“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.

Reflection questions:

• How are we approaching donors with a mindset of authentic giving that acknowledges the world-changing and life-giving power residing the donors’ hearts and souls?

Reflection on quote:

We are starting a short series on authentic giving. Due to the nature of capital campaigns, it is easy to fall into the trap of asking for a transactional donation because of various common features of a campaign, such methods to give to save on taxes documents and naming rights; that is, give this donation and you can name this part of the building. Let’s start this series about authentic giving in looking at our approach.

Several years ago, I learned this principle through a bit of a failure. I was working with a nonprofit client that had a donor who planned to give a gift of appreciated stock. Immediately, I advised the nonprofit to set up the process for the donor to transfer the stock to the client and avoid capital gains tax. However, when the donor was told how to avoid capital gains tax, they refused and instead insisted on selling the stocks, paying the capital gains tax, and donating the proceeds. This donor cared more about the world-changing and life-giving power that was present in or working through the goodness of his heart and soul than the tax break. And, frankly, the donor was a bit offended to be offered a way to save money in his giving.

Imagine if the conversation had gone differently. What if I hadn’t assumed that the donor would want a tax break? What if I had encouraged the nonprofit to first approached the conversation with an acknowledgement that this donor was giving out the goodness of their heart. What if only after that was fully acknowledged, then the nonprofit had a conversation with the donor about what they wanted to accomplish through their method of giving? When we approach donors with the assumption that they wish to give authentic gifts without receiving anything in return, we can better avoid any feeling that the gift is a transaction.

To purchase this book: Growing Givers’ Hearts: Treating Fundraising as Ministry by Thomas Jeavons and Rebekah Burch Basinger.

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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

"...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.

Reflection question:

• Are you asking for leftover generosity? Or, are you asking for true generosity in your messages to donors?

Reflection on quote:

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 so much more to say, let’s discuss how we encourage our capital campaign teams and volunteers to ask out of an abundance mindset.

As we have discussed in this series, true generosity creates a personal and life-giving transformation for donors. Donors thrive in an abundance mindset. Unfortunately, however, our capital campaign messages take on a scarcity mindset. Instead of sharing messages about giving from fullness, we beg for leftovers. Can you spare a dollar? Every bit counts. Would you just fill the gap? Remember us in your will. If you don’t have other commitments. All of these phrases give the impression that the donor would only want to give to the capital campaign from their leftovers. That wording deprives donors of true, sacrificial generosity. As we train our staff, Board, and campaign volunteers, we must model an abundance mindset in our campaign materials and in messaging, wording, and scripts we use in building relationships with donors.

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

"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.

Reflection questions:

• Where do you see evidence of a scarcity mindset within yourself?
• Which virtue do you want to cultivate this week?

Reflection on quote:

Last week in our series on cultivating an abundance mindset, we discussed how that mindset affects donors. As we continue this series, for most organizational leaders, the amounts that must be raised during a capital campaign can be shocking and overwhelming, leading to a mindset of scarcity. In those overwhelming moments, we have to start the process of cultivating an abundance mindset within our team, the Board, the staff, and the campaign volunteers. And that process starts with ourselves.

In the face of leading the organization through the most significant fundraising effort likely in the organization’s history, what do these virtues do? When we lean into patience and humility as leaders, we react calmly to the extensive time the campaign will take, knowing that cultivating an abundance mindset among our team and donors requires more intentional efforts. When there is poverty borne with joy, we as leaders communicate the reality that this capital campaign is larger than we can accomplish on our own and we invite volunteers and donors to join in the joy of accomplishing it together. When we pause for quiet and meditation, even during the busiest seasons of the capital campaign, we calm the frantic efforts and worry that feeds into a scarcity mindset within us. As we keep practicing these abundance-building virtues, we will more quickly escape the scarcity mindset and return to the abundance mindset.

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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