Reflections on Generosity for Capital Campaigns

"...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.

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Last week, we discussed how leading a capital campaign is like standing at th...

"...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.

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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...

"...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.

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In our final episode on developing discipline during capital campaigns, we are discussing ongoing stewardship and the mindsets that can...

"...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.

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If capital campaigns are like a riding a wi...

"...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.

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"...This we must shed; this we must cast away, or else remain in misery..."

In this second episode in our series on developing discipline, we are discussing the the effects of indecision and procrastination and the necessity of prioritizing the essential tasks of a capital campaign. This week, I’m reading the words of Cicero as weaved through several of his works, published between 89 BC and 43 BC. 

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"..Consistent with social learning theory, individuals tend to carry beliefs about money and money skills learned in childhood into their adult lives..."

This week, I’m reading selected quotes from Money Beliefs and Financial Behaviors by Bradley Klontz, Sonya Britt, and Jennifer Mentzer, published in 2011.

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An experienced campaign volunteer once told me that a capital campaign is like riding a wild, unbroken stallion without a saddle.  I’ve conte...

"...Fancy is fruitful and promises fair, but, like the dog in the fable, we catch at a shadow, and when we find the disappointment, we are vexed, not with ourselves, who are really the impostors, but with the poor, innocent thing or person of whom we have formed such strange ideas..."

This week, I am reading from Abigail Adams’ letter to Hannah Lincoln, written in 1761.

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"...The leadership of individuals or groups who can back their beliefs financially is particularly essential in the field of cultural amenities, in the fine arts, in education and research, in the preservation of natural beauty and historic treasures, and, above all, in the propagation of new ideas in politics, morals, and religion."

This week, I’m reflecting on this quote by Friedrich Hayek from The Constitution of Liberty, published in 1960.

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"...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.

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.."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.

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Capital campaigns are full of some many moments that can be also hard and taxing on the staff...

"...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.

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"...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.

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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?

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Capital campaigns are full of some many moments that can be also hard an...

“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.

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Today is our final episode in our series on authent...

"...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.

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Today is...

"...Fund-raising must always aim to create new, lasting relationships...."

This week, I’m reading a quote from The Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen, originally presented in 1992.

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Last week, we discussed the scenario when the donor treats their donation as a transaction.  Often times, the...

"...Generosity cannot be counterfeited, and fake generosity does not make us happier, healthier, and more purposeful in life..."

This week, I’m reading a quote from The Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson. 2014 edition.

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Last week in our series on authentic giving, we discussed avoiding transactional approaches.  What happens if the donor wants to treat the donation as a tra...

“When conventional economic and marketing assumptions shape and undergird the work of charitable fundraising, .... potential donors will often be approached with the expectation that they will be more interested in having their names in the program or on a plaque or in receiving a premium or a tax break than in giving to help others "out of the goodness of their hearts."

This week, I am reading a quote from Growing Givers’ Hearts: Treating Fundraising as Ministry by Thomas Jeavons and Rebekah Burch Basinger, published in 2000.

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"...true charity is given, not with what is left over, but with what we need..."

This week, I’m reading from the former Pope Francis and his homily from November 8, 2015.

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In our series on cultivating an abundance mindset, we discussed how that mindset affects donors and we discussed how we have to build that mindset within our ourselves.  As we end this short series, and there is s...

"Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor loss of composure. Where there is poverty borne with joy, there is neither grasping nor hoarding. Where there is quiet and meditation, there is neither worry nor dissipation."

This week, I’m reflecting on Of the Virtues putting Vices to Flight by Francis of Assisi, first published in English in 1906.

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Last we...

"...No matter how it happens, the testimony of those who have shifted in their minds, spirits, and emotions from an imagined world of scarcity and insecurity to one of abundance, blessing, sufficiency, and overflow is almost always the same: it is liberating......"

This week, I’m reading a quote from The Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson. 2014 edition.

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This week, we are sta...

"Urgency triggers a distinctive neurobiological state. In fundraising terms, this means an urgent appeal can literally put a donors brain in “alert mode” prioritizing rapid action over careful deliberation."

I am reading from Neurogiving. The Science of Donor Decision-Making by Cherian Koshy, published in 2025.

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This is the last installment in exploring how generosity is deeply embedded into what it means to be human and how that impa...

"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.

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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 Ch...

"...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.

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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 Che...

"...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.

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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...

"... 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.

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Over the next few weeks, we...

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.

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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?"

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"...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.

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At the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference earlier this fall, I had the opportunity to meet Clay Bu...

"...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.

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"...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.

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Although we have seen a greater vision for generosity in the community building aspects, we still give donors the opp...

"...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.

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What kindness can you give to a donor who have previously said no to the capital project?

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Last week, we discussed building communities of donors during the campaign. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that t...

..."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.

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As we plan and im...

"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.

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In working with capital campaigns, it’s not surprising that I’m well-acquainted with failure as w...

Raising major funds in a small town can feel overwhelming—especially when your team of staff and volunteers is stretched thin and capital campaign experience is hard to find.

Welcome to Reflections on Generosity, where each week brings you a five-minute reflection centered on cultivating the generosity mindset essential for capital campaign success. You'll get coaching questions to ground you in your campaign work, drawing from timeless wisdom and practical insight.

Here's the beautiful truth: the principles that make capital campaigns succeed work for all fundraising. This mindset applies whether you're planning a ca...

"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.

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As we...

"...In the struggle for existence, it is only on those who hang on for ten minutes after all is hopeless, that hope begins to dawn..."

This week, I am reading selected quotes on hope from GK Chesterton.

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Last week, we discussed the first of two opposite errors in our campaign messaging that we can fall into.  The first error is blaming others and encouraging rage g...

"...Hatred of evil should constrain you to right, not fear. When her anger is kindled by injustice, goodness changes her form...."

This week, I’m reading from the Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus, a Roman Slave, written during the 1st century BC. 

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During times of uncertainty, there are two opposite errors in our campaign messaging that we can fall into.  We start blaming othe...

"...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.

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Continuing with the theme...