Reflections on Generosity for Capital Campaigns

"A person is a person through other persons" Ubuntu, an African proverb.Reflection question:Where do you already see the web of connection around your organization?Reflection on generosity: As a blessing or curse, people are more connected in a rural area. This month, we are starting a four-week series on the connectivity of small towns and its impact on capital campaigns. By connectivity, I mean the web of relationships that tie a community together. Now, let's be honest. We know that small town gossip and nosy neighbors are real. Anonymity is rare, news travels fast. And the blessings are real. There is a deep sense of belonging and togetherness because we know our neighbors. And there is often a culture of neighbors helping neighbors before relying on more formal institutions. Friendships can form over decades and at times, generations. In a small town, we identify with each other, and we identify with our responsibilities to one another. Further, we are connected in multiple ways. Think of it as a form of six degrees of Kevin Bacon. And if you don't know the reference, look it up. In the case of a rural area, it's six degrees of connection. That is, a person can find multiple ways they are connected to other people in the town. A board member is also a neighbor to a program staff member and perhaps was also the kindergarten classmate to the largest donor in town. This connectivity has a positive impact on capital campaigns. The capital need in the community may already be known. Volunteers with the right expertise are easier to find, and a request to help is usually a favor asked by a friend. Donors are often connected through several volunteers or staff, and people often give because someone they trust asked them. So when we wonder if a campaign can succeed, there's something to keep in mind. Connection isn't something we have to build. It is already woven into our communities. Now, of course, that same closeness that makes asking easier can also make asking feel risky, which we will explore in two weeks. Over the next few weeks, we'll look at a story of connection in action during a capital campaign, the challenges connectivity presents with real examples, and how to make the most of the strength of connectivity in your town.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

"..For the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts,” Middlemarch by George EliotReflection questions:Have you removed a prospective foundation or donor who funds similar nonprofits just because you don’t think you can compete?How can you shift your mindset to being confident in the impact your campaign will have?Reflection on quote:Can we compete? Is our campaign too small? Smaller capital campaigns have a greater impact in our small towns and rural communities. Yet, when applying for capital grants or preparing to meet with a major donor, it is easy to fall into a mindset that our campaign is just too small to compete. For example, we don't serve as many clients as a similar urban nonprofit, or our grant request will be outside of the normal range for a foundation. This mindset can cause us to view the smaller nature of our campaign as a detriment or a flaw. This is a true challenge. However, a change in mindset can help us compete confidently in grant requests and when discussing a campaign with donors.  We start with changing our mindset by understanding the impact our organization has in our communities. Often when we consider our population, we serve a higher per capita of people or land or animals or historic objects when compared to an urban area. For example, the sole community theater in our town with three productions a year will likely per capita have more participation in the production, a higher number of people attending at least one theater production per year, and a greater appreciation of the value that the arts through this community theater has to the quality of life of our community. We change our mindset also through conversations with those impacted with our services and by asking what their lives would look like without us. Urban areas may have multiple nonprofits serving the same mission. In our small towns, we can quantify what will happen if a building doesn't get rebuilt or our programs can't be delivered. We can quantify the impact of a wait list because our clients or animals or places can't be served by another organization. The contrast can be stark, and we can tell those stories to foundations and donors. Another mindset shift comes from conversations with those funders. The saying biggest bang for the buck is often true for funders. Unless the funding guidelines preclude giving to smaller requests, foundations can view higher per capita impact when framed that way quite favorably. Major donors who used to live in more populated areas and have experienced larger requests can be invited to see the difference that our impact makes through tours and constituent conversations. Yes, a smaller capital campaign can present a challenge in competing with larger campaigns. However, those larger campaigns are unlikely to have as much impact as our smaller campaigns. Our campaign size isn't a flaw, it's a part of our compelling story. We can build a confident mindset when we grasp that as a strength.The quote 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

"..For the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts,” Middlemarch by George EliotReflection questions:Have you considered what the greater impacts of your capital campaign will have in your community by growing your donor base and the generosity to other nonprofits?How will you share those impacts within your organization and campaign committees to deepen the excitement for the campaign?Reflection on quote: A client planned a simple solar project, then a hailstorm came through. So capital campaigns aren't just planned during strategic planning processes. In rural communities, capital campaigns happen as a result of a natural disaster more often than you would think. Capital campaigns planned in response to a natural disaster often have a greater impact beyond the building. Yes, a restoration and renovation is happening or a new building is built. However, because of the heightened awareness from the natural disaster and the urgency to reach out to donors, the campaign can grow the donor base of the nonprofit in the campaign along with the other nonprofits in the community. Let me share an example of this. A client wanted to reduce their electricity costs through a solar project and was planning to fund that project through various grants. No big deal, easy to implement. Then a natural disaster happened. An incredibly rare hailstorm came through suddenly, destroyed the roof of this small town museum, and damaged the exhibits. Yes, they had insurance, but it didn't cover the full cost of the repair or the conversion to having roof solar panels. My client and I created a plan to leverage the grant funding for the solar panels, along with the insurance funds to launch the public phase of a capital campaign during a giving day. This small town of 300 people raised over 40,000 in one day for the launch and then ended the campaign at the next year's giving day by raising over $60,000 in one day. How were they able to raise that much from such a small town in two days of the public phase of the campaign? Here's the surprise. The largest gifts came from former residents of this small town. Using the natural disaster as a reason to call, the members and trustees of the boards reached out to these former residents who still considered the town home. These were former residents who had either moved away permanently or hoped to move back to the town one day. They wanted to see this town treasure restored, so they gave to this capital campaign. Further, by engaging these former residents in giving to their beloved town, these former residents were reminded of their love for their former community and became interested in other projects that were happening in the community as well. My client never expected to grow the donor base of other nonprofits. However, it is one way a capital campaign can have greater impact through these smaller capital campaigns. During the more challenging times of a capital campaign,  it can be helpful to step back and reflect on the greater impact your capital campaign is and can have for your community.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

