Don’t Burn All Your Oxygen

I’m a mountain climber, and I’m a plodder.

There - I say it with all the 53 (almost 54) year-old Gen X confidence I can muster. I can kick, I can (gently) stretch, and I love plodding up epic mountains.

The young whippersnapper guides who sherpa wide-eyed climbers up Mount Rainier sometimes make the climb from Paradise parking lot to Camp Muir in about two hours. That’s over 4.5 miles and nearly 5,000 feet of gain to an oxygen-starved 10,000 feet. I’d pat myself on the back for going 5 miles in 2 hours on a flat trail, no backpack!

But here’s what I’ve noticed when those same guides are leading a group: they plod. Watch closely, and you’ll see they take each step a certain way - the mountain climbing step. If you saw it on video, you’d say, ‘that doesn’t look profound.’ But it is - because it’s all about breathing.

It’s a steady rhythm: step, rise, breathe, step again. Climbers who abandon it wear out much faster than those who stay committed. And I get why - the climbing step isn’t designed for speed. It’s meant to maximize efficiency and endurance. That way, when you reach base camp, you still have fuel in the tank for the summit push the next day (another grueling 4,000 feet, this time with crampons and ropes).

In major gift fundraising, I’m also a plodder. After 30 years, I move faster than most - but I stick to a few basic disciplines that keep me (and the people I coach) from burning out before the 4th quarter frenzy - our version of summit day.

Here are the “climbing step” disciplines I stick to when making the transition from summer to fall:

1. Control Your Breathing: Build a Weekly Relational Rhythm‍

Just like you manage your breath on the slope, you manage your outreach rhythm in Q4. On the mountain, I save my best energy for the hardest terrain - and in fundraising, that’s giver-facing work.

For me, it looks like this:

• 10 meaningful touchpoints to givers and prospects (usually phone or video) every week
• 3-5 face-to-face (not video) meetings
• Daily moments to pray for wisdom and generosity in my networking

Some of those remote touchpoints are not pre-scheduled, but most of them are. I want to look at my week on Sunday evening and know that I have as many of those 12-15 connection points already scheduled if possible.It’s tempting to do a flurry of calls and emails all in one week, then nothing the next - the fundraising equivalent of sprinting uphill until your legs lock. A steady rhythm keeps you going.

‍2. Keep Fuel in the Tank: Protect Key Energy Windows

‍When I climb, I protect my most alert hours for the hardest terrain. I’m no hero in the 2pm heat of the day, but I can crush a glacier climb while the sun rises over the horizon.In Q4, let’s guard our best energy for giver-facing work. What does that mean for you? For me, it means:

• Blocking most mornings for creative writing, important emails, and giver meetings
• Blocking some mornings for admin, general email catch-up, and strategy meetings
• Saying no to low-priority meetings during the critical October–December window

Your schedule is your oxygen supply. If you spend it all at lower elevations (internal tasks that don’t move relationships forward), you’ll be gasping when you need to be asking.

‍3. Watch for False Summits: Celebrate Progress Without Slowing Down

‍For those of you who have climbed Mount Adams in Washington State, you’re familiar with Pikers Peak*.

It's a false summit and if you’re not aware of that going into the climb, it can be flat out demoralizing to realize that you have another long steep mile of climbing before hitting the real summit! My legs are feeling heavy just telling you about it.

In fundraising, false summits show up as early wins - a big commitment in October, or a great Giving Tuesday. They’re worth celebrating, but not worth coasting on. The year-end peak is still ahead, and it demands as much focus as the early climb. I’ve learned to mark those moments, then quickly reset the goal and the plan.

4. Rest Before the Push: Create A “Base Camp”‍

Before a summit bid, climbers stop at base camp. They eat, hydrate, check gear, swap encouragement, and try to catch some Z’s. They don’t race past it just because they’re feeling strong.

For me, there are 2 notable base camp pauses for Q4. One is the time we’re in now, the month of August up until Labor Day. The second is from mid November to early December. I make sure to do the following.

