16
2013The Ten Requisites for Conducting a Capital Campaign
A Posting by James V. Toscano Capital Campaigns, which, for purposes here, include endowment as well, used to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. One could expect one’s religious institution, alma mater, cultural center and favorite charity to solicit a capital donation once. Now, there’s a certain circularity cycling capital campaigns every x years. An institution of higher education near to my home has just gone over its $500M goal and is celebrating. It is simultaneously planning its next campaign, perhaps in five to seven years.
03
2012
Guest Post – Three Keys to a Successful Capital Campaign
Post by Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE 1. Recruit the best volunteer leadership for your campaign. The campaigns that have the best volunteer leaders are the most successful ones. Don’t just choose a leader because they love your organization or because they are a “big name in town.” I’ve seen both of these cases and they are always disastrous. On the other hand, one of my clients ran a very successful capital campaign, having never done annual fundraising, with no staff and a committed but not influential board. The secret? They recruited an “honorary” campaign chair that was influential enough to…
26
2011
The Courage of the Lead Gift
Post by James V. Toscano There’s a special breed of donor, possessing courage, commitment and vision, who is capable of a lead gift in a major campaign. Most donors are not. Often when asked for a major gift, the prospect responds with a question: “Who else has given?” It’s a logical request from the prospect’s point of view. There’s a cascade of implicit questions behind the one we’re asked. Who among her/his peers is leading this campaign? Who else thinks that this is such a good idea that they’re putting good money into it? How many others are on this…