“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 often forget during capital campaigns —giving isn't a burden we place on people. It's a gift we offer them.

Think about your own experience. Remember the last time you gave something meaningful? That warm feeling you got? That was your brain releasing actual joy chemicals. The quote reveals this beautiful truth: we experience joy when we decide to give, joy when we actually give, and joy when we remember giving. Triple joy.

But here's where we make an authentic gift feel like a transaction for donors. We work so hard to capture that first moment—getting someone to say yes—then we disappear and start talking to the next donor. We forget about joy number three. We abandon our donors before they can fully experience what they've done.
When we follow up, when we share about the campaign and construction progress and the donor’s impact on that progress, when we help donors remember their generosity—we're not just being polite.

We're completing their joy cycle. Start celebrating it throughout the campaign.

This work has entered the public domain.

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To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

"...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 building falling down. These images and messages coupled with an urgent call to action, such as “you must give now,” will provoke a backlash. Instead, when we choose messages and images that show need, empower agency, and provide the opportunity to give as part of the solution, the donor can take any guilt they may feel and channel it into positive gift. That is, we are watering authentic generosity.

To read: A Theory of Guilt Appeals: A Review Showing the Importance of Investigating Cognitive Processes as Mediators between Emotion and Behavior

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution.

The quote from Lao Tzu is in 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

"...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.

Reflection questions:

• Which campaign donors do you need to offer communion, belonging, and friendship to this week?
• Thinking about the case for support, is it just an ask for a donation or is it also an offer for authentic giving and belonging?

Reflection on quote:

Last week, we discussed the scenario when the donor treats their donation as a transaction. Often times, the root of transactional giving by donors is loneliness. In an authentic giving approach, we offer donors a relationship and an opportunity to belong. Henri Nouwen spoke about this approach and his words have shifted the mindset of many working in capital campaigns across various mission types and not just faith-based organization.

When donors approach us with a transactional gift, we offer an opportunity for friendship and belonging in return. The real, person to person opportunity to belong and to make a difference. Instead of seeing the conversation as a transaction, we invite donors to belong and seeing their money as a way to join with others to create a vision and life together that is fruitful beyond just the building that will built. The building itself changes to a place of community for both the donor and the constituent.

To purchase: The Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen

Used with permission from Upper Room Books.

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