A successful campaign starts with a strong foundation. Our feasibility studies gather donor opinions and provide vital information. The Steier Group creates a customized campaign plan for each client – no cookie-cutter approach here.
A successful capital campaign is a complex fundraising effort, involving leaders, staff members, fundraising consultants, volunteers and, most importantly, donors. A campaign is often years in the making. And the pledge period will extend for three or more years. All of which is to say, to embark upon a capital campaign without a plan would be setting your organization up for failure. That’s why the Steier Group recommends a comprehensive feasibility study. It allows our team to craft a thorough campaign plan. Here are a few of the important steps in a campaign plan:
Your donors want to support your organization and mission. They are already supporters. But a campaign requires giving above and beyond their usual giving. In order to make that ask, it is important to have an appealing case statement. And to share how a donor’s support will help your community. This foundation is vital.
Even with a fundraising consultant leading you every step of the way, a campaign plan will fail without a team of volunteers to meet with donors and ask for support. Each Steier Group campaign plan includes time for gathering a volunteer team and training them in the art of the ask.
During the feasibility study, the Steier Group analyzes the data to understand how best to approach each donor and to set ask amounts. The process of setting ask amounts is an important step in the campaign plan. Aiming too high could turn donors off and stunt fundraising. Aiming too low could leave your organization short of goal. That’s why wealth research and data analysis are an important part of campaign planning.
While a campaign plan should not hinge on the support of foundations, researching grant opportunities and other avenues of support helps make sure your organization leaves no rock unturned. The Steier Group has a team of foundation researchers and grant writers to maximize this part of the campaign plan.
We conduct in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and conduct large-scale online surveys to learn as much as we can about your community. The provides great data for campaign planning.
Our campaign plan includes a comprehensive communication strategy to communicate your goals and mission to every part of your donor base.
Because we’re not embedded in your parish, we can gather candid, unbiased feedback from donors and stakeholders during the feasibility study. And our campaign plan will reflect this important information.
Our team specializes in Catholic fundraising — and every campaign plan is designed to reflect your mission and values.
Named one of the “Best Fundraising Companies in 2025” by The Lead Pastor
“I've worked on many capital campaigns in my four-plus decades of priesthood, and can genuinely say that Steier Group is the best philanthropic consultancy organization I've encountered.”
Fr. Patrick HipwellPastor of Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church in St. Paul, Minnesota
“Raising $30 million dollars is not an easy task and at times it could be overwhelming. The Steier Group helped us remain focused and organized while offering encouragement. We are very pleased with the services they provided. They helped us achieve our goal and we would highly recommend them to others looking to conduct a study or a capital campaign.”
Fr. Tom Fangman and Eric CrawfordPastor and Advancement Director of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Elkhorn, Nebraska
“The results of our campaign speak for themselves and speak highly for the Steier Group. We received three of the largest gifts in our history and far surpassed even the most optimistic projections. So much of the credit goes to the Steier Group team for coaching us through the process and putting us in a position to succeed.”
Lynn PtacekFoundation Director, Newman Catholic Foundation
“The Steier Group's approach is very much rooted in stewardship as a way of life, and this focus ensured that the mission of the Church was integrated in every aspect of our campaign. This allowed us not only to raise a significant amount of funds, but to do so in a positive, faith-filled way. This approach ensured a positive experience for our pastors and parishioners - even through the challenges of COVID-19.”
Most Rev. Douglas Crosby, OMIBishop of Hamilton in Hamilton, Ontario
Read the latest Steier Tips articles for fundraising advice and access helpful resources.
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Yes! A campaign plan without a feasibility study is like driving in the dark without your headlights on. You may reach your final destination, but the chance’s of success are much lower. Planning a campaign without the data gathered during a feasibility study will achieve much worse results.
A typical campaign plan will include a schedule of campaign events, a developed case for support, thorough data analysis, a customized communications strategy, volunteer and leadership training.
Campaign length depends on the scope of the project, number of donors involved and more. A typical Catholic parish campaign will only be a few months of active solicitation. A Catholic school campaign may last a year. And a diocesan campaign will take multiple years to involve all parishes.
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