Podcasts about capital campaign

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the last in our sermon series Hope is in Reach, where we explain the four things we end every service with. Pastor Duane explains that others will help, just ask.Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the third in our sermon series Hope is in Reach, where we explain the four things we end every service with. Pastor Jen explains why there is always hope.Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

"...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.Reflection questions:What approach are you taking: scattering seeds or planting seeds with intentional outcomes in mind?If you are in the pre-campaign readiness stage, have you considered the more effective ways to raise awareness in your community and brought in community leaders and potential donors to help you determine and implement those ways?Reflection on quote:Capital campaigns are like a riding a wild stallion without a saddle and one key to success is developing discipline. This series unpacks those disciplines. We've discussed how understanding our beliefs around money can assist us in creating the necessary disciplines around asking for donations. We've discussed how indecision and procrastination can steal opportunities and the importance of prioritizing tasks.  In this episode, we'll discuss the discipline necessary to successfully raising awareness for our capital campaigns through the life and work of John Chapman; otherwise known as Johnny Appleseed.  Like many, I pictured Johnny Appleseed as wandering aimlessly around the countryside, randomly sprinkling seeds that grew into trees and, against all odds, orchards.  But that wasn't the case at all.Johnny Appleseed had a purpose for apple trees. He believed that apple trees were important to cultivate as cider to be an alternative to unsafe drinking water.  He then planned the process for planting seeds to grow into trees near villages and towns in Ohio.  His labor of love had an intentional process with both immediate and generational impacts.  In the same way, during a capital campaign, we too must be intentional in how we are raising awareness. We do not simply scatter seeds and hope our communities are paying enough attention.  Instead, we consider the audiences, the people, who need to hear about our vision first.  Then, we determine how we engage those community leaders, connectors, and potential donors in the planning process for the campaign.  Further, we are intentional in what information we share with the community, information that creates confidence and excitement in the goal, and when we share that information. When we are disciplined in raising awareness, those seeds will have a greater contribution to the success of the capital campaign and a greater contribution to the small towns and rural communities we serve.      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

What if the “slow” periods in your capital campaign are actually some of the most productive opportunities for building donor relationships and campaign success?In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt explore the natural ebbs and flows that every capital campaign experiences—and why nonprofit leaders should stop viewing slower periods as setbacks. Whether you're in the quiet phase of a campaign, preparing for a major fundraising push, or wondering how seasonal changes affect donor engagement, this conversation offers practical insights that can help you manage campaign momentum more effectively.Many nonprofit leaders assume a capital campaign should operate at full speed all the time. But campaigns are multi-year endeavors, and maintaining maximum intensity for years simply isn't sustainable. Amy and Andrea discuss why successful campaigns naturally move through periods of high activity and quieter stretches, and how understanding these cycles can reduce stress, prevent burnout, and improve fundraising outcomes.The discussion begins with an examination of seasonal fundraising patterns. Is summer really a slow time for fundraising? The answer depends on your organization, your donors, and your community. For some nonprofits, summer presents unique opportunities to connect with donors who are more relaxed and available. For others, donor travel patterns may create different challenges. Either way, making assumptions about donor availability can cause organizations to miss valuable opportunities.Amy and Andrea share examples of nonprofits that successfully leveraged summer activities and informal gatherings to deepen donor relationships and move campaign conversations forward. They discuss how cultivation often works best during periods when both staff and donors feel less rushed and more open to meaningful conversations.The conversation also addresses an important but often overlooked reality of campaign leadership: the emotional and organizational strain that accompanies major fundraising efforts. Capital campaigns involve large goals, significant stakes, and extended timelines. Amy and Andrea explain why nonprofit leaders should intentionally build breathing room into their campaign plans rather than attempting to maintain constant pressure throughout the life of a campaign.Listeners will learn how to identify productive ways to use quieter campaign periods, including donor cultivation, strategic planning, relationship building, and organizational reflection. Rather than viewing slower seasons as lost time, nonprofit leaders can use them to strengthen the foundation that supports future campaign success.If you're leading a capital campaign, preparing for a feasibility study, managing campaign volunteers, working with major donors, or looking for ways to sustain fundraising momentum over the long term, this episode provides valuable perspective on the rhythms and realities of campaign fundraising.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why every capital campaign experiences natural ebbs and flowsHow seasonal timing affects donor engagement and fundraising activityWhy summer can be an ideal time for donor cultivationJerry Panas's powerful donor meeting scheduling strategyHow to avoid campaign burnout while maintaining momentumWays to use quieter periods productivelyHow to balance urgency and sustainability in campaign leadershipWhy strategic pauses can strengthen campaign resultsTo ensure your campaign ends in a celebration, download our free Capital Campaign Step-by-Step Guide & Checklist. This intuitive guide breaks down each step of your campaign, and the timeline allows you to visualize your whole campaign, from start to finish!

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the second in our sermon series Hope is in Reach, where we explain the four things we end every service with. Pastor Stacie explains why no crisis will last forever.Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebookAmity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

What does it actually take to launch a $40 million campaign when your organization has almost no fundraising history?Andrea Kihlstedt sits down with Wendy Connors, CEO of the Hertz Foundation, for a candid, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most remarkable campaign transformations in recent memory. The Hertz Foundation supports science and engineering PhD students — but for most of its history, it barely fundraised at all. When Wendy joined to lead development, the board didn't even know the difference between an annual gift and a campaign gift.What happened next is a masterclass in what capital campaigns can actually do for an organization.In this episode, you'll learn:Why Wendy refused to outsource the feasibility study interviews — and what she gained by doing them herselfHow the Hertz Foundation tripled its volunteer force and what it did to givingThe pivotal moment two co-chairs made major gifts that unlocked the entire public phaseHow a community that preferred anonymity and didn't pledge learned to give at a transformational levelThree things Wendy says every nonprofit leader should do before launching a campaignThis is a must-listen for any nonprofit leader who wonders whether their organization has what it takes — and wants to hear from someone who found out firsthand.Ready to start your own campaign study? Get the full guide at capitalcampaignpro.com/feasibility-study-ultimate-guide/

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the first in our sermon series Hope is in Reach, where we explain the four things we end every service with. Pastor Duane explains why you are loved by and you matter to God.Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

