How do you plan a capital campaign?

1 Assess your readiness

Before launching a capital campaign, you need to assess your organization's readiness to take on such a challenging and complex endeavor. You need to have a clear and compelling vision for the project or goal you want to achieve, as well as a realistic budget and timeline. You also need to have a strong leadership team, a committed board of directors, a capable staff, and a loyal donor base. You may want to conduct a feasibility study or hire a consultant to help you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, identify potential risks and opportunities, and estimate how much you can realistically raise.

2 Set your goal and strategy

Once you have assessed your readiness, you need to set your fundraising goal and strategy for the capital campaign. Your goal should be ambitious but achievable, based on your project's needs and your donors' capacity and interest. Your strategy should outline how you will raise the funds, from whom, and when. You should also define your case for support, which is a compelling statement that explains why your project or goal is important, urgent, and worthy of support. Your case for support should be tailored to different audiences and channels, such as grant proposals, major gift solicitations, online appeals, and events.

3 Build your team and infrastructure

A capital campaign requires a dedicated and diverse team of people who can plan, manage, and implement the fundraising activities. You need to recruit and train staff, board members, volunteers, and consultants who can take on different roles and responsibilities, such as campaign chair, steering committee, prospect research, donor cultivation, solicitation, recognition, and stewardship. You also need to invest in the infrastructure and systems that will support your campaign, such as a fundraising database, a website, a marketing plan, a gift acceptance policy, and a donor acknowledgment process.

4 Launch and execute your campaign

A capital campaign typically has three phases: the quiet phase, the public phase, and the wrap-up phase. The quiet phase is when you solicit the largest gifts from your most loyal and influential donors, such as board members, major donors, foundations, and corporations. The quiet phase usually accounts for 50% to 70% of your goal and can last for one to two years. The public phase is when you announce your campaign to the wider community and engage the rest of your donors and prospects, such as alumni, members, clients, and online supporters. The public phase usually accounts for 30% to 50% of your goal and can last for six months to a year. The wrap-up phase is when you finalize the remaining pledges and gifts, thank and celebrate your donors and supporters, and report on the impact and outcomes of your campaign.

5 Monitor and evaluate your progress

Throughout your capital campaign, you need to monitor and evaluate your progress and performance, and adjust your plans and strategies as needed. You need to track and measure key indicators, such as the number and amount of pledges and gifts, the percentage of your goal achieved, the cost and return of your fundraising activities, and the satisfaction and feedback of your donors and stakeholders. You also need to communicate regularly and transparently with your team, your board, your donors, and your beneficiaries, and share your successes and challenges, as well as your stories and testimonials.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?