• Review where each giver conversation stands
• Revisit my priority list (who’s most ready for a year-end ask)
• Schedule a few non-ask touchpoints - quick texts, a story email, or a thank-you call
• Take some days off to rest my mind and spirit

These pauses keep me from making sloppy decisions in the frenzy of the final 10 days of the year.

‍5. Leave Margin for the Descent

‍One of the sneaky secrets of mountain climbing is that the descent can be just as difficult and dangerous (if not moreso) than the climb. The adventure doesn’t end at the summit. You still have to get down in one piece. I’ve seen climbers spend everything to reach the top, only to become disoriented and stumble on the descent.In fundraising, your “descent” is January gratitude, reporting, and teeing up the next year. If you hit December 31 utterly spent, you’ll miss the chance to carry momentum into 2026. Keep enough relational and emotional fuel to land strong in the new year.

- - - - -

The most impressive climbers I’ve met aren’t the ones who blaze past everyone on the trail. They’re the ones who arrive at the summit with a smile, enough energy to enjoy the view, and the capacity to get themselves and everyone else back down safely.

The same is true in major gift fundraising. Don’t burn all your oxygen on the lower slopes. Keep your climbing step. Protect your oxygen. Respect the false summits. Rest before the push. Finish with enough energy to celebrate with your team - and to start the next climb strong.

We’re all headed for that Q4 summit. I’ve got my tent setup at base camp if you want to talk shop and hone your strategy going into September!

* Pikers Peak was named after an inscription left by Art Jones, who was in charge of the Mount Adams lookout from 1921-1923. The inscription, found on a boulder, reads: "You are a piker if you stop on this summit. Don't crab. The mountain was here first. Arthur Jones".

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‍If you haven't taken advantage of some of the resources I've created to help major gift fundraisers, take a look now!  Initial calls with me are free and "no strings attached".  Sometimes folks feel like they need to wait and not 'bother' me until they have a pressing issue.  No need for that...just make the call. 🕺

‍Here's where you can access a lot of content for free:

* Major Gift Fundraising MRI Scan - A story-based self-assessment that helps you name your instincts, clarify your posture, and grow with intention. Takes less than 20 minutes and gives you a custom coaching summary based on your responses.

* JappaFry Writer - A freely available AI tool that draws from over 175 pages of original teaching, storytelling, frameworks, and strategy from my 30 year career in major gift fundraising.

‍* Follow me on LinkedIn - You'll get short pro-tips and reflections on major gift fundraising every day between 5-7am pacific.

* Breakthru Newsletter - As you've seen here, these are longer weekly posts (audio and written) sent directly to your email.

* Breakthru Blog - the newsletter from the previous week gets posted here each week for everyone (so email subscribers get it a week early).

* Breakthru Podcast - Interviews with high net worth givers about how we as fundraisers can get better at inviting them to the party.  And audio readings of Breakthru Blog posts.

‍Before getting to the PAID stuff: My opinion is that no small ministry with a tight budget should be spending more than $3-5k (total) for major gift coaching/consulting.  Most of you will be good-to-go spending far less than that.  This was a major issue for me when I was a frontline fundraiser - major gift consultants were an expensive 'black-box-of-confusion' for me.  That stops now.

‍Here's the PAID stuff:

‍* Online Catalyst Course - This is a full brain dump of my 28+ years of experience - good, bad, ugly.  It's built around the fundamentals, the sacredness, and the fun, of major gift fundraising.  It's infused with Henri Nouwen reflections.  Many people can take this course and they will be 'cooking-with-gas' and not need any additional coaching from me on the core systems.  I'm grateful that this course has gotten *great* reviews.

* Live coaching with me - I refer to this as "brain rental".  The ROI on live coaching, as you might imagine, is extraordinary.

Finally, be sure to connect with my colleague Ivana Salloum.  She's super awesome and can help with scheduling and access to resources, etc.

I look forward to hearing about your good work!

Blessings,