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.
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.
