Campaign Planning Studies Enable You to Fulfill Your Potential

Conducting research is a best practice before embarking on a major fundraising campaign. This essential research phase is accomplished through what is commonly known as a campaign feasibility and planning study. This step parallels market research in the for-profit sector — a savvy business would not consider a new major initiative without proper research.

I experienced the value of these studies earlier in my career when I inherited an independent school’s capital campaign that had been poorly planned and executed. I read every book I could and attended sessions on campaign best practices, and the importance of studies rang loudly through it all.

We shut down the campaign, hired a consulting firm and embarked on a planning and feasibility study. We followed the plan the study provided, and the campaign blew past our goal. The research to inform campaign strategy was the missing ingredient for success. 

Years later, after I stepped down from a national consulting firm to be a chief development officer again, I engaged a firm to conduct our capital campaign planning studies whenever we embarked on a new campaign. Their independent research always proved invaluable to the overall strategy.

“I believe in studies and the important role they play in preparing for a campaign,” Josh Newton, senior vice president of advancement and alumni engagement at Emory University, which is in the final stages of a $4 billion campaign, said. “A study guides the process, priority-setting and overall strategy. It is a critical part that opens dialogue with donors. I have had studies that opened up conversations with donors we were just not aware of.”

The Benefits of a Campaign Planning Study

CEOs sometimes avoid a campaign planning study because they don’t want to know what the organization’s “best friends” really think. They may assume they know what they think, but I disagree with that rationale.

A campaign planning study is essential market research to gauge readiness for an organization to take on a major campaign, invest major resources and commit to a course. In my 30-plus years in the field, I have seen it repeatedly — poorly researched, planned and implemented campaigns languish and extend in duration, struggle to hit the goal, and diminish volunteer and donor confidence.  

While a study can take many shapes and be either very focused or broad, the goal is to gauge support for an organization and its plans among prospective major donors. While the number of donors in the United States is declining, larger gifts are increasingly the focus of successful campaigns. 

The Pareto principle guide indicates that 20% of the effort will result in 80% of the results. In terms of giving, it is becoming increasingly top-heavy. Frequently, 90% or more of gifts in a major campaign will come from just 10% of donors.

You can engage a broader cross-section or even prospective donors at all levels in a study (for various goals), but, at the core, you need unbiased insight from your top prospective donors.  

Nearly all large campaigns benefit from this early research phase. Some benefits include:

• Providing essential research by asking donors for confidential insight on the organization, its leadership, programs and plans, and prospects of a campaign.
• Testing the advancement function’s ability to support and staff the campaign and provide an opportunity for an assessment of internal functions, procedures and staffing.
• Inspiring board members to elevate their philanthropic outlook and reflect on their personal contributions. 
• Giving insight on how the prospective donors overall respond to campaign components and how the messaging resonates and is understood.
• Sharing information on what level of gifts could be currently raised, what potential the campaign would have currently and what can be done to increase the level of gifts, and the potential campaign goal.
• Mitigating risk of the campaign failing and/or languishing.

I often hear from savvy donors during the study process that they are very pleased that the organization is making the investment to further discern the appropriate next steps.    

The Need for a Neutral and Confidential Campaign Planning Study

An effective campaign planning study interview requires that the interviewer be a good listener and observer. They must have the abilities to dig deeper, discern common themes and trends, and craft strategy. Having more than one consultant conduct interviews in a campaign feasibility study is best to minimize bias and collaborate on recommendations to enhance strategy.

The insight participants share if they trust the interviewer and believe their feedback will be anonymous has surprised me. This means a respected professional needs to conduct the research — not internal nonprofit staff. 

“You don’t get unbiased views and assessment with an internally conducted study,” Vern Snyder, ACFRE, a 30-year veteran of advancement in higher education and former consultant, said. “Sometimes a client tries to push the consultant for an outcome. It is important that a firm can speak truth to power. There is great value when a study is conducted properly.”

Study interviews are not sales opportunities but rather cultivation points aimed at articulating the rationale for potential campaigns, as well as why the organization, why the project and why now. They also provide research opportunities for broad insights that can narrow in on participants’ interest and inclination to give as well.

Even having a representative of the organization present at the interview introduces bias.

“When individuals are aware that they are being observed by someone in a position of power or authority, they are likely to engage impression management, tailoring their responses to align with what they believe the CEO wants to hear,” corporate psychologist Dr. Angelo Valenti said. 

Therefore, the study should not be used as an opportunity for staff to meet donors either. A nonprofit leader new to the organization recently rationalized that it would allow him to meet his prospective donors. It was advised he delay the study by several months and develop personal relationships with the organization’s largest donors first. Otherwise, this would be like speed dating — and no more effective.

The Power of Thorough Preparation for a Campaign Planning Study

It takes at least a year to prepare for a study before you can launch your campaign. Like most fundraising, you will not fulfill your potential if you do not plan and prepare. Preparing for a campaign planning study includes: 

• Having concepts developed for a potential campaign — ideally those that come from a strategic plan and master planning.
• Knowing your likely top donors and having recent interaction with them (I’ll never forget an interview with a university’s top donor who revealed that the president had not seen him in two years).
• Having sufficient qualified prospective donors to complete a gift table for the level being tested.
• Having staff leadership and the board understanding of the campaign process and key fundraising principles.

The organization also must have a sincere desire to learn from its top supporters, and to act on their collective wisdom. This means that projects being considered should not be a pre-drawn conclusion, rather this is a key discernment toward the potential plans. 

Closing the Loop on a Campaign Planning Study

I have friends and colleagues who have been interviewed in studies and never heard back about the organization’s plans. To be most effective, the organization should close the loop and provide a high-level summary to those who gave their time. Seeing their voice in the findings will let them know they are valued and serve as another strong cultivation step. 

When an interviewee does not hear back about overall study results, it could damage the relationship with a strong supporter, decreasing the likelihood of a significant gift to the campaign. They might feel the organization did not listen to them, and wasted both their time and the organization’s dollars.

The projections on the current giving potential for a specific capital campaign should not be portrayed using smoke and mirrors. Exactly how the organization developed the figure — or range — should be clearly documented and based on industry-leading best practices. 

Is it solely based on gifts identified during the feasibility study? Is it based on a formula using those identified gifts? How did the existing donor pool and their historical giving impact estimated giving potential and lead gift participation rates? Are the projections based on wealth and philanthropic screening, engagement analysis and even artificial intelligence-powered modeling of the donor base? 

Make the Best of Your Investment

Organizations seeking a campaign feasibility study often are focused on the giving potential that will be uncovered. While that certainly is one outcome, a properly conducted study is invaluable regardless of the giving potential discovered, offering up a treasure trove of data and key recommendations on how the organization can improve and what steps it should take to maximize its potential.

A campaign feasibility study is one of the best investments an organization can make and will propel that organization toward a stronger future — if it embraces the study process and its outcomes. 

If an organization is not willing to embrace the study process and its outcomes; however, then the study investment was indeed a wasted resource. 

Launching a major campaign without a planning study is like flying without a flight plan or navigation. A well-conducted study leads to incredible results — and far greater success in much less time. 

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.