“But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts,” Middlemarch by George EliotReflection questions:What are the long-term impacts that your capital campaign will have on your community?   If you are not in a capital campaign yet, what greater impact could your mission have on the community with a bigger or better suited space? Reflection on quote:Did you know that the largest capital campaign completed in 5 years was for $9.6 billion that’s billion with a b through Harvard University?  That number is astounding to me.  And, yet, in my opinion when a small nonprofit raises $10 million to build a new home for their services, that campaign will have a deeper and more lasting impact on the lives of the client they serve in their small town. Across the United States right now, I know that Boards and Executive Directors are planning capital campaigns and their work is hidden from view of major fundraising journals because those campaigns will never begin to approach the records.The capital campaigns being planned in small towns and rural area are dependent on unhistoric acts; however, the impact is greater than the record breaking campaigns.  How? Our capital campaigns bring a greater percentage of the community together to solve a common problem or to create something new and good.  Our campaigns grow the giving muscles among donors who expand their generosity to meet the greater vision for the community.  Once built, the new programs offered in the new space serve a greater ratio of the community.  The change in the daily lives of our communities is easier to see. Capital campaigns truly strengthen the fabric of the community and that strength has positive impact on donors, community members, and other nonprofits for decades.This quote 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

"...But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts..."Reflection question:where are you comparing your work with urban fundraising?Reflection on quote:You’ve just googled capital campaign and now you are overwhelmed. How do I know that?  Because I’ve talked to clients just like you. I have found that many capital campaigns in small towns and rural areas are launched out of necessity: your building is too small to serve increased need, your lease can’t be renewed, or your building was damaged.  In these moments of necessity, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with the prospect of a capital campaign and wonder if a campaign is even possible in your area.  As you google capital campaigns, you see the news of $100 million raised for one campaign and over 4,000 donors to a different campaign.  You sit with a question: Are there enough donors who live in our community that would be able to fund our $5 to 10 million project?  In that moment, it’s easy to fall into the scarcity mindset.  Yet, I have found that rural generosity is deeper and more expansive than expected.Your campaign might not be historic from a national perspective; but your campaign can succeed and will grow the good in your community.  From working with nonprofits in towns of 300 up to 100,000, I have experienced the beauty of rural generosity firsthand. It’s the donor who quietly gives an unexpectedly large gift, it’s the donations of grain or cattle contracts, it’s interconnectedness of relationships, it’s the resilience of committed volunteers who won’t quit until the project is funded. There are hidden gems in our small towns and rural areas that no urban capital campaign can replicate.  In this season of Reflections on Generosity, we’ll explore what makes rural giving so powerful: the relationships, the creative gifts, the volunteers who don’t quit, and the donors who surprise you. Every week in these 5 minute episodes, you’ll hear a quote to inspire you, an insight to encourage you, and a reflection question to ground you for the week to come. 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

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 Leading with Integrity series:155: Leading with Integrity - Inviting Scrutiny156: Leading with Integrity - Honesty Builds Trust157: Leading with Integrity - Clarity for the Giver158: Leading with Integrity - Openness About SetbacksWhat 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

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 Developing Discipline series:150: Developing Discipline - Inviting Donors151: Developing Discipline - Prioritizing Tasks152: Developing Discipline - Planting Seeds to Raise Awareness153: Developing Discipline - Following Up154: Developing Discipline - Ongoing StewardshipWhat 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

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 Patience in Planning series:147: Patience in Planning - Envision the Future148: Patience in Planning - Persuading Partners149: Patience in Planning - Hold Loosely to WishesWhat 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

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 Managing Stress series:144: Managing Stress - Hold onto Joy145: Managing Stress - Waiting and Nurturing146: Managing Stress - Grieve TooWhat 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

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 Authentic Giving series:139: Authentic Giving - Avoiding a Transactional Approach140: Authentic Giving - Generosity Can't Be Faked141: Authentic Giving - An Approach for Belonging142: Authentic Giving - Removing the Guilt from Generosity143: Authentic Giving - The Cycle of Joyous GenerosityWhat 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