Crisis, Clarity, and Capital Campaign Leadership: How Smart Donor Engagement Strengthens Decisions
Tue Feb 03 2026
A snowstorm shuts down a city, a systems failure brings operations to a halt, or a major campaign gift suddenly falls apart. Moments like these reveal how strong a nonprofit’s donor relationships really are.
In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, host Amy Eisenstein is joined by Capital Campaign Pro co founder Andrea Kihlstedt to explore how nonprofit leaders can engage donors as true partners during moments of uncertainty, urgency, and high stakes decision making. Drawing from real world examples ranging from weather emergencies to immigration enforcement disruptions to internal system failures, Amy and Andrea share practical guidance on how leaders can communicate clearly, think strategically, and strengthen donor trust when circumstances change fast.
The conversation begins with external crises that affect entire communities, such as severe weather events or sudden policy actions that disrupt daily life. Amy and Andrea discuss how these moments create natural opportunities to reach out to major donors with care, transparency, and purpose. They explain why timely phone calls often matter more than broad email messages, and how early communication helps donors feel informed, valued, and connected to the organization’s thinking.
Listeners will hear how involving donors does not always mean asking for advice. Sometimes it means sharing decisions before they become public. Sometimes it means checking in personally to see how a donor is doing. Other times it means inviting a small group of trusted supporters to help think through options, risks, and tradeoffs. Amy and Andrea emphasize that discernment matters, since every donor plays a different role.
The episode then turns to internal crises, including technology failures, data disruptions, leadership challenges, and reputational threats. Amy and Andrea speak candidly about their own experience when Capital Campaign Pro faced a complete systems outage, and how that experience highlighted the value of contingency planning and donor expertise. They explain why transparency builds confidence over time and how reaching out to donors with relevant experience can lead to stronger solutions and better preparedness.
The discussion also connects these ideas directly to capital campaigns. Amy and Andrea walk through scenarios that campaign leaders fear most, including a lead gift that collapses late in the process or a project that suddenly becomes unviable. They outline how early communication, scenario planning, and thoughtful donor engagement can help organizations respond with clarity rather than panic.
Throughout the episode, the message remains consistent. Donors want to feel like partners, especially during moments that matter. When nonprofit leaders communicate early, think ahead, and invite the right people into the conversation, crises often become turning points that deepen relationships and strengthen campaigns.
This episode offers nonprofit executives, development professionals, and campaign leaders practical insight into building donor relationships that hold steady when plans change and decisions carry real weight.
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A snowstorm shuts down a city, a systems failure brings operations to a halt, or a major campaign gift suddenly falls apart. Moments like these reveal how strong a nonprofit’s donor relationships really are. In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, host Amy Eisenstein is joined by Capital Campaign Pro co founder Andrea Kihlstedt to explore how nonprofit leaders can engage donors as true partners during moments of uncertainty, urgency, and high stakes decision making. Drawing from real world examples ranging from weather emergencies to immigration enforcement disruptions to internal system failures, Amy and Andrea share practical guidance on how leaders can communicate clearly, think strategically, and strengthen donor trust when circumstances change fast. The conversation begins with external crises that affect entire communities, such as severe weather events or sudden policy actions that disrupt daily life. Amy and Andrea discuss how these moments create natural opportunities to reach out to major donors with care, transparency, and purpose. They explain why timely phone calls often matter more than broad email messages, and how early communication helps donors feel informed, valued, and connected to the organization’s thinking. Listeners will hear how involving donors does not always mean asking for advice. Sometimes it means sharing decisions before they become public. Sometimes it means checking in personally to see how a donor is doing. Other times it means inviting a small group of trusted supporters to help think through options, risks, and tradeoffs. Amy and Andrea emphasize that discernment matters, since every donor plays a different role. The episode then turns to internal crises, including technology failures, data disruptions, leadership challenges, and reputational threats. Amy and Andrea speak candidly about their own experience when Capital Campaign Pro faced a complete systems outage, and how that experience highlighted the value of contingency planning and donor expertise. They explain why transparency builds confidence over time and how reaching out to donors with relevant experience can lead to stronger solutions and better preparedness. The discussion also connects these ideas directly to capital campaigns. Amy and Andrea walk through scenarios that campaign leaders fear most, including a lead gift that collapses late in the process or a project that suddenly becomes unviable. They outline how early communication, scenario planning, and thoughtful donor engagement can help organizations respond with clarity rather than panic. Throughout the episode, the message remains consistent. Donors want to feel like partners, especially during moments that matter. When nonprofit leaders communicate early, think ahead, and invite the right people into the conversation, crises often become turning points that deepen relationships and strengthen campaigns. This episode offers nonprofit executives, development professionals, and campaign leaders practical insight into building donor relationships that hold steady when plans change and decisions carry real weight.