Strong Annual Giving Jump-Starts Major Campaigns

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
- Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is known as a politician, diplomat, journalist and inventor. But he was also an early American fundraiser and philanthropist, so his advice rings especially true to fundraising professionals.

If you embark on a major campaign without being fully prepared, you're likely to fail.

We've been discussing the essential ingredients in preparing for a major campaign. Our final benchmark is a strong annual fund.

Fundraising is both an art and science. It's an art because it involves relationships, and since all people are different, a skilled fundraiser must sense and adapt to the ever-changing desires and goals of each prospect.

Conversely, fundraising is a science because giving follows predictable and projectable patterns. We can research and project how many qualified (cultivated) prospects you will need to succeed in a campaign.

So without a pool of existing donors who recommit to your mission each year though annual giving, it's difficult to jump to a major campaign — either a capital endowment or comprehensive campaign.

Before embarking on a major campaign, take time to fine-tune your annual giving by asking these questions:

• Is your annual fund growing in donors and dollars?
• Are you upgrading donors?
• Do you have a major-gift focus?
• Are you focused on donor retention?
• Do you have a plan and process for the annual fund that gives confidence in your ability to manage a major campaign?
• Do you have strategies for donor acquisition?
• Is there a volunteer component in the annual campaign?

Throughout this conversation, we have been looking at the essential ingredients for major-campaign success:

• Strong leadership
• Successful programs
• Dynamic strategic planning
• Financial strength
• Engaging case for support
• Growing annual support

As another early American inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, said, "Before anything else, preparation is the key to success."