Skip to main content
Tag

Capital campaign strategy best practices - Steier Group

Jul 11 2017

What is capital campaign management?

By Steier Tips

“There just isn’t enough time in a day.” How many times have you found yourself speaking or thinking this statement? How many times have you heard that from your organization’s employees or volunteers? Within your organization, chances are good your devoted employees log more than 40 hours each week so that your organization can continue to serve your community. Now imagine adding an additional full-time job – requiring another 40 hours per week – to your employees’ or volunteers’ plate. That’s what capital campaign management is: a full-time job. Managing a capital campaign includes a variety of jobs that exceed…

Read More
Jun 13 2017

After 20 years, the Steier Group formula for capital campaign success remains the same

By Steier Tips

In 1997, I was 31 years old, Mary and I had recently welcomed our second son without knowing that three more would soon follow. I was discerning a career change from the family-run fundraising consulting firm where I was employed. After my best friend passed away, leaving behind his wife and young daughter, the pull became that much stronger. It was then I decided that life was too short not to take the proverbial leap of faith and I decided to start the Steier Group. From day one, we focused on providing our clients with the best service possible. We…

Read More
Jun 01 2017

Why run a capital campaign?

By Steier Tips, Uncategorized

Your board members are in agreement: It’s time for a capital campaign. For many nonprofit CEOs, the thought of launching a capital campaign is a daunting one. You know there will be months of hard work ahead. There are volunteers to recruit, donors to evaluate, a communications plan to implement and special events to host. The list goes on and on. With so many moving parts in a campaign, it can be easy to lose sight of the benefits to your organization. It begs the question, why run a capital campaign?  A recent study conducted by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative…

Read More
May 01 2017

Why do capital campaigns fail?

By Steier Tips

Everyone likes to be part of a winning team. Be it sports or politics, we all want to support a winner. That attitude is alive in the fundraising world, too, as people like to know their investment is paying dividends. The payoff is delivered by seeing their nonprofit of choice continuing its mission. But, just as our favorite sports team doesn’t always win the big game, sometimes capital campaigns fail. It’s an unpleasant reality that CEOs, board members and donors occasionally must face. It can be avoided with proper planning. Why does an organization sometimes fall short of its campaign…

Read More
Mar 02 2017

Capital campaigns bolster annual giving programs

By Steier Tips

As Steier Group clients prepare to embark upon major capital campaigns, the fears that they express most often are related to increased workloads for their staff members and the worry that a campaign may negatively impact the organization’s annual giving program. At every development and fundraising conference I have attended during the past 25 years – and within the pages of every capital campaign book or manual I have ever read – experts claim that campaigns actually produce a positive impact on annual giving. So, over the years, as I stood in front of church councils, leadership committees, trustee groups,…

Read More
Feb 01 2017

Keep a successful annual appeal separate from capital campaigns

By Steier Tips

Can you have too much of a good thing? When it comes to an annual appeal the answer is “yes.” The Steier Group works often with nonprofits that pushed too hard and too fast on their annual appeals. “Our annual appeal brings in great returns. Let’s make it into a campaign by increasing the goals and the amount we request. We will have even bigger success!” That’s usually how the thinking goes. Unfortunately for organizations that attempt this, the end result often leaves much to be desired. Not only does it harm your annual giving program in the long term,…

Read More
Jan 04 2017

New Year’s resolutions that could hinder your nonprofit’s fundraising

By Steier Tips

In the last twenty years, I have seen many New Year’s resolutions drafted by nonprofit leaders — some were achieved and others were forgotten. As you plan for the future, here are a few resolutions to avoid, as they could do serious harm to your organization’s mission: This year, we’ll rely on our staff. Managing volunteers is just too messy. At first, it may seem wise to leave the fulfillment of your mission to trained professionals. It is a challenge to manage and retain good volunteers. However, volunteers serve a critical role in your organization. They are ambassadors of goodwill…

Read More
Dec 06 2016

Capital campaign donor recognition is key to fundraising success

By Steier Tips

What donor wouldn’t want his or her name on a building? Capital campaign donor recognition levels are key to fundraising success. There are many ways to recognize a donor, from the simple, like thank you notes, to the complex, like naming opportunities. Done correctly, a donor recognition program can help you dramatically increase the funds raised during your capital campaign. Because of a successful naming opportunity, a recent Steier Group client was able to secure the first of many $1 million dollar gifts. The right opportunity presented to the right donor can build a meaningful, long-term relationship that is mutually…

Read More
Oct 04 2016

Proper planning yields successful capital campaigns

By Steier Tips

In a major fundraising effort, you will face a number of difficult questions and decisions. None may be bigger than this: Where do we begin? Simply put, the planning stages of successful capital campaigns can begin long before your initial call to the Steier Group. We want to be part of your planning process, but we also know we do our best work when we partner with you at the right time. That “right time” for your organization usually means after you have accomplished some, if not all, of the following: Strategic plan: Putting together a strategic plan allows you…

Read More
Sep 06 2016

Funding a new spiritual home in East Tennessee

By Steier Wire

Diocesan capital campaigns are challenging even when the goals have widespread support. When you’re raising money for a cathedral, the challenges can seem insurmountable. The Diocese of Knoxville, a young, vibrant and growing diocese, faced a major challenge: It lacked a true cathedral to call home. The need was obvious, but the benefits of a cathedral can be a difficult sell to those outside the cathedral parish. So how did 51 parishes dispersed across East Tennessee come together and raise more than $44 million? By listening to their pastors and parishioners, adjusting their plan, securing gifts from outside the diocese…

Read More