Capital Campaigns

Can tweets and Tumblr posts trump black-tie events and balloon drops? That’s what Elizabethtown College, a private liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, hopes. Last night, the college eschewed the traditional capital campaign kickoff—complete with formal attire, live music and the promise of a special announcement—for one that took place mostly online. By promoting the campaign…

So, your organization needs to raise a significant amount of money for a particular project. After examining all fundraising routes, you’ve determined that a capital campaign is the right way to go. Before you dive straight into fundraising, there are a number of steps that you have to take to properly plan your capital campaign.…

Nonprofit organizations, just like their for-profit brethren, often find themselves in need of capital to further their missions. Museums, theaters and other arts organizations undergo capital campaigns in order to preserve and promote culture. Hospitals need funding to expand into larger, state-of-the-art facilities. In some instances, organizations can tap into the resources available through wealthy…

Texas A&M University has announced an ambitious fundraising goal unrivaled in Texas in the hopes it can capitalize on recent successes that have drawn the national spotlight to College Station. Campus president Michael K. Young on Thursday announced the university aims to raise $4 billion by 2020, the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign ever announced in…

The University of Wisconsin-Madison launched its most ambitious fundraising campaign ever on Thursday night, asking alumni and other supporters to step into the breach during a time of unprecedented pressure to cut costs and find fresh sources of revenue. The $3.2 billion fund drive comes as the state's flagship public university grapples with an $86…

Purdue University wants to know if its alumni are "ever true." A $2 billion fundraising campaign to support students, faculty, academic programs and facilities is underway at Purdue, the university announced at a private ceremony Friday during the President's Council. "Ever True: The Campaign for Purdue University" started its silent phase in 2012 and will…

Harvard has raised more than $6 billion in gifts and pledges in its capital campaign, charging still closer to its public goal of $6.5 billion, according to an email addressed to Faculty of Arts and Sciences campaign steering committee members that The Crimson obtained Sept. 17. Its campaign also nearly has reached its $2.5 billion…

In the “you-have-to-keep-raking-it-in” world of college fundraising, the time between capital campaigns has shrunk and the duration of those drives—with their increasingly ambitious dollar totals—has grown. But Friday, as Penn State University president Eric Barron shared with trustees his thoughts on a planned new capital campaign expected to launch next summer, he proposed an alternative.…

Michigan State University’s Empower Extraordinary capital campaign has raised more than $1 billion. As of Sept. 1, MSU has received $1.012 billion from more than 221,000 donors, MSU Board of Trustee members learned during their meeting Friday. MSU launched the public portion of the campaign last fall, after raising more than $780 million from donors…

The best campaigns are designed with this concept in mind. They are implemented from an overall framework, from the pre-study phase to the study to any post study fine-tuning to the quiet phase—moving through the sequential phases until you joyfully announce the campaign and celebrate success. Sometimes we encounter a client—or potential client—who has an understanding of these best practices, but would like to make an exception. Now don’t get me wrong, every campaign is unique and you have to fine-tune your strategy—and be flexible. But be sure to always keep the big picture in mind.