"..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.Reflection Question:Which money script have you been operating in and how might you develop a new discipline?Reflection on Quote:An experienced campaign volunteer once told me that a capital campaign is like riding a wild, unbroken stallion without a saddle.  I've contemplated those words often as I coach clients.  When faced with an unruly stallion, we can either let the stallion take control or we can develop the discipline to work with him. The same applies to capital campaigns.  We can let the capital campaign spin out of control or we can develop discipline for the crucial elements of the campaign.  So, this month, we are starting a series on developing that discipline.  The first discipline we develop is becoming comfortable with inviting donors by unpacking our own beliefs around money before discussing generosity with them. During a capital campaign, these money scripts can allow the wild stallion to take over.  Those with money avoidance scripts can struggle with even inviting a potential donor to find out more information about the project. Those with money worship scripts tend to engage in magical thinking around one major donor that will complete the campaign without engaging a broader base.  Those with money status scripts can find crossing wealth classes intimidating when building a relationship with a more wealthy donor, and then approach that donor apologetically without confidence in the project.  Those with money vigilance scripts may find capital campaign work too all-consuming and focus on tasks that don't move the campaign forward.  The good news is that, in my experience, once we recognizes our own money scripts, we can develop new disciplines in discussing generosity.Copyright: Klontz, B., Britt, S. L., Mentzer, J., & Klontz, T. (2011). Money Beliefs and Financial Behaviors: Development of the Klontz Money Script Inventory. Journal of Financial Therapy, 2 (1)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

Early in my time as an Executive Pastor, we were about halfway through what felt like a defining campaign for our church. And I was frustrated. Every time we met with our campaign consultant, they showed up with a binder (this was back in the 1900s) and we would turn pages to whatever was next. Cookie-cutter strategy. No real interest in who we were or what God was doing in our community. We fired them halfway through. Cost us real money and time. A decade or so later, I was part of another campaign. Completely different experience. That consultant is still a friend today. We started as workmates and became something more because we drew swords together through the whole thing. Reflecting on those two experiences over the years, across three fast-growing churches (two of which grew from under 1,000 to 4,000 or 5,000 people) and through multiple campaigns of various sizes, one thing has become clear: what makes the difference isn’t the firm you hire. It’s what you and I bring to the table. That first campaign? I was looking to the consultant for too much. I hadn’t thought carefully enough about what we needed to bring. These firms are coaches. Coaches can only do so much when the athletes aren’t doing the reps. Here are 10 things your church must bring to the table in your next capital campaign, whether you call it a generosity initiative, a spiritual growth season, or a building program. 1. Clarity of Vision Before You Talk About Money Research consistently confirms what experienced fundraisers already know: people give to impact, not to organizational need. Penelope Burk’s Cygnus Applied Research donor surveys, conducted annually with up to 25,000 active U.S. donors, found that 67% of donors increasingly favor organizations that provide measurable results, and roughly half report they’re not giving at their full potential simply because they lack information about where the impact actually lands. [ref] Yale’s Center for Customer Insights confirmed in 2024 that aspirational, vision-driven framing significantly outperforms need-based asks in generating donor response. [ref] For churches, the translation is practical: “We need a new roof” raises less money than “We’re building a home for the next generation of faith in our city.” The question worth sitting with is whether the average person in your congregation can explain your vision in a single sentence, and whether that vision is genuinely bigger than the campaign itself. If your church is fuzzy on what God is uniquely calling you toward, you are not ready. The campaign is just the next step out of a clear vision. Without that clarity established first, the campaign will underperform regardless of the firm you bring in. 2. Leadership Alignment at the Top When campaigns underperform, the culprit is almost never the economy, the giving culture of your congregation, or the consultant. In my experience, it’s misalignment at the senior leadership level, and the research on this is hard to argue with. Prosci’s Best Practices in Change Management research, now in its 12th edition and spanning 25 years across more than 10,800 professionals globally, has found that active and visible executive sponsorship is the single #1 contributor to initiative success in every benchmarking study since 1998. Campaigns with effective senior sponsors succeed 79% of the time; those without that alignment drop to 27%. [ref] McKinsey’s global survey data found that transformations are 12.4 times more likely to succeed when senior leaders communicate continually, and 47% of executives who had been through a major transformation wished they had spent more time aligning their top team before the launch. [ref] Your campaign consultant cannot create unity. That work belongs to you. Senior leadership team members and elders who are privately skeptical before the campaign goes public will erode trust once the pressure arrives, and the pressure always arrives. Getting that alignment sorted before you move is one of the most important things you can do, and it’s entirely on your shoulders. 3. A Willingness to Actually Do the Work Here’s something worth saying plainly: most capital campaign firms follow a nearly identical strategy. There’s a leadership phase, a core donor phase, a volunteer phase, a public phase, a pledge weekend, and follow-up. You could ask an AI to outline any firm’s likely approach and have a reasonable answer in about 10 minutes. The strategy isn’t what separates campaigns that transform churches from campaigns that disappoint them. Execution is. McKinsey’s global transformation data tells a similar story: only 26% of major organizational transformations actually succeed. [ref] Think about it like my Peloton. The instructor can give me a plan, show me the gauges, compare my output to other riders, and tell me exactly what to do. She cannot make me get on the bike and push hard. That part is entirely on me. A campaign running in parallel with normal ministry operations is essentially asking your team to do two full-time jobs simultaneously. Budget your team’s capacity honestly before you start, and make structural space for your people to actually execute the work the campaign requires. 4. A Culture of Repetition Behavioral science is consistent on this: people need to hear a message many times before it moves them to action. The old “rule of 7” from marketing turns out to be folklore with no traceable original source, and research suggests the real threshold is higher. Schmidt and Eisend’s 2015 meta-analysis in the Journal of Advertising found that peak attitude change happens at around 10 exposures. [ref] In a world of increasing distraction, that number is almost certainly climbing. At one church I was part of, I counted how many times the lead pastor repeated the core campaign message before the first public Sunday. The answer was 23. That’s not overkill. That’s how transformation actually works. Leaders get tired of the message long before the congregation does. Your congregation is always further behind than you think they are. The leaders who succeed in this season are the ones who lock in their messaging early and walk it out consistently, without flinching when it starts to feel repetitive to them personally. 5. Strong Engagement with Key Donors Before the Campaign Launches I don’t know your church, but I can predict with reasonable confidence that close to 50% of your church’s donations come from roughly 10% of your people. The AFP Fundraising Effectiveness Project, covering 12,000+ nonprofits and 6.7 million donors, found that just 3.1% of donors contributed 77.7% of all fundraising dollars in 2024. [ref] Industry benchmarks suggest 80 to 90% of a campaign goal comes from the top 10 to 20 gifts. The biggest checks come from the smallest rooms. If you have done little or no relational investment with your top-tier donors before you start thinking about a campaign, you are already behind. Early donor conversations are not about pressure; they are about invitation. These are your most generous people. Giving them the privilege of early connection, of being brought into what God is doing before the rest of the congregation hears about it, is not a fundraising tactic. It’s honoring a relationship. Start building that now, well before you need anything from them. 6. A Real Follow-Up Plan Here is something that can quietly sink a campaign before it ever goes public: pledges that never get followed up on. Well-managed capital campaigns actually have strong fulfillment rates. The follow-up process is what converts a signed pledge card into a fulfilled gift over time. Before you go public, map out your entire follow-up phase: regular donor communications, pledge reminders, giving statements, and a clear plan for when someone falls behind. One practical contract note worth flagging: make sure your agreement with your campaign consultant keeps them engaged through the follow-up phase, not just through Pledge Sunday. Campaigns that struggle with fulfillment almost always lose their way in exactly this stretch. 7. Financial and Operational Readiness Plan to spend somewhere in the range of 3 to 5% of your total campaign goal on the campaign itself, covering communications, events, materials, and video production. Most churches underbudget this category significantly. Running a campaign well requires real financial investment. The operational issue that almost took us down was different, though: our giving infrastructure wasn’t ready for a surge. In one campaign I was leading, I had a conversation with our finance team the morning of our public launch. “Are we ready?” I asked. “Yeah, yeah, we’re ready,” they said. I think part of them didn’t genuinely believe we’d see what we were hoping for. We were targeting over a million dollars in a single day. We hit it. And then our payment processor shut us down because we hadn’t prepared for a transaction volume that size. The friction in your systems is costing you generosity that’s already there, from people who were ready to give. Test your systems with your processor before launch day, and know your transaction limits before you run into them at the worst possible moment. 8. Emotional and Spiritual Resilience Leaders who have been through campaigns almost universally surface the same surprise: the internal relational strain was harder than they expected. When resources get focused on specific ministry areas, other leaders can feel overlooked or left out. Add the extra workload, the high stakes, and the spiritual opposition that tends to accompany anything of real Kingdom significance, and you have a reliable recipe for team fracture if you’re not paying attention. A campaign doesn’t create those pressures; it amplifies whatever is already present. Building in regular rhythms of prayer, celebration, and genuine rest throughout the entire season matters more than most leaders plan for. A friend of mine who recently finished a significant campaign took a real vacation between the core donor phase and the public phase. He went to Mexico and unplugged completely. Looking back, he said he doesn’t think he could have led the public phase well without it. That kind of intentional recovery isn’t optional; it’s what makes the second half of the campaign possible. 9. A Plan for the Dip Moments Many churches experience a drop in weekend attendance during a campaign season, and too many leaders take it personally or treat it as a sign that the campaign is going sideways. It’s predictable. Research on organizational transitions documents a well-established pattern: performance and engagement typically dip during major change before recovering and eventually surpassing prior levels. Researchers call this the Productivity J-Curve. [ref] When you’re in a big campaign, some people feel the weight of a vision Sunday and take a step back for a few weeks. Most of them come back. Some won’t. Rather than spiraling when the dip arrives, focus your energy on what comes after: a strong re-engagement plan for the weeks following your public ask. Also worth planning for financially: total operational giving can dip slightly during a campaign season, even in a one-fund model. Some operational giving temporarily redirects. It doesn’t always happen, but building a budget that accounts for it protects you from making reactive decisions mid-campaign based on a short-term fluctuation that was always predictable. 10. Full Ownership of the Outcome No consultant, regardless of how experienced or gifted, can deliver this for you. The churches that see campaigns change their trajectory are the ones whose leaders own the outcome completely. They don’t engage a firm and hand off the responsibility. They understand the consultant’s role clearly: someone who comes alongside to coach them through a process they are running themselves. Research on coaching outcomes gives this some weight. Olivero, Bane, and Kopelman found that training alone increased productivity by 22.4%, but training combined with coaching increased it by 88%, nearly four times the gain. [ref] The difference between those two numbers comes down to ownership and active application. Coaching works because the person being coached has to do the work themselves. You are not paying someone to run your campaign. You are paying someone to coach you while you run it. Feel that difference before you sign anything. The campaigns I’ve seen genuinely transform churches had one thing in common: the senior leader and the Executive Pastor were fully in. They treated the outcome as theirs. That posture, more than any strategy or any firm, is what makes the difference. One last thing before you start calling firms: walk through these 10 areas honestly with your senior leader and your key staff. Figure out where you’re strong and where you have real work to do before a consultant ever walks in the door. The campaigns that go well aren’t ones where the consultant was exceptional. They’re the ones where the church was ready.

