Major Gifts

The Dual Ask

When and if you decide to embark on a capital campaign to address multiple needs, you are making a decision that will impact your organization for years to come. When you add up the time it takes to identify your needs, test the case, create the case, plan and execute the campaign and collect the pledges, you are talking about 5 to 10 years. As such, campaigns are certainly not to be taken lightly and should be viewed as a unique window of opportunity that will open and close at some point in the lifetime of your organization.

Our belief is that if you are going to commit to a campaign, you should have the intent to address as many needs as you can, and raise as much as you can, through all potential funding possibilities in order to maximize your potential. One of the ways to do this is by making a dual "ask".

A great majority of the work involved in any campaign is simply getting in front of your major prospects. In order to maximize your efforts, once you have your solicitations set, strongly consider making an ask for a pledge to your campaign and a request for a planned gift. These two asks are distinct gifts. The pledge will address the needs of your campaign and the planned gift, which may be counted in the campaign, will go to address future needs like endowment.

By using this approach, you will be gaining the full benefit of your campaign and furthering the vested interest of your major donors for years to come.

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