Build Capacity with Your Capital Campaign Planning
Whether you are considering a capital campaign or are already in one, you can take advantage of momentum, excitement, and growth to advance the quality of the governance, effectiveness, program development, and fundraising capability of your organization. Capital campaign planning at the beginning of the process will help you to maximize the outcomes from your fundraising efforts.
Here are five areas of activity that you should consider wrapping into your capital campaign planning. Being proactive in your campaign planning will give your organization the ability to succeed beyond imagination.
Develop the Board and its Committees
Many organizations, particularly grassroots ones, are operating under founder’s boards. These boards typically have a very high degree of commitment, some experience in governance practice, and a “hand-to-mouth” view of fundraising. This means that they generally operate in status quo mode, doing the same things this year that worked in previous years. Maintaining the status quo allows the organization to continue its mission, but offers little to no opportunity for change and progress.
A capital campaign provides an exciting, compelling impetus to attract new people to the board. In many campaigns, community members are invited to participate. When considered strategically, these people should have helpful skills, giving capacity, and/or significant connections within the community. This way, additions to the campaign become prime prospects to be added to the board.
These prospects are often described as people who can bring to the organization at least two, if not three, of the following qualities: wealth, wisdom, work, and the “wow” factor.
Grow the Donor Base
Successful campaigns give you the opportunity to network to and through affluent, influential people. Ask them, “Who do you know who should know about us?”
Your feasibility study will have opened doors to community leaders who have not previously been involved with your organization. This is a wonderful time to pose a question that opens new networks to you.
Your donor base can also grow when you contact people who have been hanging on the periphery. These are people who may have had tangential exposure to your organization. You will be in a much better position thanks to the momentum, publicity, and excitement of your campaign. Demonstrate the value and importance of giving to the campaign. You just need to reach out!
Raise the Level of Affluence
It only takes one key leadership gift to open the door to more people of affluence.
In your campaign, ask for gifts that stretch the prospect to consider involvement at a much higher level than they had previously. You not only do this at the highest levels, but you also meet and challenge others at all levels of ability to make a financial commitment. By comparing the average gift size of donors to the campaign with donors to your routine program or annual fund, you’ll quickly realize that the campaign has raised your level of affluence.
Next, challenge your newly acquired major donors to continue their giving by supporting annual programming. It’s valuable to get the higher gift for the campaign, but even more valuable to continue a high rate of giving for many years!
Enhance Strategic and Operational Planning
The process you employed to decide to conduct a capital campaign must continue in the future. In fact, many organizations are realizing that they will never truly step down from the campaign mode. It is efficient, the need is great, and the community deserves the resulting effect.
We at Custom Development Solutions have realized over decades of fundraising practice that improving the level of affluence on the board and its committees often improves the level of business acumen. Capital campaign planning and execution must be a constant factor for a robust organization. Economies and enhancements go hand in hand.
The campaign is a key development function. It brings knowledge and experience into the everyday activities of your organization. When you plan for it and use it, your organization’s success can reach new heights.
Improve your Fundraising Practice
In a campaign, you learn to focus on the largest gifts, do the solicitation in person, promote a pledge payment plan, ask for proportional gifts, and more. In fact, the concepts learned in a campaign can apply to every form of fundraising.
Over time in your campaign, you’ll have:
- Enhanced your development function
- Advanced your knowledge and capabilities with database records and pledge redemption
- Understood research and planning
- Raised the sights of board members
With changes in the board, an expanded prospect pool, larger average gifts, and more forward-thinking capital campaign planning, your organization will be poised to capture more than a fair market share. Stay positive, and good luck!