"...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.Reflection questions:Have you become too firmly attached to the capital project you have envisioned and formed false notions of things and persons?Have you invited donors hear your wishes for the project and then listened to their input to make the project better?Reflections on quote:During the strategic, pre-development, and construction planning, we have grand wishes of what the project will be.  We dream about our mission and how this building will further that dream. It is a beautiful element in every capital campaign. Unfortunately, we can move too quickly from the construction planning to the quiet phase of asking donors.  And, in doing so, we can form false notions about things and persons; that, about the project and the donors who will fund the project. Then reality and disappointment will suddenly confront us when we are across the table making an ask to a donor who doesn't have the same wishes for the project. Instead, we need to be to patient in planning, holding loosely our wishes and vision for the project until after we invite prospective donors to give their input into the project. Otherwise, we can become too firmly attached to an idea for the project that a potential donor won't fund.  When we listen to donor's advice, we hold our wishes loosely and invite these donors to help us make our wishes and dreams for the project even more practical and life-giving to the small towns we serve.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

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the sixth and final in our sermon series, The Lord's Prayer: A Map to Fierce Flourishing, where we study the prayer that Jesus taught us line by line looking for wisdom. Today we review how all we have learned leads us to the new way.Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the fifth in our sermon series, The Lord's Prayer: A Map to Fierce Flourishing, where we study the prayer that Jesus taught us line by line looking for wisdom. Pastor Duane studies the meaning behind "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

"...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.Reflection question:As you plan for your small town capital campaign, how are you reaching out to potential donors, not to ask, but to persuade them to become a partner in the vision?Reflection on Quote:Today is our second in the series on having patience in the planning process of a capital campaign.  Last time, we looked at the role of strategic planning and envisioning the future.  This week, we will look at the relationship building and persuading partners. In my rural community, a local nonprofit was building a beautiful arts and culture building and, in the middle of the campaign, the building costs spiked, adding millions to the cost.  I can only imagine the initial despair.  But, that despair only lasted for a moment.  This nonprofit went back to their lead donor, explained what had happened, and the donor then filled the gap.  Why was the donor so ready to fill the gap?  Twenty years.  That is how long the nonprofit had been weekly reaching out to this donor to build a relationship, persuading this partner to join the vision of the nonprofit and the future of arts and culture in my community. By being patient in the planning, the nonprofit persuaded this partner to become a devoted idealist willing to change the community with their wealth.  While planning for capital campaigns may not last 20 years, it is essential to bring potential donors into the planning process long before any ask will occur.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

