Fielding Solicitors for a Campaign Team
Introduction
Just as sports teams are built around the players’ abilities and strengths, so too are campaign teams. And when a team needs a particular skill or asset, the coaches can either try to develop it among their current players or, more likely, recruit or draft for that ability.
The four fundamentals of a campaign include:
- The need for a compelling case for support
- Passionate and influential leadership
- Numerous prospective donors
- An effective and efficient campaign plan
While every campaign shares these fundamentals, the variations among these four areas make each campaign unique. Therefore, building a campaign team is one of a campaign director’s most challenging jobs.
The Feasibility and Planning Study provides a director with information on the organization, the community and the individuals available to support a campaign. From the study, they will understand where the likely support will be found, and know what assets will be necessary to secure that support.
What Skills does a Campaign Team Need?
When a campaign director interviews individuals in the study process, they are not simply collecting data, they’re evaluating potential volunteers. Does this person have a clear understanding of the purpose of the organization, commitment to that purpose, passion for the purpose, and the ability to give generously? No one should be recruited for the campaign team without these attributes. But to be effective, the campaign team members must also have the following skills.
Influence
The campaign is going to rely on gifts from wealthy individuals. Your campaign team must include people with the ability to use their own gift to motivate and inspire others. The same holds true if the campaign is seeking corporate support. Campaign team members must be drawn from business leaders who can use their influence with their colleagues.
Communication
Another necessary skill is the ability to communicate clearly and concisely. The campaign must have a consistent message, and campaign team members must be able to stick to that message and communicate it clearly.
Integrity
The campaign team’s ability to influence others is dependent upon their own personal credibility and integrity. It matters little how much they give as a gift if they lack personal integrity. Without it, they cannot properly represent the campaign or the organization.
Perseverance
It is important that campaign team members—volunteers, staff, and the campaign director—have the ability to persevere when faced with obstacles. Not everything will go according to plan; challenges will arise. But the campaign team works through these challenges together.
Summary
The campaign director must selectively recruit team members who can best help the campaign. Not everyone will fit the bill. And a generous gift isn’t necessarily the only attribute a team member needs to bring to the table.
If a generous donor wants to help the campaign, but doesn’t have the necessary skills or talents needed by the campaign team, that person can be involved in other ways. There are plenty of tasks and lots of work to do that don’t necessarily involve direct solicitation.
Never lose sight of the fact that we are creating a team to get in front of people and secure large donations. Build your team with the following in mind: at the end of the day, you’re putting the most passionate, generous and influential people in front of their peers to solicit and receive the largest possible contributions.