"...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 are starting a series on being patient in the planning phase in order to have a more effective capital campaign.

As Andrew Carnegie shared his vision to fund the building of libraries around the United States and the world, he began with his own story to show the impact his libraries would have on future generations on children like himself. When we are in the strategic and facility planning phrase, we are not designing buildings because we have to move locations or we have ran out of room for our administrative and program spaces or we have a waiting list. Instead, we are designing buildings to meet our mission for specific constituents. Each constituent with a specific story for their future. So, therefore, it is important to envision what the future will be for your constituents in that new building and renovations. And, luckily, on our small towns, we can often ask our constituents to be a part of the strategic planning process to directly from them. The takeaway for your capital campaign in being patient in planning: donors don't give to buildings, they give to futures.

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

.."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 the project has to be scaled back due to a lack of community giving. These disappointments can range from minor and yet build up to the reality best described as a “death by a thousand paper cuts.” Or, the disappointment is sudden and overwhelming. One way we can respond is to push through and act as though the disappointment didn’t happen. Yet, we can’t keep pushing without burning out. This poem gives a third way. Acknowledge the disappointment and pain. And then allow yourself a time to truly despair and weep. But, then have hope and arise again to the work of the capital campaign in your small 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

"...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 nurturing the moments of waiting. As we wait, we are active in nurturing relationships. We listen and wait while donors discover more about themselves and their potential donation to the capital campaign. We give them opportunities to explore our mission, our cause, and their potential impact more deeply. We share updates to engage their interest. If we become impatient and just move onto the next new potential donor relationship, while it feel like we are doing something, in reality, we will find that the moment, that new space, is just as empty. We wait, trusting that our patient work in nurturing relationships will bring about the fruit of generosity.

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