Issac Green, Chair of the 2026 Kalamazoo Area Bike Week and Executive Director of the Open Roads Bike program talks about events at Open Roads to wrap up the week as well as the Capital Campaign for the program's new facility.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you do when your biggest donor wants to fund something that isn't in your campaign plan? Or when a wealthy prospect makes you uneasy but you can't quite explain why? These are the kinds of ethical gray areas that surface in nearly every capital campaign—and most organizations aren't prepared for them.In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Andrea Kihlstedt and Amy Eisenstein tackled the uncomfortable but essential topic of fundraising ethics. Prompted by the ongoing Epstein revelations—where major institutional leaders maintained relationships with a known bad actor long after red flags surfaced—the conversation expanded into the everyday ethical dilemmas that development directors and nonprofit leaders face during campaigns.The Epstein case is extreme, but the underlying dynamic is common: a donor with deep pockets and wide influence offers access, introductions, and large gifts. When something feels off, the temptation is to look the other way because the money is too important. Andrea and Amy's message was clear—if you have a feeling in the pit of your stomach, pay attention to it. And more importantly, don't carry it alone. Surface your concerns to board members, your executive director, or an ethics committee. These decisions should never rest on one person's shoulders.But ethics in campaigns aren't always about bad actors. More often, they show up as values conflicts. Andrea and Amy walked through a real scenario from a current client: a private school running a capital campaign received a million-dollar offer from a parent—but only if the money funded a new gymnasium, which wasn't part of the strategic plan. The gift sounds generous, but accepting it could siphon other donors away from the campaign's actual priorities, leaving science labs, scholarships, and teacher training underfunded. For organizations preparing for these kinds of board-level decisions, Capital Campaign Pro's guide for board members offers a practical framework.Their recommended approach: don't say no outright, and don't say yes in isolation. Take it to the campaign committee. Consult lead donors. Explore a “yes, and” response—perhaps the gym becomes the next project after this campaign, and the donor leads that effort. The key is making it an organizational decision, not a one-person call.Andrea also shared a cautionary story about a community youth orchestra whose founding values of inclusivity were overridden by a small group of wealthy parents who wanted the orchestra to pursue elite performance. They gained board seats, shifted the mission, and eventually forced out the founders. The community ended up with two competing organizations, neither of which survived. It was a stark illustration of what happens when money is allowed to override mission.The practical takeaway: don't wait for an ethical dilemma to arrive before figuring out how to handle it. Build the framework now. Discuss scenarios with your board before the campaign launches. Establish who gets consulted when a donor's request falls outside the plan. Create a small committee or protocol for when something feels wrong. You don't need all the answers in advance—you just need a process for finding them together.Planning a capital campaign? Download Capital Campaign Pro's free Campaign Planning Checklist to make sure your team is prepared for every stage—including the conversations nobody wants to have: https://capitalcampaignpro.com/checklist/

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the fourth in our sermon series, The Lord's Prayer: A Map to Fierce Flourishing, where we study the prayer that Jesus taught us line by line looking for wisdom. Pastor Duane studies the meaning behind "forgive us our sins as we forgive."Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

When most nonprofit leaders hear "capital campaign," they picture a new building. A groundbreaking ceremony. Architectural renderings. But what if the most transformative investment your organization could make isn't a building at all — it's the people who do the work?In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Andrea Kihlstedt spoke with Esther Landau, Senior Director of Advancement Services at the Arc San Francisco, about a $3.3 million capital campaign that had nothing to do with bricks and mortar. Instead, the campaign funded staff pay increases to reduce crippling turnover and shrank a waitlist that was keeping adults with developmental disabilities from accessing services they needed.The Arc San Francisco, now celebrating its 75th anniversary, serves roughly 800 adults across three Bay Area counties. When their strategic planning process surfaced the root problem — staff wages were not sustainable, which meant they couldn't hire enough people, which meant the waitlist grew — the campaign became the solution. Of the $3.3 million goal, $2.5 million went directly to increasing staff compensation, and $800,000 funded program growth including a new internship program with San Francisco Rec and Park.With one month left in the campaign and only $150,000 to go, Esther reflected on the surprises along the way. One donor she'd prepared to ask for $7,500 immediately responded with $25,000. Clients of the Arc — people the organization serves — asked to donate to the campaign themselves, raising important questions about ethical fundraising and the universal desire to contribute to something meaningful. For organizations considering whether they have the internal capacity to run a campaign, Capital Campaign Pro's campaign resources offer a practical starting point.Not every moment was easy. Esther described stretches that felt like dragging a bag of rocks — donors who answered every email except the one about making a gift, months of cheerful persistence before a single meeting materialized. Her advice: the campaign moves at the speed of your donors, not the timeline your board wants. And if you haven't gotten a no, the answer isn't yet no.Some of the most creative work happened in cultivation. For the public phase launch, Esther's team built an immersive experience where attendees assumed the identity of someone trying to access disability services and navigated real-world barriers — bureaucracy, transportation, waitlists — with outcomes determined by a roll of the dice. Some didn't make it through. The ten-minute exercise gave donors a visceral understanding of the problem the campaign was solving.Esther also championed low-tech, high-touch donor outreach. When emails went unanswered, she recorded short personal video messages — casual, unpolished, like popping into someone's office to say hello. Donors watched them. And they responded. As she put it: people feel it when you've made the personal effort to do something just for them.The takeaway from the Arc's campaign is simple but powerful: capital campaigns don't have to be about buildings. They can be about building capacity, building wages, and building the ability to serve more people. And sometimes that's the most important building you can do.Considering a capital campaign for your organization? Download Capital Campaign Pro's free campaign resources to explore your options and plan your path forward: https://capitalcampaignpro.com/campaign-resources

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the third in our sermon series, The Lord's Prayer: A Map to Fierce Flourishing, where we study the prayer that Jesus taught us line by line looking for wisdom. Pastor Duane studies the meaning behind "give us today our daily bread."Idaho Gives: https://www.idahogives.org/organizations/amity-food-pantry-cotrHear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

