Author: Laura MacDonald, CFRE

An image of a person running a marathon similar to a campaign.

Campaigns are Like Marathons

October 3, 2025 No Comments

If you’ve ever run a marathon or know someone who has, you know they take preparation and stamina. Running a marathon and implementing a capital or comprehensive campaign have much in common. You wouldn’t show up at the starting line for either without putting in the necessary early work. And you wouldn’t start celebrating success at mile 17 when there’s still a long way to go. Here’s how the phases of a campaign compare to training for and completing a marathon.

Finger poised over a glowing red panic button—symbolizing the urgent, high-stakes decisions nonprofits face in uncertain times.

Have We Been Here Before?

May 28, 2025 No Comments

Laura MacDonald discusses how nonprofits face recurring disruptions but historically remain resilient. Despite challenges like COVID-19, tax changes, recessions, and current political anxiety, charitable giving has averaged 6% growth since 1967. She advises organizations to project resilience, sustain relationships, respond strategically rather than react, and adopt donor-centric approaches. Rather than making preemptive decisions for donors, nonprofits should stay the course and continue their missions, as anxiety is the enemy of philanthropy but donor confidence typically rebounds within 6-18 months after disruptions.

Laura MacDonald, CFRE

Laura has over 40 years of experience in fundraising and philanthropy. Her media and communications background informed her storytelling ability for hundreds of nonprofit clients, with fundraising skills sharpened during The Ohio State University's first billion-dollar campaign. In 2000, Laura founded Benefactor Group, serving nonprofits for 25 years by helping organizations fuel their cause with powerful fundraising, people, and systems. A frequent speaker and published thought leader, Laura's insights have appeared in Advancing Philanthropy, Nonprofit Quarterly, Forbes.com, The New York Times, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. She authored The Endowment Handbook (Wiley, 2024) and has served with the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Giving Institute, and Giving USA Foundation, where she was board chair from 2020-2022.