Episode Details

"...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.

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Music credit: Woeisuhmebop