"...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

Most nonprofit leaders think of a capital campaign as a one-time event — a massive push that happens once, maybe twice in the life of an organization. But that mindset can actually hold organizations back. The most effective nonprofits treat campaigns as a recurring cycle, and understanding the right cadence can make the difference between an organization that grows strategically and one that stalls.On a recent Capital Campaign Pro podcast episode, Andrea Kihlstedt and Amy Eisenstein explored the timing and rhythm of capital campaigns—how often to run them, when to start planning, and what to do in between. Their core message: campaigns are healthy for organizations, and you should be running one at least every ten years.Why ten years? The math is simpler than you might think. You need roughly three years to plan what your organization will do next — strategic planning, building design, community input. Then you need three to four years to plan and execute the campaign itself. After that, donors need time to fulfill their pledges, which typically stretch over three years. Add a year to build, open, and steward, and you're at about a decade.That doesn't mean ten is a magic number. Some organizations move on a 12- or 15-year cycle. Others run mini campaigns in between major ones — a focused $1-2 million effort to fund a specific need like transportation, technology, or a program expansion. These smaller lifts keep donors engaged and organizational momentum alive without requiring the scale of a comprehensive campaign. For a step-by-step overview of how to prepare, see Capital Campaign Pro's campaign planning checklist.One of the biggest mistakes nonprofits make is losing donor relationships between campaigns. Staff turns over, stewardship lapses, and the connections that powered the last campaign fade. Andrea shared a real story from just last week: a former client called to explore a second campaign after one of their major donors reached out proactively, offering to fund the next phase. That only happened because the organization had kept the donor closely involved—inviting her to events, sharing results, and maintaining a genuine relationship.Timing matters in another way too. A campaign is not a rescue plan. If your annual fundraising is struggling or your organization is operating at a deficit, a campaign will not fix that. Campaigns are designed to accelerate growth, not dig you out of a hole. The organizations best positioned for a campaign are ones with stable operations, engaged donors, and a clear vision for what comes next.The bottom line: don't think of your campaign as a one-time event. Think of it as part of a cycle—plan, campaign, steward, repeat. If it's been more than ten years since your last campaign, it may be time to start planning your next one.Wondering whether your organization is ready for a campaign? Take Capital Campaign Pro's free Campaign Readiness Assessment to evaluate your position and identify your next steps: https://capitalcampaignpro.com/assess

Kelly Hill is the leader of Heart of Missouri CASA. As an organization who advocates for abused and neglected children, the need to grow and serve more kids, and in deeper ways, has weighed on Kelly's heart her entire career. Kelly set out on a determined path, taking the organization from 3 to 13 staff members and growing their annual budget by 5x over 10 years! But, she knew they could grow even more! Sherry and Kelly discuss the steps that have allowed Heart of Missouri CASA to continue to grow again and through a relational fundraising approach. Kelly shares how a High-ROI funding model and mindset has benefited both her organization's Annual Fund and Capital Campaign.   What You Will Hear: ✔️ Donors want to know your true need ✔️ Looking ahead to a multi-year funding approach is scary, but an important mindset shift ✔️ Fundraising is fun when you have a clearer idea of what your organization truly needs ✔️ Leveling up your LinkedIn can vastly grow your knowledge and support base ✔️ Raising to a higher number actually feels "easier" now! —————————————— Kelly Hill is the Executive Director of Heart of Missouri CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), where she has spent nearly a decade expanding the reach and impact of advocacy for children in foster care. Since taking the helm in 2016, she has grown the organization from a $220K operation serving 20% of children in need to a $1M+ program reaching 60% — placing Heart of Missouri CASA among the top programs in the state. The number of children served has nearly tripled, from 150 to almost 400 annually, and the volunteer corps has grown from 79 to nearly 200 active advocates. Kelly's leadership extends beyond the day-to-day. Over nine years, she has grown the team from 3 to 13, diversified the funding base, and built a culture recognized by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce as the 2024 Inaugural Nonprofit of the Year. She also successfully led a $4.7 million capital campaign — fully funded before construction began — with a new permanent home for the organization expected to open by the end of 2026. Kelly holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Missouri and a Bachelor of Social Work from Evangel University, where she was named Outstanding Student in the Field of Social Work. Her career spans child abuse prevention, child welfare, and family preservation. A 2021 COMO Magazine 20 Under 40 honoree, she has also served on the National CASA/GAL Urban Leadership Council and the Missouri CASA Board of Directors.   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-hill-msw-84174348/ Website: https://www.homcasa.org/   ---- Welcome to the Business Behind Fundraising podcast, where you'll discover how to raise the kind of money your big vision requires without adding more events, appeals, or grant applications. Learn how to stop blocking overall revenue growth and start attracting investment-level donors with Sherry Quam Taylor. Sherry Quam Taylor's unique approach and success combine her background of scaling businesses with her decade-long experience advising nonprofit leadership teams. With out-of-the-box principles and a myth-busting methodology, proven results, and an ability to see solutions to revenue problems that others overlook, her clients regularly add 7-figures of revenue to their bottom line. If you need a true partner to show you how to fully finance your entire mission, both programs, AND overhead, year after year… You're in the right place!   #nonprofits #podcast

Capital Campaign Pledge SundayApril 26, 2026Dave Goffeney 

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the second in our sermon series, The Lord's Prayer: A Map to Fierce Flourishing, where we study the prayer that Jesus taught us line by line looking for wisdom. Pastor Duane takes us through the rest of the first stanza.Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

.."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

Capital Campaign Week 2April 19, 2026Marcus Doe 

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the first in our sermon series, The Lord's Prayer: A Map to Fierce Flourishing, where we study the prayer that Jesus taught us line by line looking for wisdom. Today we study the very fist line: "Our Father."Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

"...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

Capital Campaign LaunchWeek 1April 12, 2026Dave Goffeney

"...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.Reflection question: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?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 will look at ways to manage the stress. It is easy to become overcome by the enormity of the capital campaign goal and the number of donors who need to be cultivated and asked.  When we are overwhelmed by the enormity of the goal and the number of donors who need to be cultivated and asked, this is when we must take the joy within our reach. One of the most beautiful ways to take hold of that joy is through stewardship of the donors who have already given.  Rather than seeing stewardship as one more task in the campaign, instead it can be a way to manage the stress.  By reaching out to donors who have already given to say thank you again and to give an update again, they will likely respond with joy and gratitude.  That joy then gives further meaning and purpose to the other cultivation and asking calls on your to-do list.The day breaks, and the shadows flee away.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

