Read The Mountain

Reminder: Follow me on LinkedIn to get short pro-tips and reflections on major gift fundraising every day between 5-7am pacific (and usually a playful reflection on this strange vocation every day between 5-7pm pacific 🤓).

It was November of 2017. My friend Larry and I were having lunch at an iconic Seattle deli, reminiscing about 28 years of friendship - since starting university together in 1989!

I was eager to hear more about his latest mountain-climbing adventures - especially since Julie and I had recently taken up more backpacking and camping.  Larry told me about his climbs with a new friend and coach. ‘It’s incredible,’ he said, ‘Mike has summited Rainier nearly 100 times!’“

Do you think Julie and I could attempt Rainier?” I asked. “Absolutely,” he replied without hesitation, "Mike has a great training program to get you ready. We could plan for this coming summer!”

And just like that, Julie and I were seven months from our first attempt up Mount Rainier.

The training regime was tough but wildly effective. We became well acquainted with 8-point burpees, walking lunges, and Fartlek runs (yes, I giggle every time I say it). Every weekend, we hiked 7-12 miles in the Cascades’ foothills, steadily increasing the weight in our packs as the Rainier climb drew closer.

We learned to walk in crampons, work as a rope team, rescue someone from a crevasse, master the “climbing step”, and pack our gear for maximum efficiency.

We were laser-focused: summit Rainier in July 2018.

But after one of our training sessions, Larry pulled us aside. “Remember,” he said, “Rainier climbs only succeed about fifty percent of the time…”

[record scratch]

“What?! Why?” I blurted out.

“Any number of things,” he replied, “but usually the weather. We don’t fight Mother Nature at 12,000-plus feet.”

‍About Half The Time, Things Don’t Go As Planned

‍I say this often when coaching fundraisers.

Over the past 30 years, I’ve been turned around on many an ask attempt. It’s never fun. You’ve trained, planned, and envisioned the moment for a long time. You’re halfway there, and everything in you wants to keep going. But sometimes the giver - like the mountain - says, “Not today.”

Fundraising success in Q4 isn’t about charging ahead no matter what. It’s about reading two things in real time: the ‘weather’ in your portfolio (giver readiness, timing, distractions) and your own capacity (energy, clarity, focus).

Here are some lessons I’ve learned to keep moving wisely in Q4:

‍1. Is Your Portfolio Wearing A Beanie?

‍In mountaineering, it’s super important to learn how to forecast weather patterns. Are the clouds building or breaking? Is the wind steady or shifting? Is Mt. Rainier wearing its beanie?

In fundraising, the “weather” is your giver landscape:

• Building clouds: Givers are busy, hard to reach, or hinting they might wait until next year.
• Clear skies: They’re responding promptly, showing interest, asking thoughtful questions.

Use the SToR (Strength of Relationship) assessment. Run your top 20 givers through it before September. If you see “clouds” in the form of low readiness, add a warm-up touchpoint before making your ask. If you see “clear skies,” aim for a confident close in November or early December.

‍2. The Mountain Doesn’t Care If You’re Tired

‍On a climb, ignoring your body’s signals can end the trip - or worse. Altitude sickness*, fatigue, and dehydration don’t disappear through sheer willpower.

Fundraising has the same temptation: push through exhaustion, let stress pile up, and keep saying yes until there’s no margin left. In Q4, your best results depend on protecting your energy for giver-facing moments.Ask yourself weekly:

• Am I giving my best hours to the most important work?
• Am I overcommitted to internal tasks?
• Am I getting true recovery time?

Sometimes the smartest move is to slow down briefly so you can push hard when it matters most.

‍3. Know When to Adjust the Route

‍On the mountain, if an icefall blocks your planned route, you don’t attempt to climb over it - you find a safe way around. The same applies when circumstances change in fundraising:

• A giver’s decision is delayed? ➡️ Pivot to another priority conversation.
• A scheduled trip falls through? ➡️ Use that time for a surprise gratitude call.
• A major opportunity pops up? ➡️ Rearrange your schedule to give it the focus it deserves.

Flexibility is a strength. The goal is the summit - not the exact route you mapped in August.

‍4. Don’t Forget To Phone A Friend

‍Climbers rely on guides, rangers, and teammates for the latest conditions. In fundraising, you need that same kind of network:

• Colleagues who’ll give you honest feedback on your plan.
• Connectors who can update you on what’s happening in a giver’s world.
• Mentors or coaches who can help you think through a tricky move.

Don’t try to read every signal alone. A fresh perspective can help you catch subtle shifts you might otherwise miss. If we haven’t talked recently, schedule a 30 minute free chat to bring me up to speed - I often spot one or two important ideas clients hadn’t considered.

‍5. The Mountain Will Be There Tomorrow

‍The best mountaineers live to climb another day. If the storm wins today, they return tomorrow, next month, or next season.

In fundraising, some year-end conversations simply aren’t ready to close - and forcing them risks a smaller gift or a strained relationship. It’s far better to preserve trust and position yourself for a stronger ask later.

This may feel like failure, but it’s actually a smart strategy. Some of my best January-June gifts began as “not yets” in December.

‍Back To Our First Attempt of Mount Rainier

‍Julie, Larry, and I had just completed the first leg of the climb to Camp Muir. Spirits were high, the weather looked perfect, and we felt optimistic.

Then we started hearing murmurs from other climbers preparing for the summit. A serac had fallen the day before.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“It’s when part of the glacier becomes unstable, breaks off, and crashes down the mountain,” Larry explained, “This one happened to be the size of a school bus.”

Because of the serac fall, many climbers were debating whether to delay their attempt - the route would have to change significantly. After talking with the Rangers, we decided it was safe enough to try, with one condition: if things got dicey, we’d turn back without hesitation.

‍We geared up - crampons, helmets, ropes - and set off toward the summit. But less than a mile in, the truth became obvious: the route was simply too dangerous. We turned back.

I was crushed. I couldn’t believe it. Back at base camp, I crawled into my tent and tried to sleep while Julie and the others watched an awe-inspiring sunrise from Camp Muir. I simply couldn’t bring myself to join them.

As the disappointment settled, however, so did a sense of peace. We had read the mountain. We had read ourselves. And we had made the wise call. I learned to be okay with my disappointment - and not ashamed of it.

(For the record, Julie and I did successfully summit Rainier the following summer. More on that story another time.)

In fundraising, Q4 is summit season. The temptation is to push no matter what. But fundraisers who thrive long-term know when to press ahead, when to adjust, and when to rest for another day.

Read the mountain. Read your pulse. Then make your moves with confidence.

What’s the ‘cloud beanie’ you’re seeing in your portfolio right now? Send me a message using the contact info below and let’s schedule some time to talk.

* Altitude sickness is strange. You can be in a healthy, well-trained body and suddenly feel like you can’t go another step. I experienced it once while descending Mount Rainier at around 12,000 feet.  The idea of hiking seven more miles to base camp and then the parking lot felt impossible. Thankfully, there was a doctor in our group who assured me that 2 ibuprofen and dropping another 250 feet would work wonders. She was right! Less than 30 minutes later, I felt like a new man.

* * * * * * * * * *

‍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,