Capital Campaigns
Campaign Committee Prospect Evaluation
Prospect evaluation during the early parts of a capital campaign is perhaps one of the most awkward activities. The key is to have a well-developed strategy that demystifies the process, puts the campaign volunteers at ease, and draws out clear conclusions about which prospects represent the greatest potential for support. The benefits reaped from candid…
Read MoreEmpowering Your Campaign Volunteers
Capital campaign volunteers are the lifeblood of a nonprofit organization. They are passionate advocates for organizations, sharing their involvement with friends, neighbors, and colleagues. A nonprofit will not find more effective public relations than a motivated volunteer, especially during a capital campaign. A common oversight during the planning stages of a capital campaign is to…
Read MoreCapital Campaign Essentials: The Case Statement
There are four essential elements to every successful capital campaign. In our Capital Campaign Essentials series, we provide a quick overview of each of these four elements so that you can successfully grow your organization’s fundraising influence. This article focuses on defining a case and teaching you how to build a case statement. Check out…
Read MoreCapital Campaign Preparation
So you’ve decided to conduct a capital campaign on behalf of your organization. This campaign and its success will help determine its future effectiveness in providing services consistent with your organization’s mission and purpose. You’ve taken all the appropriate steps, including a comprehensive feasibility study to ensure that your base of support is ready, willing,…
Read MoreUpgrade Your Capital Campaign Committee
In a well-organized capital campaign, it is the Campaign Executive Committee, or CEC, that understands and assumes responsibility for the success of the campaign. The members of the committee are often serious business professionals in their own right, but each campaign is typically a multi-million dollar project. Therefore, as fundraising counsel, we cannot assume that…
Read MoreHow to Craft a Compelling Case Statement
If prospective donors read anything about your campaign, it is likely they will read the case statement. This may be the only thing they read about the campaign, so the case statement must be the most powerful, compelling document they see. The case statement is the definitive written piece in any capital campaign. It centralizes…
Read MoreThe 4 Fundamentals of a Capital Campaign
Wondering what you and your colleagues can do to prepare your organization for a major capital campaign? You’ve come to the right place! There are 4 fundamentals of a capital campaign. Read on to learn more about each one! 1. The Case for Support Define what is unique about your organization. How is it transforming…
Read MoreOptimizing Your Capital Campaign Goal
As fundraisers, setting goals is what we do. However, it can be difficult to set measurable goals for staff and volunteers in the hopes of motivating them. The most obvious application is an overall campaign goal. I have seen too many campaigns where I was told the goal was to raise “as much as we possibly…
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