Mission-Centered Giving: Fundraising That Builds Stronger Communities

How building trust, connection, and community transforms the donor experience.

I’m your fundraiser if you want to build a strong donor program that lasts.

My goal is simple: to help donors feel they belong, stay engaged, and want to keep supporting the mission year after year.

In 40 years of fundraising, I’ve learned that when donors connect deeply with a mission and see how their gifts impact the community, they want to stay involved. Keeping donors doesn’t mean being stuck—it’s the foundation for meaningful growth.

I remember a couple who attended a community forum I organized for the League of Women Voters. Afterward, they came up to me and thanked me for asking them to give. They said it felt good to know they helped make the forum happen. That event provided critical information about a referendum their community would vote on, and they understood the value of their contribution. That’s what giving should feel like: meaningful and connected.

Fundraising is about building stronger communities. When people give, they care—and when they care, they connect. Just look around: the food banks, animal rescues, museums, and hospitals are all powered by people who want to help. Trusting in that desire to help is what makes this work so rewarding.

I’ve seen this spirit in people of all ages. At Children’s Miracle Network events, young kids would bring small bags of coins they collected from neighbors, proudly saying it was “to help sick kids.” Those moments show how generosity builds community. And yet, generosity thrives best when there’s a system in place to nurture it. That’s why I created Mission-Centered Giving—to help organizations focus on renewing donors in ways that align with their values.

For me, fundraising has always been about service. It’s not just about money—it’s about people choosing to help because the mission matters to them. But when fundraising becomes all about financial goals or big numbers, we lose something. We miss the chance to honor what truly matters: the connections and the changes we make together.

I once spoke with a donor who shared a tough story about giving a large gift. She told me it was the worst experience she’d ever had. That experience pushed her and her husband to create a donor-advised fund just to avoid working with fundraisers again. It was a hard conversation to hear, but it reminded me how important it is to approach fundraising with respect, trust, and humanity.

I’ll never forget dropping coins in the church plate as a kid and feeling like I belonged—like I was part of something bigger. That’s what fundraising can be: a way to create belonging, connection, and joy.

But when we focus too much on the size of a gift or the rush to get more donors, we lose the heart of what we’re doing. Instead of celebrating big buildings or dollar amounts, why not honor the people whose lives were changed—or the donors who came together to make it happen?

I love fundraising for the connections it brings and the inspiration it gives me. What if every giving experience was about joy and connection, for both the donor and the fundraiser? That’s the world I want to build.

Fundraisers can inspire change, but we can’t do it alone. We need the support of CEOs and boards to make it happen. If this resonates with you, follow along as I share more about how we can shift the giving experience for donors, fundraisers, and communities.

When you’re ready to build a donor program that starts with your values and mission, I’m here to help. Together, we can trust in people’s desire to help and create meaningful connections that make our communities better places to live.