"...Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving! No one has ever become poor from giving!.." This week, I’m reading from Give, an essay from Anne Frank, published in 1959. Reflection questions: Pick a task on your to-do list this week and imagine others in the campaign doing the same task.  What impact does your combined efforts have on the campaign? Where are you lacking in courage? To whom can you turn in our organization or the campaign committee to receive support in that area? Reflection on quote: Capital campaigns are huge endeavors. However, each successful campaign is made up of hundreds, if not thousands of small acts by staff and volunteers.  Each of those small acts are an act of courage. When we step back and look at the progress we are making, each of those acts are combining together to create a more beautiful, just, and caring world.   What is on the to-do list for the campaign this week?  It might be writing thank you notes. It could be meeting with a donor or preparing for the next visit. It could be sending a follow up text.  Each of these tasks may…

"...More is lost by indecision than wrong decision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity. It will steal you blind..." This week, I’m reflecting on the words of Cicero as weaved through several of his works, published between 89 BC and 43 BC. Reflection questions: Where you are stuck in indecision and procrastination?   How can you bring confidence, hope, or trust in a good outcome to the capital campaign? Reflection on quote: Although we have seen a greater vision for generosity in the community building aspects, we still give donors the opportunity to make a pledge or gift during the capital campaign.  And, that’s where we can get struck in procrastination and indecision.  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 note? 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 capital campaigns 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…

"...No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted...." For some ancient wisdom about donors who don’t give, this week, I’m reading a story from Aesop’s Fables, titled the Lion and the Mouse as told sometime between 620 and 564 BC. Reflection question: What kindness can you give to a donor who have previously said no to the capital project? Reflection on quote: Last week, we discussed building communities of donors during the campaign. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the relationship with donors is only about asking or thanking.  A donor gives, and we thank them and report back on the impact their gifts has.  What are those donors to your organization who aren’t interested in giving to the capital project? Relationships with donors must be more than just their status during the campaign.  When a donors chooses not to give to the capital campaign, it can feel like a personal rejection and there can be a pulling back from that donor, which can then feel like rejection to that donor.  Instead, in that moment, it’s important to lean into kindness. It’s looking for the opportunities to give a kind word.  It’s the giving…

..."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 to goals or metrics? How are you bringing groups of donors together during the capital campaign to create communities of care? Reflection on quote: As we plan and implement our capital campaigns, it's easy to forget the purpose of fundraising. At its core, fundraising isn't just about securing donations—it's about fostering genuine human connections built on care and mutual recognition.  The Jewish practice of hevrot underscores this. 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 a means to reach our campaign goals, we recognize them as partners in a shared mission. When we frame our work through…

"All that happens, happens right: you will find it so if you observe narrowly..." This week, I am reading a quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, written around 171 AD. Reflection questions: When you think about a failure during the campaign, how are you observing narrowly for the right things that came out of it? How are you using failures to spark deeper conversations with donors? Reflection on quote: In working with capital campaigns, it’s not surprising that I’m well-acquainted with failure as well. A donor event that no one shows up to. A campaign stewardship update that has hardly any opens. A direct mail campaign that goes out later than expected.  As much as I want every activity during a capital campaign to be successful, that’s not real life. When failure happens during a time of economic uncertainty, it can feel even more overwhelming. A wise campaign volunteer once told me that a capital campaign is like a riding a wild stallion without a saddle.  There is a lot that is out of our control and that can bring failure.  All that happens, happens right.  Notice that Aurelius didn’t say, all that happens, happens perfectly.  Or, successfully.  But, he says “right…

"Go before the people with your example, and be laborious in their affairs." This week, I’m reading from the Analects by Confucius, written sometime between 551 and 479 BC. Reflection questions: Is there any hesitancy among your leaders about giving first and publicly to your campaign? What are ways you can address that hesitancy? Are you willing to have the necessary conversation to ask a leader to give a gift meaningful to them or leave the Board or campaign committee for the success of the campaign? Reflection on quote: As we consider capital campaigns during times of uncertainty, what are ways to increase trust and giving within the community?  The first step is for the leaders of the nonprofit and the campaign to give first and be public about their giving.  This is not a new principle; instead it comes from ancient wisdom.  Over twenty-five hundred years later, this wisdom still holds true. When your Executive Director, board members and campaign leaders make their gifts first and let the community know about it, something powerful happens. They're sending a signal that goes way beyond the donation. They're showing confidence despite uncertainty. Think about it. There's never a perfect moment to launch a…