How to Create a Great Campaign Meeting
Here at CDS Fundraising, we know from decades of experience that fundraising efforts thrive on momentum. A well-run campaign meeting is one of the best tools we have to inspire, motivate, and push our volunteer leaders to achieve their goals and further this momentum. By including the proper components, we can make campaign meetings the centerpiece of our campaign, capable of re-invigorating the entire process. Keep reading to learn how to create a great campaign meeting.
Components of a Great Campaign Meeting
1. Create an Excellent Setting
The first, and simplest, component of a great campaign meeting is to provide a setting that is pleasant and respectful of the attendees’ time and other commitments. Ask volunteers and other staff members what they feel is the best possible location. Choose the most prestigious location for the meetings. Provide quality food and beverages. And, perhaps most importantly, begin and end the meeting on time; a meeting should only run long if the group has agreed upon it.
2. Ensure Attendance
We should always work to build a committee that is composed of some of the most generous and most prominent members of the community. Nonetheless, the strength of the committee and the quality of the meeting’s setting will do little good if the members do not attend. There should be an ongoing effort to ensure people’s attendance at meetings. Phone calls from the committee chair, as well as the CEO should occur. Cards reminding people to save the date should be mailed well in advance. E-mail is a great way to communicate with people. Tease the members with hints of exciting news and developments. The more creative we can be, the better!
3. Gather Quality Materials
Every meeting should include top-notch printed materials covering all the points on the agenda. This should begin with the agenda itself, outlining the major points of discussion and stating whom the primary speaker is for each item. Charts and handouts should be professional, full color documents. If possible and appropriate, include a PowerPoint presentation or other multimedia material.
4. Make Expectations Clear
Once the primary speakers have been decided, it is our job as staff to ensure that they are each briefed on what is expected of them. Provide your speakers with an overview of the topic, speaking points, and any statistics or facts that will bolster the discussion. What is the topic’s desired emotional tone? What is the expected or desired action item? You should review these points with the primary participants at least a day in advance. Ultimately, make sure the volunteer leader knows to speak convincingly from their experiences and from their hearts.
Once the volunteer leaders are adequately prepared, have staff members participate only as necessary. Remember, the committee members must motivate themselves and each other. If they are well prepared, significant staff participation should be unnecessary. The committee chair should run the meeting and lead everyone through the various points on the agenda.
5. Hold Each Other Accountable
A good meeting will communicate a clear sense of accountability to everyone in attendance. Every campaign committee should have an organizational structure that is exemplified in the meeting. Assign appropriate tasks and make it clear that each person will be held accountable for their performance. Devote a portion of each meeting’s agenda to reviewing action items from past meetings, with each volunteer discussing the progress they’ve made on their tasks. This high degree of accountability will motivate everyone to accomplish their goals.
6. Have Clear Action Items
Clear action items are a critical component to the success of a meeting. The committee members are all successful people who will avoid contributing their time and resources to a process that does not seem to take a clear direction. No one likes to attend a meeting where the only decision reached is to meet again in three weeks. It is our job, as staff members, to keep the volunteers focused on these tasks between meetings, and to coordinate everyone involved in the campaign.
We often deride the notion of meetings as burdensome and a waste of our time. However, in a campaign setting, nothing could be further from the truth. Campaign meetings are our prime opportunity to ensure the campaign is moving quickly and smoothly on the right track. Make sure that your campaign plan includes a series of well-run, productive meetings. Your volunteers will thank you and your ultimate results will improve.