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Every
capital
campaign
is
built
on
a
foundation
of
courage.
In
this
re-airing
of
one
episode
of
the
Navigating
Uncertainty
series,
discover
why
your
personal
generosity
is
one
of
the
most
powerful
signals
you
can
send
during
uncertain
times.
Listen
to
the
rest
of
the
series
using
the
links
in
the
show
notes.
Welcome
back.
This
podcast
explores
the
wisdom
of
generosity
from
ancient
to
modern,
and
the
beautiful
space
where
generosity
occurs
during
small
town
capital
campaigns.
If
you
like
this
podcast,
please
rate
or
review
it
in
your
favorite
podcast
app.
As
we
consider
capital
campaigns
during
times
of
uncertainty,
what
are
ways
to
increase
trust
and
giving
within
the
community?
The
first
step
is
for
leaders
of
the
nonprofit
and
the
campaign
to
give
first
and
to
be
public
about
their
giving.
This
is
not
a
new
principle.
Instead,
it
comes
from
ancient
wisdom.
This
week
I
am
reading
from
the
Analects
by
Confucius,
written
sometime
between
five
fifty-one
and
four
seventy-nine
BC.
Quote,
"Go
before
the
people
with
your
example
and
be
laborious
in
their
affairs."
Unquote.
Over
twenty-five
hundred
years
later,
this
wisdom
still
holds
true.
When
your
executive
director,
board
members,
and
campaign
leaders
make
their
gifts
first
and
let
the
community
know
about
it,
something
very
powerful
happens.
They
are
sending
a
signal
that
goes
way
beyond
the
donation.
They
are
showing
confidence
despite
uncertainty.
Think
about
it,
there
is
never
a
perfect
moment
to
launch
a
campaign,
but
when
your
leaders
step
forward
with
their
own
money,
they
are
saying,
"We
believe
this.
We
believe
in
this.
We
believe
in
it
enough
to
invest
our
own
money
right
now,
even
when
we
can't
predict
everything
that's
coming."
That
kind
of
confidence
is
contagious
Board
members
and
campaign
volunteers
are
also
demonstrating
that
they're
willing
to
put
their
own
money
at
risk.
What
I
mean
by
this
is
that
this
is
not
somebody
else's
problem
to
solve.
They're
not
asking
others
to
do
something
that
they're
unwilling
to
do
themselves,
and
we
certainly
notice
this
in
small
towns.
Those
donations
signal
a
commitment
to
work
hard
no
matter
what
obstacles
that
will
inevitably
come.
For
example,
when
the
executive
director
makes
a
significant
gift
early
in
the
campaign,
they've
just
told
everyone,
"I'm
in.
I'm
gonna
do
whatever
it
takes
to
make
sure
we
reach
this
goal,"
because
no
one
wants
to
see
their
own
investment
fail.
The
second
part
of
this
ancient
wisdom
flows
from
the
first:
be
laborious
in
their
affairs.
Leadership
giving
only
works
because
it's
connected
to
genuine
care
for
community
needs.
Your
campaign
leaders
need
to
be
present
and
engaged.
They
need
to
show
up,
have
conversations,
listen
to
concerns,
and
demonstrate
through
their
actions
that
this
campaign
matters
because
the
community
matters.
So
during
times
of
uncertainty,
don't
skip
these
steps.
Don't
ask
others
to
give
first.
Don't
ask
others
to
give
their
time
first.
Start
with
your
executive
director,
your
board,
your
staff
leadership,
your
campaign
committee.
Ask
them
to
give
at
levels
that
are
meaningful
for
them
and
then
share
those
stories
publicly.
Let
the
community
see
the
example.
Let
them
feel
the
confidence.
Let
them
know
that
the
leaders
are
going
first,
working
hard,
and
are
deeply
connected
to
the
needs
that
you're
trying
to
meet.
Because
when
you
do,
you're
not
just
raising
money,
you're
building
trust
during
uncertainty.
Let's
reflect
on
this
question:
Is
there
any
hesitancy
among
your
leaders
about
giving
first
and
publicly
to
your
campaign?
What
are
the
ways
that
you
can
address
this
hesitancy?
And
second,
are
you
willing
to
have
the
necessary
conversation
to
ask
a
leader
to
give
a
meaningful
gift
or
to
leave
the
board
or
the
campaign
committee
for
the
success
of
the
campaign?
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
servingnonprofits.com.
See
you
next
week
