The Culture of Giving Is Weak. Now What?
Building a Habit of Giving Before and During a Capital Campaign
You’ve heard the verdict from your feasibility study or assessment:
“Only 60–70 percent of interviewees currently give.”
“Few rank us among their top three giving priorities.”
On paper, that shows up as a challenge. In real life, it feels like this: you’re being asked to lead a major campaign in an environment where people are not yet in the habit of giving.
So what do you do?
The good news is that a weak culture of giving is not a dead end. It simply means you have two jobs instead of one: you are raising money, and you are teaching your constituency how to think about giving.
Let’s break that down into practical steps you can take before and during a campaign.
Step 1: Name the Reality Clearly
Development officers often feel pressure to pretend everything is “strong” going into a campaign. Donors can see through that, and it actually undermines trust.
Instead, be honest with leadership:
A low percentage of current contributors means we are not yet in a true habit of giving.
Weak placement in donors’ priority lists means we have work to do on case, communication, and engagement.
Stating this clearly does two things. It resets expectations internally, and it helps your board understand why building the culture is a legitimate and urgent part of campaign work – not a distraction from it.
Step 2: Start Teaching the “Three-Legged Stool”
In schools and many nonprofits, people think, “We pay tuition. We buy tickets. We attend events. Isn’t that enough?”
You and I know it isn’t. They often don’t. Download The Three-Legged Stool Guide!
A simple way to explain this is the “three-legged stool”:
Operating revenue
Tuition, fees, or program income keep the lights on and staff paid.Annual giving
Annual gifts provide enhancements that operating revenue cannot cover – scholarships, updated technology, program expansions.Capital giving
Capital gifts fund buildings, major renovations, and long-term infrastructure.
If you only emphasize the campaign, you miss a chance to teach this framework. Start weaving this message into:
Presentations to parents and alumni
Board updates
Donor visits
Your website and print pieces
You’re not just asking for a gift. You’re inviting people into an ongoing pattern of support with a clear purpose for each type of gift.
Step 3: Use the Campaign to Build the Habit, Not Just Hit the Goal
A multi-year capital campaign is one of the best tools you have to build a habit of giving, because:
Donors are asked to make a thoughtful, intentional commitment.
They are reminded regularly over several years.
They see their gift as part of something larger than a one-time need.
Be explicit about this with your constituency:
“We’re not just asking you to help us build a building. We’re inviting you to begin or deepen a pattern of generosity that will shape the future of this institution.”
Concrete actions you can take:
Encourage pledges over three to five years rather than a one-time gift, even at modest levels.
Celebrate participation rates, not just dollar totals.
Use pledge reminders as touchpoints, not just invoices – include short updates, stories, and thank yous.
Over time, this shifts giving from “an occasional emergency response” to “something we simply do every year.”
Step 4: Communicate Giving Opportunities Clearly and Often
In many of the studies we’ve seen, there is a consistent theme: donors are willing to consider a gift, but they have not been clearly asked, and they do not always understand the opportunities.
To strengthen the culture of giving:
Make sure giving opportunities are easy to find and easy to understand.
Segment your communication slightly – parents, alumni, grandparents, community friends – and talk about why giving matters from their perspective.
Use simple examples: “If 200 families gave X per year, here is what would change.”
Your goal is not to overwhelm people with appeals. It is to make generosity feel normal, expected, and connected to impact.
Step 5: Align Leadership Behavior with the Culture You Want
Finally, a strong culture of giving is modeled before it is multiplied.
Is your board giving at 100 percent?
Are senior leaders speaking about giving as a privilege and responsibility, not just a financial necessity?
Do your most visible volunteers talk about their own commitments?
When donors see leadership invested, informed, and enthusiastic, it signals that giving to your institution is not an afterthought. It is part of belonging.
A weak culture of giving is not a verdict against your campaign. It is a diagnosis that tells you where to focus your energy.
If you can use this season to teach the three-legged stool, normalize annual and capital giving, and help your community build a genuine habit of generosity, your campaign will not just reach a goal. It will change the way your constituents think about supporting your mission for years to come.
Email us today for more information!