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Steier Tips

Strategies for Success: Post Campaign Strategy

During a capital campaign, your organization has the opportunity to enhance and expand your relations with your donors. A campaign creates a great deal of excitement, momentum and energy for your organization. It is important that the excitement continues and the awareness of the campaign remains, even during the post campaign period. The following are some strategies to focus on to keep the momentum strong during the post campaign period:

New Member Welcome Packets — Whether you are welcoming new students to your school, parishioners to your church or members to your organization, it is important that the new members receive information on your organization, the capital campaign and are invited to make a gift to the effort. A new member welcome packet should include a letter from your organization’s CEO, a copy of your organization’s annual report and a campaign case statement. Once the new members are engaged in your organization, then you can implement a solicitation strategy to request a gift to the campaign.

Major Donors — It is important that you have a solid and effective follow through process for your donors. The process should include sending pledge reminders at the same time each month as well as including your major donors in any additional mailings, such as newsletters, e-mail blasts, and campaign update reports. It is important that the donors remain informed on the progress of the campaign as well as any activities taking place within your organization.

Delinquent Pledges — It is inevitable that some donors may fall behind on their pledge payments. For this reason, the Steier Group feels that it is important to implement a procedure that allows the organization to stay on top of their pledge collections. The Steier Group recommends that the organization should address delinquent payments on a quarterly basis. Because a donor’s pledge or gift is such a personal investment to a nonprofit organization, the first contact to a donor who is delinquent on his/her pledge should be a telephone call. The personal touch of a "soft" follow-up telephone call will almost always produce a positive result. The donors will usually resume their gift payments or will alter the timing of the pledge so that they may fulfill their commitment.

Foundation Follow-up — If your organization received any grants or is still in the process of receiving grant dollars for your project, it is vital that you are meeting the foundation’s follow-up requirements. Most foundations have very detailed expectations for grant follow-up – you need to make sure that those expectations are being fulfilled by sending the requested materials and information.

Campaign Follow-up Committee — It is important that this committee and these volunteers remain active with your organization and stay involved with the campaign follow-up to ensure its success.

Capital campaigns are a great opportunity to build momentum and energy for your organization. To have the momentum continue, it is important that new members, your donors, foundations and campaign volunteer committee all remain involved and active with your organization. These are just a few ways for the success to continue – even during the post campaign period.

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