Mission Accomplished ... For Now

Key to that, it seems, is the way VVMF historically has communicated with its donors, which is straightforward and transparent.

"We have gone back and traced people who have been giving since 1980," says Adam Arbogast, director of program marketing at VVMF. "Even after 10 years or more of not giving, when they found out that we were actively soliciting and not just administering funds (for maintenance on the memorial), they immediately came back. It's just that important to them that we continue this mission, to not let this just turn into just some memorial.

"Every time we see a need, we take it straight to our donors and gauge their opinion about whether it fits, if it's something worthwhile for us to do. That's been the driving force all along," he says.

Arbogast calls VVMF's core donors its "entrée into the public."

"They know us very well and what we're doing," he says. "They'll be the first ones to tell us, 'Don't do that.' We haven't really had that happen. They've always been very supportive. But they are the test ground."

That kind of engagement is what allowed VVMF to pick right up where it left off when it came to fundraising for new initiatives like the Education Center at The Wall that is in the works right now.

"It's kind of unique to our 
organization," Arbogast says. "Rarely do you find a nonprofit that engages in a capital campaign, builds something, goes away, comes back to administer some funds and then launches another capital campaign while still supporting the original cause."

Looking back

But lest you think all that success is the result of some high-powered staff of fundraising pros, take a look back at VVMF's somewhat inauspicious start.