Explore three considerations to create (or revise) your capital campaign plan.
Andrea Kihlstedt
You may think that with everyone navigating a new reality, you shouldn’t ask people to help you with your capital campaign.
The more attention you pay to other people, the more you notice about what they do and why they do it — the better your life is likely to be. In fundraising, that kind of careful attention and interest in what your donors love may well lead to some large, unexpected gifts.
It’s quite common for an organization that raises $1 million for operating support each year to set a campaign goal of $10 million +.
Before setting a fundraising goal for your capital campaign, you have to test your plans with your largest donors.
In capital campaign fundraising, excited, engaged volunteers are the fuel for success.
I can make a list of capital campaign anxieties longer than your leg.
People don’t give because they have money — they give because they’re committed to your mission, and they believe in what you’re trying to accomplish. So, it stands to reason that you should never ask anyone for a big gift until they know your mission.
If you’re getting ready for a capital campaign, there is something important you need to know. And it may be the difference between a successful campaign and one that falls short of its goal.
In the capital campaign business, the focus is on raising a great deal of money from a relatively few donors. And it’s all too common for staff members and volunteers to focus their attention exclusively on getting those major gifts.
Are you completely buried in spreadsheets and committees, and your case for support? Are you so stuck in the weeds that you don’t have enough time to actually contact your donors? The same donors who will make or break your capital campaign? Are you even sure who to contact?
Some people worry that major gifts will suffer in the years after a capital campaign. But it’s simply not true! Remember, very few things move in simple straight lines. That’s true of human motivation, growth patterns and, yes, even the way people give.
Have you ever wondered how capital campaign consultants figure out how much money your organization can raise for your campaign? Do you ever wonder if their assessments are wrong? Let me tell you a dirty little secret...
Are you stuck in the mud, tired of looking at spreadsheets, organizing committees and writing your case for support? Does it feel like there’s never enough time to actually contact your donors? Do you feel like you’re not ready enough? Like you don’t have enough time? Like you’re not even sure who to contact?...
Birds of a feather flock together… but when it comes to your capital campaign, they’ll only flock well with successful leadership. Your capital campaign committee chairs must be well-organized and maintain excellent communication...
