“…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