Steier Tips

Are You Ready for a Capital Campaign?

The foundation of any successful campaign lies in the months of planning and preparation that must take place prior to beginning the major fundraising effort. Too often, an organization will move forward with an aggressive campaign without a well planned strategy, only to find itself in the middle of a stalled or failed campaign just months after the start. To avoid this, use the following checklist to consider when planning for a capital campaign.

     • Strong Case
       Does your fundraising effort have a strong case for support? Too many times        we see an organization that possesses “wants” versus “needs.” A good rule of        thumb to determine the validity of your campaign goal is to determine if it        supports your organizational mission and vision. If it does not, it is probably a        “want” rather than a “need.”

     • Development Audit
       Capital campaigns require a tremendous amount of time and labor and can        challenge even the most experienced development staff. A thorough audit of        your development office can provide you with a truly in-depth look at your        current efforts and resources, as well as uncover potential problems before they        hamper your capital campaign. Areas of your development office that should be        reviewed are:

                     • Infrastructure & Fundraising System
                       Are your current annual and special event fundraising efforts                        successful?
                     • Database System
                       Do you have an up-to-date donor database system with current                        information?
                     • Donor Recognition
                       Do you actively and effectively acknowledge annual gifts and major                        donors?

     • Leadership
       Do you have leadership in place who will be willing to effectively lead a major        fundraising effort? Does your current Executive Director, Board of Directors and        staff have the ability to successfully recruit volunteers and rally support for the        campaign’s goals? Does your current leadership have the ability to make        significant financial contributions to the campaign?

     • Achievable Goals & Realistic Timeline
       Have you set achievable expectations? Is your overall fundraising goal realistic        and attainable? Have you set a reasonable timeline for your campaign and        subsequent pledge period to collect the necessary campaign funding?

     • Feasibility Study
       Once you have determined that the above strategies are in place, you are        ready to start your campaign, right? Not exactly. Prior to starting your        campaign, you should first conduct a thorough feasibility study. A        comprehensive study will provide you with the unique opportunity to begin        gathering data that will be extremely useful to your campaign. This is your best        chance to:

                     • Identify leadership and volunteers.
                     • Ask your donors about the level of gift that they will consider.
                     • Determine overall financial support.
                     • Validate campaign goals and ask donors to prioritize those goals.

Conducting a capital campaign is challenging, but if you can incorporate the above ingredients, you are well on your way to success. Good luck!

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Other Steier Tips articles:

Ask Amounts
Creative Campaigning
Getting Read
Development Doldrums
Getting to Goal
Selling the Mission
Preparing for the Feasibility Study
Volunteer Involvement
Striking Out in a Campaign
New Year's Resolution
Preparing for Campaigns
Past Donors
Strategies for Success: Job Descriptions
Strategies for Success: Leadership Recruitment
Strategies for Success: Successful Donor Evaluations
Strategies for Su\ccess: Solicitation Training
Strategies for Success: Communications
Strategies for Success: Efficient and Effective Databases
Strategies for Success: Thanking Your Volunteers and Donors
Tax Provision a Great Benefit for Donors
"Challenge" Your Campaign
Hosted Events in Capital Campaigns
Strategies for Success: The Tortoise and the Hare
The Importance of Personally Visiting Foundations
Make Summer Special
Post Campaign Strategy
Continuous Cultivation
Staying in Front of "Seasonal" Donors
Assessing Your Organization's Year-End Giving Program
Differences Between Development Audit and Capital Campaign
Identifying the Right Leaders
Campaign Communications
Assessing Your Organization's Campaign Readiness
Recruiting and Training Volunteers
The Magic Words
Donor Evaluation - Setting the Request Amount
Consistency in your Development Efforts
Keeping Your Donors Involved
Keeping the Excitement Alive
The Ask
The Importance of Hosted Events
Back to the Future
The Internet: Taking Advantage of the New Normal
The Importance of Recognizing Your Donors
Getting Off to a Good Start: The Importance of the Feasibility Study
Volunteer Training

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