Fundraising and development best practices

Jul 10 2019

Capital campaign follow-up leads to even greater success

So, your campaign ends with great success. Your effort raised millions, meaning you can address your organization’s pressing needs. You mark the achievement with a donor/volunteer appreciation party, say goodbye to your fundraising counsel, close the door on the capital campaign and wait for the pledge payments to arrive. Scenarios like this play out in the nonprofit community all the time thanks to generous benefactors and dedicated volunteers. But while the sacrifice of donors and the efforts of the campaign team eventually translate into completed projects or funded programs, the fundraising should not end with the conclusion of the active…

Jun 11 2019

Don’t miss out on donors by ignoring digital giving in a capital campaign

By Jim Steier Steier Tips

For a student, 10 percent is the difference between earning a grade of B or that coveted A. For a baseball player, 10 percent is the difference between being a good hitter or among the best all-time hitters in the game. For your capital campaign – and more importantly, for your cause – 10 percent is the difference between Almost and We did it! In its Charitable Giving Report, the Blackbaud Institute for Philanthropic Impact reported that nearly 10 percent of fundraising in the Faith Communities sector in 2018 came from online giving. Other sectors, such as Arts & Culture, K-12 Education and Animal…

May 07 2019

Support from staff, volunteers critical to capital campaign success

By Jim Steier Steier Tips

At a recent 10k race, I looked around at the starting line and noticed how many people were there. Not just the runners stretching before the race. There were course marshals, volunteers, spectators and all the people associated with the event behind the scenes. I see a race like this as a great metaphor for running a capital campaign. Before toeing the starting line, many training miles must be run in preparation. By the time most supporters of your organization learn about a proposed campaign, many months, if not years, of planning have gone into this vision. Leaders of the…

Apr 03 2019

Five capital campaign mistakes and how to avoid them

By Jim Steier Steier Tips

If you’re like many of the nonprofits with which we partner at the Steier Group, it’s been several years – or possibly even several decades – since your last capital campaign. You may be wondering how to start a campaign in the first place. And certainly, you’re hoping to avoid any capital campaign mistakes that could derail your effort. Even the most well-meaning nonprofit CEOs and development directors can make mistakes when it comes to capital campaigns. Many of these leaders conduct only a few campaigns over the course of their careers. Here are five of the most common capital campaign…

Feb 11 2019

Major donor engagement is key to fundraising success

By Jim Steier Steier Tips

How well do you know your major donors? Your answer to that question is key to your organization’s chance for fundraising success, especially during a capital campaign. After 21 years of service and more than $2 billion raised for our clients, the Steier Group has learned that there are three critical success factors of a capital campaign: strong leadership at the CEO level, a compelling project vision and a dedicated volunteer force. Even when these factors are met, however, capital campaign success is not guaranteed. Our campaign managers often encounter nonprofits who have misidentified the engagement level of their major…

Jan 08 2019

Timing is key during transition from a planning study into a capital campaign

By Jim Steier Steier Tips

Great news! Your organization’s recently-completed planning study found strong support for a capital campaign. Your donors are fired up and ready to support such a transformational fundraising effort. You have interested volunteers and leaders excited to step up. What’s your next step? At the Steier Group, we advise our clients to start the capital campaign immediately – preferably in less than two weeks. We have found that delaying the start of a capital campaign after a successful planning study can hinder the success of the effort. In 194 church capital campaigns over the last 10 years, we found that clients…

Dec 06 2018

Five tips for maximizing your year-end giving

By Jim Steier Steier Tips

The calendar turns to 2019 in a few weeks and wise directors of nonprofits are focused on making their year-end giving a smashing success. Ending the year on a strong note is important as research shows that 30 percent of annual giving occurs in December with 10 percent occurring in the final three days of the year. Many of your supporters have an incentive to give before the year ends for tax purposes. Looking over the stack of mailers I received last year, it’s clear to me that there is more competition than ever for donor dollars. To meet or…

Nov 06 2018

Positive attitude can go a long way in fundraising

By Jim Steier Steier Tips

Raising money is not an easy task, especially when you have to raise a lot of it. Conducting a capital campaign successfully requires careful planning, lots of consultation, widespread buy-in, strong leadership, a clear vision, a transparent communication plan, and a reliable and energetic corps of volunteers. But the best strategy and mechanics for executing an effort of this magnitude won’t get you very far without an indispensable disposition to support it all: a positive attitude. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there,” Teddy Roosevelt once quipped. Put another way, believe you can’t and you’ll never make it. Capital campaigns…

Nov 01 2018

Steier Group research highlighted by Association of Fundraising Professionals

By Brian Norton Steier Tips

During the Steier Group’s 21-year history, one thing has always stood out as we have raised money for nonprofits across the country: People give more when asked in person. That personal touch is key to fundraising success. In October 2017, we published our findings of a two-year research project that explored this. Our findings more than backed this up. The Steier Group research found that donors, when asked in person, give 54 percent of their requested amount. In comparison, donors gave 29 percent of the requested amount when approached by telephone and 33 percent when approached by mail. Now, this…

Oct 08 2018

Boost your planned giving program with these tips

By Jim Steier Steier Tips

Fall offers the perfect chance to take a look at your nonprofit’s planned giving program. Strong annual giving, strategically-planned special events, and professionally-run capital campaigns are the bedrock of any fundraising program. But a strong planned giving program will have a lasting impact for any nonprofit. Does your organization have a legacy society? Have you taken stock of all the deferred gifts your donors have planned? Here are four ways to improve your planned giving program: Honor your donors: Whenever a volunteer, donor or member of your organization passes away and leaves a gift from his or her estate plan,…

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