135: Neuroscience and Giving - Generosity During Emergencies

"Urgency triggers a distinctive neurobiological state. In fundraising terms, this means an urgent appeal can literally put a donors brain in “alert mode” prioritizing rapid action over careful deliberation."

I am reading from Neurogiving. The Science of Donor Decision-Making by Cherian Koshy, published in 2025.

Reflection question:

• How will you maintain a sense of urgent and hopeful intentionality while being strategic during a sudden crisis?

Reflection on quote:

This is the last installment in exploring how generosity is deeply embedded into what it means to be human and how that impacts capital campaigns, using insights from a book recently released by my friend and colleague Cherian Koshy.  This series has only looked at a handful of insights from this book; you can purchase his book using the link in the show notes.  This week, we are looking at emergencies as it relates to capital campaigns because during capital campaigns in small towns there will be at least one crisis. Next week, we will look at abundance.

When the capital campaign hits a sudden crisis—maybe the Executive Director or Campaign Chair steps down mid-campaign, or construction costs jump significantly, or a major pledge falls through—our instinct might be to send out a panicked fundraising appeal. While these messages will help donors prioritize quick action, the key is finding the right balance where we're honest about the challenge without overwhelming donors and we also include hope to inspire confidence and action.

But here's the caution: we can’t cry wolf repeatedly. If donors feel manipulated or exhausted by constant emergencies, they will start tuning the capital campaign out.  To avoid this, we must be strategic.  Not every donor needs to be asked for every crisis.  Instead, we are honest about the challenge. We share the plan to solve the crisis. Finally, we are intentional in determining which segment of funders we will ask to fill the gap. 

Here's how to purchase Neurogiving from Wiley or Amazon.

Quote used by permission.

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

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

Transcript

Welcome back. This podcast isn't about fundraising best practices or techniques during capital campaigns. It's about the deeper wisdom of the beautiful space where generosity occurs through ancient and modern writings, a weekly five-minute reflection to ground you for the week ahead.

This is the last installment in exploring how generosity is deeply embedded into what it means to be human and how that impacts capital campaigns, using insights from a book recently released by my friend and colleague Cherian Koshy.  This series has only looked at a handful of insights from this book; you can purchase his book using the link in the show notes.  This week, we are looking at emergencies as it relates to capital campaigns because during capital campaigns in small towns there will be at least one crisis.  So, I am reading from Neurogiving. The Science of Donor Decision-Making by Cherian Koshy, published in 2025.

Next week, we will look at abundance.

Quote 

Urgency triggers a distinctive neurobiological state. In fundraising terms, this means an urgent appeal can literally put a donors brain in “alert mode” prioritizing rapid action over careful deliberation. Striking the right balance is key: some urgency is motivating, but extreme stress risks overwhelming the donor’s decision circuits. Neurologically, this shift occurs because urgent events heighten emotional arousal and a focus attention on the present moment, which is managed by networks in the brain that handle survival and immediate action.

Hope essentially tells the brain “good outcomes are possible,” which shifts a person from a fearful freeze or flight stance to an approach state where they're more likely to move towards the problem to help fix it. Reinforce the idea that the crisis, while serious, can be mitigated and that the donor’s action has genuine impact. This way,  the cognitive and emotional systems in the brain work hand and hand: the heart feels the need and the mind affirms that responding is the right and effective choice.

Emotional exhaustion from compassion fatigue is real and its physical. On a neural level, desensitization is a form of habituation; the brain becomes accustomed to a stimulus and responds less strongly. It's important to be honest about challenges. Sugarcoating can backfire if donors feel mislead.  In an emergency, donors can experience cognitive defenses: subtle mental barriers that protect them from being overwhelmed or manipulated.  These defenses might manifest as skepticism (“Is my donation really going help?”), avoidance (“I can’t handle this news right now.”), or rationalization (“I already gave, I can’t keep giving.”).

By navigating this balance, we guide the donor through an emotional journey that is compelling but not overwhelming, urgent but ultimately uplifting enough to inspire action.

Unquote. 

When the capital campaign hits a sudden crisis—maybe the Executive Director or Campaign Chair steps down mid-campaign, or construction costs jump significantly, or a major pledge falls through—our instinct might be to send out a panicked fundraising appeal. While these messages will help donors prioritize quick action, the key is finding the right balance where we're honest about the challenge without overwhelming donors and we also include hope to inspire confidence and action.

But here's the caution: we can’t cry wolf repeatedly. If donors feel manipulated or exhausted by constant emergencies, they will start tuning the capital campaign out.  To avoid this, we must be strategic.  Not every donor needs to be asked for every crisis.  Instead, we are honest about the challenge. We share the plan to solve the crisis. Finally, we are intentional in determining which segment of funders we will ask to fill the gap. 

Let’s reflect on one question this week:

How will you maintain a sense of urgent and hopeful intentionality while being strategic during a sudden crisis?

Share this podcast if you enjoy these five-minute reflections and subscribe to receive these reflections released every Monday. To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper, visit Serving Nonprofits dot com. See you next week.