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today's message is the last one in our sermon series, Jesus & The Outlaws, Outcasts, and Outsiders, where we study the gospel of Luke to see Jesus invites in those on the margins. Now that Easter has come and gone, Pastor Duane walks us through the doubt that some of us may have. Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. This Easter message is the seventh in our sermon series, Jesus & The Outlaws, Outcasts, and Outsiders, where we study the gospel of Luke to see Jesus invites in those on the margins. Pastor Duane goes over the four things that are assured to Easter people even in the darkest of times.Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. This message the sixth in our Lenten sermon series, Jesus & The Outlaws, Outcasts, and Outsiders, where we study the gospel of Luke to see Jesus invites in those on the margins. Today's message is Palm Sunday, and how Jesus' parade is one of peace, not power. Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

“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.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

Every capital campaign hits rough patches — but what separates the ones that succeed from the ones that stall out for good? In this episode, Andrew and Rhen dig into that very question. Andrew draws on his experience to identify the telltale signs that a campaign is in trouble, explore why momentum fades, and offer a practical roadmap for leaders ready to course-correct. It's an honest, encouraging conversation that reminds us: bold leadership and candid dialogue can breathe new life into even the most stuck campaign.

In this episode, host Simon Scriver sits down with capital campaign expert Mark Quigley, a Sydney-based fundraising and philanthropy consultant with 30 years of experience. Mark shares the story behind his new book, One Year Before Your Capital Campaign: A 12-Month Guide to Pre-Campaign Success — the only book focused exclusively on the critical year before a feasibility study even begins. Mark unpacks the most common mistakes organisations make when approaching capital campaigns, from failing to plan to underestimating the time required. He introduces the concept of "Plan A" — finding the single opportunity that could transform your campaign and shares compelling real-world stories, including a $90 million prospect meeting 45 stories above Sydney Harbour and a $20 million campaign achieved in just three gifts. The conversation also covers practical tools like the "Rich Streets Exercise" for uncovering hidden major donor potential in your database, strategies for getting board and CEO buy-in, managing the tension between annual fundraising and campaign planning, and the realities of fundraiser burnout across organisations of all sizes. Whether you're planning your first capital campaign or your tenth, this episode is packed with actionable advice for the year that matters most — the one before it all begins. Check out Mark Quigley's book If you're looking to be part of a vibrant, supportive community that champions innovation and inclusivity in fundraising, we'd love to have you with us.  Register your interest here, and we'll find the perfect membership option for you and your team If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.  

"...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 BehaviorThis 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

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. This message the fifth in our Lenten sermon series, Jesus & The Outlaws, Outcasts, and Outsiders, where we study the gospel of Luke to see Jesus invites in those on the margins. Pastor Duane talks about Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, and how we can make a space at the table for all.Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

Welcome to The All Means All podcast at Cathedral of the Rockies. This message the fourth in our Lenten sermon series, Jesus & The Outlaws, Outcasts, and Outsiders, where we study the gospel of Luke to see Jesus invites in those on the margins. Pastor Duane visits the outcasts of Jesus' day and today.Hear at the Table: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LB8fWuUmZ9EGOQXj00EJb?si=20b4cdaaa96a4c97Donate to our Capital Campaign: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZA1K/campaign/C-14SNFGive Online: https://www.cathedraloftherockies.org/donate/Connect with us:Facebook Downtown Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesFacebook Amity Campus: https://www.facebook.com/cathedraloftherockiesamityInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathedral_of_the_rockies/Instagram Cathedral Families: https://www.instagram.com/cathedralfamilies/

"...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 NouwenUsed 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

Capital campaigns sound exciting—big vision, big gifts, big impact. But they're also one of the most misunderstood parts of fundraising.In this episode, I sat down with my friend Amy Eisenstein, CEO and co-founder of Capital Campaign Pro, to talk about what a capital campaign actually is, how to know if your organization is ready, and why planning matters far more than people realize.If you've ever wondered whether your nonprofit should launch a campaign—or worried it might cannibalize your annual fund—this conversation is for you.Important Links:Connect with Amy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyeisensteinacfre/ Capital Campaign Pro: https://capitalcampaignpro.com/ Webinar: https://go.rheawong.com/donorjourneyauditwebinar-2026 Book a Call: https://connect.rheawong.com/ My Big Ask Gifts Program: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program⁠ My Book, Get That Money Honey: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey⁠ My Newsletter: ⁠https://www.rheawong.com/⁠ 

"...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.Reflection question: Are any of our fundraising activities and messaging encouraging self-interested, fake generosity?  If so, how can we tweak them to reflect authentic generosity?Reflection on quote: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 transaction during a capital campaign?  And, if we encourage these donors to be generous for their self-serving reasons, will they reap the benefits of generosity?Capital campaigns can bring the joy of seeing donors become more kind, more amenable, more generous the more they give. And, yet, we may also encounter donors who become more demanding, more angry, more sour the more they give.  These are donors who are, as the authors said, going through the motions of generosity simply in order to reap the desired rewards.  If we tie giving to self-interested rewards, then we are more likely to encourage fake generosity and attract other donors like them.  To purchase this book: The Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson. Copyright: Oxford University Press 2014. Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear.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

Will a capital campaign drain your annual fund or strengthen it in ways you never expected?In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Andrea Kihlstedt talks with Hilary Jansen, Director of Philanthropic Engagement at Community MusicWorks in Providence, Rhode Island, about what actually happens to annual fundraising during and after a major capital campaign. Community MusicWorks recently completed a $15 million building campaign and has now lived through the results. If you worry that campaign gifts will replace annual gifts, this conversation offers real-world clarity.Community MusicWorks is a classical music performance, education, and social justice nonprofit with a powerful community presence. Before launching its campaign, the organization operated on an annual budget of $1.2 million. After opening its new 24,000 square foot home, that budget grew to $2.3 million. With 40 percent of revenue coming from individual giving and no tuition income, the stakes were high. Leadership had a legitimate concern: Would asking donors for larger, multi year capital gifts weaken annual support?Instead, the opposite occurred.Hilary shares how the campaign became a catalyst for annual giving. Annual fund goals increased. Donors continued to give. Many increased their annual contributions even after making significant campaign commitments. The campaign did not erode trust. It strengthened it.Why did this happen?First, seasoned philanthropists understand the difference between capital and annual support. They recognize that both are essential. Second, Community MusicWorks had invested for years in deep, authentic relationships. Donors trusted the leadership and believed in the mission. When the organization expressed a need, supporters understood it as genuine.The new building itself also transformed fundraising. The campaign was about bricks and mortar on paper, but in reality it was about mission growth. The building created a visible, tangible home for programs that were once harder to picture. Concertgoers now see lessons in action. Families gather in shared spaces. Community members walk in off the street and discover the work. The physical space provides context for larger annual asks and attracts new supporters who experience the mission firsthand.Andrea and Hilary also discuss the post campaign moment. After a successful $15 million effort, Community MusicWorks faced a higher operating budget and expanded programming. Would donors feel fatigued? Would they say enough? In practice, very few pushed back. Most understood that a larger organization requires greater annual investment. The building was not the end goal. It was the platform for expanded impact.Hilary reflects on lessons learned after stepping into development without prior fundraising experience. She emphasizes that fundraising is relationship work at its core. The success of the campaign rested on years of trust, stewardship, and shared belief. She also shares a critical insight for campaign leaders: You are not raising money for a building. You are raising money for what that building makes possible.This episode is essential listening for nonprofit leaders, development directors, board members, and executive directors who fear that launching a campaign will jeopardize annual revenue. Hear a candid account of what actually happens when relationships, mission clarity, and thoughtful planning come together.If your organization depends heavily on annual giving and you are considering a capital campaign, this conversation will reshape how you think about donor behavior, growth, and long term sustainability.To see what the research truly says about the impact of capital campaigns on the annual fund, download the State of Capital Campaigns Benchmark Report.

