Transcript:

I often get the question, “What is the one thing that most often sabotages Capital Campaigns?” And my answer to that is just not being ready for the campaign itself.

Like running a marathon a Capital Campaign is a robust, vigorous endeavor. It takes a lot of work. And it’s not the type of thing where you go from couch to marathon in a day. You don’t go from normal operations to Capital Campaigns in a day. Instead, it takes time to prepare.

And so, some of the things that you can do to prepare is to set lofty goals. Whether that be in a strategic plan or outside of it. And then achieve them. And get in that habit of big goal, achieve it. Big goal, achieve it. Big goal, achieve it. So that by the time you get to a Capital Campaign that’s a really big goal.

Second thing is, you can start building your fundraising program and prepare it for the Capital Campaign itself. And one of the things you might not know is 50% of the typical Capital Campaign comes from fewer than 15 donors. So, what’s your relationship with your top 50 donors who might be one of those 15. You should be meeting with those individuals and growing and building your relationship with them.

You also want to take a look at your team. How is your Board? How is your staff? Do they get along? Are they functioning well? Is your Board giving to the organization? Is your staff supportive? And building a program, building a team that’s ready to rock when it comes to the Capital Campaign day.

The final thing is securing your campaign counsel. And getting your Capital Campaign consultant in place and getting them ready.

And one of the things I’d invite you to do is give us a call and chat through “How does a Capital Campaign work?” Give me a call. More than happy to chat through that with you. Walk you step by step through this process – even if you’re not looking at your Capital Campaign for two years.

But whoever you work with, make sure that’s the right fit for your organization. That you’ve got that person in place and you’re not just hiring someone who’s quick and convenient but you’re thinking that through. Because when it’s time to go and you launch that feasibility study you know your organization’s gonna be ready because you’ve built relationships with your donors. You’ve set goals and you’ve achieved them. And you have the right team for success.

Want to talk more about your Capital Campaign? Contact us today and let’s set up a time >>