Now to Next

Whoa! Happy Friday Fam! I know it has been a minute…thanks for sticking with me. So, what took me so long? Short answer: COMMUNITY.

The longer answer would be that I have had a great couple of weeks bouncing back and forth from Little Rock to NWA - enjoying friends, connecting with family, and experiencing first hand some efforts, intentional and otherwise, to build a strong community. I’ve been surrounded by doers and well as those trying to understand how stuff gets done and who is the best at doing the good stuff. Working on both sides of the community building continuum is extremely rewarding. It’s connecting people who align on passion, concern, values, and goals. It’s introducing the levers of change to the change makers.

It’s easy, and frankly it’s destructive, to do this poorly.

Done well, it’s hard and it’s heartwarming.

Both side of the brain: I’ve lead the organization doing the work, I have advised those in a position to fund the mission, and I’ve done both at the same time.

Nonprofits, initiatives, and projects need immediate support in order to build capacity and stability. Donors understand urgency but their dollars should deliver value - both to the mission and also to their priorities.

For more than a decade, I have been in conversations around the difference between transactional and transformational support.

Transactional support looks like a check, a sponsorship, a favor. Transformational support shows up as long-term alignment: people giving time, trust, talent, and resources because they believe in the destination—and want to walk the path with you.

Both sides must understand how to build, balance, and measure each.

For Nonprofits - Urgency and Vision

From Ask to Alignment
A donor who helps fund mental health screenings at a pop-up clinic is far more likely to stay involved if they understand that this is part of your bigger plan to expand access to behavioral health in rural areas. Help them shift from “paying for a service” to “partnering in a solution.”

Create Deeper On-Ramps for Engagement
Provide paths to go deeper. One-time givers don’t become long-haul champions by accident—they need an invitation to step inside.

Track Engagement, Not Just Gifts

• Time spent showing up.

• Influence leveraged on your behalf.

• Engagement.

Better Stories > Bigger Numbers
Transactional reporting focuses on quantity. Transformational supporters care about meaning. Show how a moment led to momentum, how a relationship created ripples, or how a short-term investment became a long-term shift.

For Donors - Attention & Intention

As a business or civic-minded individual, you’re likely approached weekly—if not daily—to give, sponsor, or donate. You can’t say yes to everything. But you can say yes with intention—and that’s where this framework helps.

Understand the Difference—Then Do Both
Transactional giving helps organizations survive. Transformational giving helps them evolve. You don’t have to choose—just be aware of what you’re doing in each case.

• Covering lunch for teachers? That’s transactional.

• Partnering on a literacy initiative over three years, helping advocate for state funding, and bringing in other partners? That’s transformational.

Both are valuable. One gives help. The other gives hope.

Track and Measure What You Give

• Dollars contributed by category (event sponsorship, operating support, strategic investment)

• Time donated by team members

• Community outcomes you helped enable

• Perceptions of your brand tied to community engagement (use surveys or customer feedback)

Benefit Beyond the Bottom Line
Giving with depth and intentionality benefits your company or personal brand in powerful ways:

• You become part of the region’s long-term story—not just a short-term boost.

• Employees feel pride working for a company that invests in more than profits.

• Policymakers and community leaders see you as a collaborator, not just a checkbook.