What does it take for a 100-year-old, campus-based organization to stay relevant in a world of virtual chapters, AI search tools, and shrinking higher education enrollments?And in an era of time poverty, information overload, and eroding trust, how can associations help young leaders not only serve—but truly thrive?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Bob London, FASAE, CAE, Executive Director of Alpha Phi Omega (APO). Bob discusses:How APO develops leadership skills through service on nearly 300 campuses, measuring long-term success by how alumni improve their communities after graduation.Why APO focuses exclusively on leadership, fellowship, and service, and how its partnership model with universities differentiates it from other campus organizations.How APO has endured for 100 years by attracting students who are committed to improving their communities, regardless of political or cultural turbulence.The bold decision to remove “campus-based” from APO's vision statement, and what that means for the future of the organization.Why time is APO's biggest barrier to membership, and how the organization helps students manage “time poverty.”How Bob fosters a culture of calendar control and focused work within his staff, encouraging everyone yo protect their “golden hours.”APO's successful $6.5 million capital campaign, combining cash and planned giving to secure the next 100 years while keeping student membership costs to just $85 for a lifetime.Why foresight thinking is now embedded in APO's board culture, and how scenario exercises and agenda restructuring have shifted the board's focus toward long-term plausible futures.The signals Bob is watching closely: disruption in higher education and the explosion of information overload.References:APO Website

Most capital campaign advice comes from stories and experience. This episode brings three years of real data that confirms what actually works and what common fears miss.In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, host Amy Eisenstein is joined by Steven Shattuck, Director of Engagement and Technology at Capital Campaign Pro, to share findings from the third annual Capital Campaign Benchmark Report. Drawing on responses from more than 650 organizations, they explore what successful campaigns have in common, how annual funds perform during and after campaigns, and why gift distribution follows a predictable pattern that boards need to understand.Amy and Steven begin by explaining how the research is conducted and why the consistency across three years matters. Organizations at every stage were surveyed, from early planning to post campaign completion, creating a living dataset that reflects how campaigns actually unfold. With that foundation in place, they tackle one of the biggest questions nonprofit leaders ask. Are capital campaigns successful? The answer from the data is clear. An overwhelming majority of completed campaigns report success, even when final totals land below the original goal. Many organizations still complete transformative projects, expand services, and raise more money than ever before.The conversation then turns to a long standing concern that often stops campaigns before they start. What happens to the annual fund? The research shows that for most organizations, annual giving holds steady or increases during a campaign, followed by strong growth after the campaign concludes. Amy and Steven discuss why this happens and how thoughtful campaign planning strengthens donor relationships, systems, and staff capacity in ways that support long term fundraising health.They also break down one of the most misunderstood elements of campaign strategy. Where the money really comes from. New data confirms that a small group of lead donors provides the majority of campaign dollars, reinforcing the importance of a disciplined quiet phase, early leadership gifts, and a realistic gift range chart. This section offers clear language leaders can use with boards to explain why campaigns are built from the top down and inside out.Throughout the episode, the focus stays on practical insight backed by evidence. From feasibility studies to board expectations, this conversation equips nonprofit leaders with credible data they can use to plan, explain, and lead campaigns with confidence.You can download the full 2026 Capital Campaign Benchmark Report here and share it with your leadership teams as a grounding tool for smarter decisions.

Revitalization Rewards found in this episode:1. Know the Vision - Define the purpose and goal.2. Know the Influencers - Identify and cultivate leaders.3. Know the Momentum that needs to be built - Donors & Dollars.4. Know the Win - Track progress and celebrate milestones.

A snowstorm shuts down a city, a systems failure brings operations to a halt, or a major campaign gift suddenly falls apart. Moments like these reveal how strong a nonprofit's donor relationships really are.In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, host Amy Eisenstein is joined by Capital Campaign Pro co founder Andrea Kihlstedt to explore how nonprofit leaders can engage donors as true partners during moments of uncertainty, urgency, and high stakes decision making. Drawing from real world examples ranging from weather emergencies to immigration enforcement disruptions to internal system failures, Amy and Andrea share practical guidance on how leaders can communicate clearly, think strategically, and strengthen donor trust when circumstances change fast.The conversation begins with external crises that affect entire communities, such as severe weather events or sudden policy actions that disrupt daily life. Amy and Andrea discuss how these moments create natural opportunities to reach out to major donors with care, transparency, and purpose. They explain why timely phone calls often matter more than broad email messages, and how early communication helps donors feel informed, valued, and connected to the organization's thinking.Listeners will hear how involving donors does not always mean asking for advice. Sometimes it means sharing decisions before they become public. Sometimes it means checking in personally to see how a donor is doing. Other times it means inviting a small group of trusted supporters to help think through options, risks, and tradeoffs. Amy and Andrea emphasize that discernment matters, since every donor plays a different role.The episode then turns to internal crises, including technology failures, data disruptions, leadership challenges, and reputational threats. Amy and Andrea speak candidly about their own experience when Capital Campaign Pro faced a complete systems outage, and how that experience highlighted the value of contingency planning and donor expertise. They explain why transparency builds confidence over time and how reaching out to donors with relevant experience can lead to stronger solutions and better preparedness.The discussion also connects these ideas directly to capital campaigns. Amy and Andrea walk through scenarios that campaign leaders fear most, including a lead gift that collapses late in the process or a project that suddenly becomes unviable. They outline how early communication, scenario planning, and thoughtful donor engagement can help organizations respond with clarity rather than panic.Throughout the episode, the message remains consistent. Donors want to feel like partners, especially during moments that matter. When nonprofit leaders communicate early, think ahead, and invite the right people into the conversation, crises often become turning points that deepen relationships and strengthen campaigns.This episode offers nonprofit executives, development professionals, and campaign leaders practical insight into building donor relationships that hold steady when plans change and decisions carry real weight.

