, we can fall into one of these mindsets that block ongoing gratitude and stewardship because we are confident in the necessity of our work and this campaign project. As a result, we might believe that donors are duty-bound to give to our campaign. We might continually expect donors to give more and more to the campaign. Or, we might be jealous of other campaigns where a donor gave more.  It is easy for us to slip into these root causes of ingratitude, especially when we are faced with the pressures of a campaign.  When we do, to paraphrase Seneca, we become unworthy of what we have received.  And, in small towns, our ingratitude is often discussed among donors. The reality is that donors do not have to fund our campaigns or fund them at a greater extent than other campaigns. Instead, we develop a discipline of gratitude for every donation. Next week, we will start a series on leading with integrity during a capital campaign. 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

  7. Jun 23

    153: Developing Discipline - Following Up

    "...Hope is not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out..." I’m reflecting on this quote by Vaclav Havel from a series of interviews, published in the book Disturbing the Peace, translated to English in 1990. Reflection question: How are you cultivating hope in something good, even if your follow-up call results in a no?Reflection on quote: If capital campaigns are like a riding a wild stallion without a saddle, then facing rejection is like being bucked off and being afraid to ride again.  This week, we will discuss how to develop the discipline of facing rejection.  Previously, we discussed developing disciplines with money beliefs, prioritizing tasks, and planting seeds of awareness. In this episode, we’ll discuss how to develop the discipline of hope when facing rejection. I am convinced that the moment we close the car door or we hit end on a call with a donor, the doubts begin to creep in.  And, slowly or quickly, we wonder if we will be rejected when we make the follow-up call or visit we promised to the donor. That’s where the hope Vaclav Havel describes comes in.  It’s the hope in something good, regardless of how the follow up turns out. Hope can be following up, only to find out that the donor can no longer give what they intended and yet bringing grace and humanity into the relationship. And, hope can be following up for 6 months at a donor’s request, wondering if the follow-ups are badgering the donor, then to receive with joy a major gift that is twice the amount the donor was originally considered. And, hope can be following up and sometimes feeling the sting of rejection and yet knowing that an answer, even if it is no, is better than the anxiety of not knowing for us and the anxiety of sharing hard news for the donor. This type of hope keeps us above water and moving forward during a capital campaign. 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

  8. Jun 15

    152: Developing Discipline - Planting Seeds to Raise Awareness

    "...this old man was one of the most useful citizens of the world in his humble way. He has made a greater contribution to our civilization than we realize. He has left a place that never can be filled. Farewell, dear old eccentric heart, your labor has been a labor of love, and generations, yet unborn, will rise up and call you blessed..." Let’s listen to the tribute from Sam Houston around 1847 upon Johnny Appleseed’s death. Reflection questions: What approach are you taking: scattering seeds or planting seeds with intentional outcomes in mind? If you are in the pre-campaign readiness stage, have you considered the more effective ways to raise awareness in your community and brought in community leaders and potential donors to help you determine and implement those ways?Reflection on quote: Capital campaigns are like a riding a wild stallion without a saddle and one key to success is developing discipline. This series unpacks those disciplines. We’ve discussed how understanding our beliefs around money can assist us in creating the necessary disciplines around asking for donations. We’ve discussed how indecision and procrastination can steal opportunities and the importance of prioritizing tasks.  In this episode, we’ll discuss the discipline necessary to successfully raising awareness for our capital campaigns through the life and work of John Chapman; otherwise known as Johnny Appleseed.  Like many, I pictured Johnny Appleseed as wandering aimlessly around the countryside, randomly sprinkling seeds that grew into trees and, against all odds, orchards.  But that wasn’t the case at all. Johnny Appleseed had a purpose for apple trees. He believed that apple trees were important to cultivate as cider to be an alternative to unsafe drinking water.  He then planned the process for planting seeds to grow into trees near villages and towns in Ohio.  His labor of love had an intentional process with both immediate and generational impacts.  In the same way, during a capital campaign, we too must be intentional in how we are raising awareness. We do not simply scatter seeds and hope our communities are paying enough attention.  Instead, we consider the audiences, the people, who need to hear about our vision first.  Then, we determine how we engage those community leaders, connectors, and potential donors in the planning process for the campaign.  Further, we are intentional in what information we share with the community, information that creates confidence and excitement in the goal, and when we share that information. When we are disciplined in raising awareness, those seeds will have a greater contribution to the success of the capital campaign and a greater contribution to the small towns and rural communities we serve.       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

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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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