"...Books which it would have been impossible for me to obtain elsewhere were, by his wise generosity, placed within my reach; and to him I owe a taste for literature which I would not exchange for all the millions that were ever amassed by man. This is but a slight tribute and gives only a faint idea of the depth of gratitude which I feel for what he did for me and my companions..." This week, I’m quoting a story from the Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie. Published in 1920. Reflection questions: If you are in the strategic and facility planning phase, ask — whose future are we designing this building or renovation for? Like Andrew Carnegie, are you sharing personal stories of your constituents to show the vision for the future? Reflection on quote: The strategic planning phase of the capital campaign is in my opinion often one of neglected phases.  I’ve observed two opposite approaches to strategic planning prior to the capital campaign.  Either, it is focused on the new facility details for projected growth without articulating the impact to clients as a part of the vision.  Or, the strategic planning happens after the capital campaign is completed. This week, we…

.."And then with a cry from his soul despairing,He bowed him down to the earth and wept. But a voice cried aloud from the driving rain;“Arise, old man, and plant again!” This week, I’m reading a poem, Disappointed, written by Paul Laurence Dunbar, published in 1913. Reflection question: Has there been a disappointment in the campaign where you need to stop and weep before moving forward? Reflection on the quote: Capital campaigns are full of some many moments that can be also hard and taxing on the staff, volunteers and the organizations.  In this series, we are looking at ways to manage the stress. Last week, we discussed the stress associated with waiting and how to use the waiting to nurture relationships with donors. This week, we will discuss areas of stress; that is, when something that seemed certain doesn’t happen during the capital campaign. Because of the length of a capital campaign, it is likely that something that seemed guaranteed will fall through.  A grant is suddenly pulled.  A donor experiences a sudden financial reversal and can’t give.  A key member of the campaign moves, gets sick or passes away and can no longer champion the campaign.  Or, a portion of…

"...Waiting, then, is not passive. It involves nurturing the moment, as a mother nurtures the child that is growing in her womb...” This week, I am reflecting on selected quotes from Henri Nouwen from the The Path of Waiting, published in 1995 and Bread for the Journey, published in 1996. Reflection questions: When you are meeting with donors, are you listening with full attention and waiting with the donor to discover more about themselves and their potential capital campaign donation? Think about the areas where you are waiting, is there something you can do to nurture the donor relationship? Reflection on the quote: Capital campaigns are full of some many moments that can be also hard and taxing on the staff, volunteers and the organizations.  In this series, we are looking at ways to manage the stress. Last week, we discussed feeling overwhelmed about the goal and learning into joy.  This week, we will be exploring the seasons of waiting, which can be stressful.  We wait for the right timing to ask.  We wait for donors to decide to give.  We wait for news about a grant application.  We spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting is not inactive.  Instead, it involves…

"...Life is so generous a giver, but we, judging its gifts by the covering,Cast them away as ugly, or heavy, or hard." This week, I’m reading a poem written by Greville MacDonald to his father George MacDonald in 1930. Reflection question: Who on your list of donors who have already given can you call this week to hold onto joy in the midst of your stress? Reflection on the quote: Capital campaigns are full of some many moments that can be also hard and taxing on the staff, volunteers and the organizations.  In this series, we will look at ways to manage the stress. It is easy to become overcome by the enormity of the capital campaign goal and the number of donors who need to be cultivated and asked.  When we are overwhelmed by the enormity of the goal and the number of donors who need to be cultivated and asked, this is when we must take the joy within our reach. One of the most beautiful ways to take hold of that joy is through stewardship of the donors who have already given.  Rather than seeing stewardship as one more task in the campaign, instead it can be a way…

“Giving brings happiness in every state of its expression.  We experience joy in forming the intention to be generous; we experience joy in the actual act of giving something; and we experience joy in remembering the fact that we have given.” This week, I’m reading 3 quotes from the Buddha. Reflection question: How might your follow-up conversations change if you viewed them as helping donors complete their joy cycle rather than simply maintaining relationships throughout the campaign? Reflection on quotes: Today is our final episode in our series on authentic giving and avoiding transactional approaches. We’ve discussed the difference between transactions and authentic giving, donors demanding transactional approaches, and the roots of loneliness and guilt in transactional donations.  Finally, when we give authentic giving opportunities, the donor experiences joy throughout the generosity cycle during a capital campaign.  The writers from centuries ago understood things about human nature—about giving, receiving, and gratitude—that we're just now proving with brain scans and research studies. There's something beautiful about discovering that ancient wisdom and modern science keep arriving at the same truths. As a reminder, you can go back to the series on neuroscience and giving to hear about the science.  These quotes show something we…

"...Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream...” This week, I am reading a quote from Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu and a quote from A Theory of Guilt Appeals: A Review Showing the Importance of Investigating Cognitive Processes as Mediators between Emotion and Behavior, by Graton and Mailliez, published in 2019. Reflection question: With what are you watering the messages to donors? With guilt? Or, authentic giving? Reflection on quote: Today is our fourth episode in our series on authentic giving and avoiding transactional approaches.  We’ve discussed different approaches, donor demanding transactional approaches, and the root of loneliness in transactional donations.  Another root for transactional approaches is guilt.  Capital campaign donors can be guilted into a donation either by the campaign messages or through the donor’s inner values.  What happens when a campaign rely too heavily on guilt?  As we are building our case for support for the capital campaign, we are making intentional choices in the framing message and the images we use.  We can choose overtly guilt inducing messages and images to pressure donors to give; such as crying clients or a…