Hiring a capital campaign consultant can quietly shape the success of your entire campaign, long before a single dollar is raised.In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt walk through how nonprofit leaders can involve their boards, educate their teams, and choose a capital campaign consultant with clarity and confidence. Amy and Andrea share why the consultant selection process itself creates valuable learning for board members and staff, even before any hiring decision is made. They explain how a thoughtful process builds alignment, surfaces assumptions, and helps organizations understand what experienced capital campaign support actually looks like.Listeners hear why starting with conversations matters more than paperwork, and how early calls with consultants reveal far more than a standardized proposal ever could. Amy and Andrea outline how to form an effective consultant selection committee, who should serve, how large it should be, and how to set expectations so the work stays focused and productive. They also explain how involving skeptical board members at the right moment can strengthen buy in rather than stall progress.The conversation addresses one of the most common missteps nonprofits make when hiring a consultant: relying on an RFP to drive the decision. Amy and Andrea explain how RFPs often lead organizations to define services they do not yet understand, while strong consultants respond best to real conversations about goals, readiness, leadership dynamics, and fundraising history. Listeners learn what to listen for during early calls, including curiosity, responsiveness, and the kinds of questions consultants ask when they truly understand campaigns.This episode also tackles persistent myths about local consultants and donor lists. Amy and Andrea clarify why ethical capital campaign consulting never involves bringing outside donors into an organization, and why experience across many campaigns matters more than proximity. They discuss how national firms bring broader perspective, tested approaches, and exposure to a wide range of campaign environments, while still respecting local context and relationships.As the episode continues, Amy and Andrea explain how to narrow a consultant list, gather proposals that actually reflect strategic thinking, and evaluate models of support. They compare hands on implementation approaches with advisory and coaching models, helping listeners identify which style best fits their organization, staff capacity, and campaign goals. The discussion also highlights why staff leadership matters in the final decision, since staff will work most closely with the consultant throughout the campaign.This episode offers practical guidance for nonprofit executives, development leaders, and board chairs who want to approach consultant selection with intention rather than pressure or assumptions. By the end, listeners gain a clearer understanding of how to use the hiring process as a learning opportunity, how to avoid common traps, and how to choose a consultant who truly strengthens their campaign from start to finish.For more board engagement tips, be sure to download our free Board Member's Guide to Capital Campaign Fundraising. It answers the questions board members most frequently ask, or wish they could ask.

Your largest capital campaign donors often give early, generously, and then quietly disappear from view. That silence can cost you far more than most organizations realize.In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt talk candidly about what strong stewardship looks like during the long middle stretch of a capital campaign and why the period after the initial gift is where future success is decided. Andrea and Amy explain how capital campaigns are built on a small number of transformational gifts, why those donors are usually secured early, and how easy it is for even well run organizations to lose momentum with the people who matter most.The conversation explores what major donors experience when months pass without meaningful contact, updates, or personal outreach. Amy and Andrea share practical ways to stay in close relationship with your top twenty to twenty five donors through consistent, thoughtful communication that keeps them engaged as partners rather than completed transactions. They discuss simple systems leaders can use to keep these donors front of mind, from monthly reviews to creative reminders that prompt personal outreach.Listeners will hear real stories from campaigns where steady stewardship made the difference. One example shows how a campaign that stalled near the finish line was completed by returning to early donors who had been kept informed and involved all along. Another story highlights how asking a major donor for advice during an unexpected challenge led to an extraordinary outcome that reshaped the organization's future.The episode also addresses a common reality in nonprofit leadership. Many development directors inherit donor relationships that were neglected after a previous campaign. Amy and Andrea outline clear steps for repairing trust, resetting expectations, and building a healthier culture of stewardship going forward. They explain how organizations can create shared responsibility and simple structures so donor care continues through staff transitions and busy campaign periods.This episode offers practical guidance for executive directors, board members, and development professionals who want to protect their most important relationships, finish campaigns strong, and set the stage for future giving long after the campaign ends.To see if your organization is truly ready for a capital campaign, download this free Readiness Assessment. This guide will help you evaluate six aspects of your organization, including the board and your case for support.

There is always someone in the room who believes the timing is wrong, the moment feels uncertain, and waiting sounds safer than moving forward.In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt tackle one of the most common objections heard in boardrooms and leadership meetings: the belief that now is a bad time to raise money. Drawing from a real dinner conversation and decades of campaign experience, they unpack why this concern surfaces year after year and why it continues to stall bold plans.Amy and Andrea explore how uncertainty shapes donor behavior and how strong organizations respond when the climate feels unsettled. They share what they see across hundreds of campaigns during economic shifts, political tension, public health crises, and periods of social change. The conversation highlights a pattern that surprises many nonprofit leaders: organizations with a clear vision, strong leadership, and thoughtful donor relationships continue to raise significant gifts in every season.The episode walks through common fears voiced by board members and major donors, including anxiety about financial markets, concerns about personal security, and questions about generational giving. Amy responds with practical insight grounded in real campaign results, showing how donors continue to act generously when they feel connected to meaningful work and trusted leadership.Listeners will hear how instability often sharpens a case for support, motivating long time donors to lean in when public funding tightens or community needs grow. The discussion also addresses planned giving, stewardship, and the lasting impact of how donors feel after they make a gift. Andrea emphasizes how thoughtful follow up and personal connection influence future generosity far more than headlines or economic forecasts.The episode closes with a powerful reminder that capital campaigns unfold over years, not moments. Leaders who keep planning and stay in conversation with donors place their organizations in a stronger position when conditions shift again, as they always do. For anyone facing hesitation from a board, an executive director, or even their own internal doubts, this episode offers language, perspective, and confidence to keep moving forward.To ensure your campaign ends in a celebration, download our free Capital Campaign Step-by-Step Guide & Checklist. This intuitive guide breaks down each step of your campaign, and the timeline allows you to visualize your whole campaign, from start to finish!