A capital campaign is a strategic and comprehensive fundraising effort by nonprofit organizations to raise significant sums of money for a specific project or purpose.

Find our articles about capital campaign best practices below.

High Net-Worth Donors: Is Now the Time to Raise Big Money?

There are more high net-worth donors in the U.S. than ever – over the last three years the stock market was on a long bull run, increasing the wealth of many. Nearly 9% of the U.S. population now have wealth of $1 million or more…

Ditch the Capital Campaign Public Phase?

Should you cancel your capital campaign public phase?  Yes, we think this is something worth considering. Would it be possible to skip the Public Phase of your campaign without any consequence?   Here’s the challenge we…

What is a Capital Campaign in Fundraising

Many people ask us about the traditional three phases of a capital campaign - Campaign Planning Phase, Silent Phase, and Public Phase. It's interesting to consider that this model, which is the standard for capital campaigns…

Our Top Takeaways from ICON ‘22

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3 Ways to Engage Your Major Donors Early in Capital Campaign Planning

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There are so many benefits to engaging major donors early in capital campaign plans.  We like to organize discussions with key donors while the potential campaign is only a Big Idea. It’s our favorite way to cultivate and engage…

Planning a Capital Campaign? Why You Should Engage Your Major Donors Early On

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Is your organization planning a capital campaign or a major new funding initiative? We hear many questions about how to prepare properly for a capital campaign. As far as we are concerned, it’s what you do ahead of the campaign that can…

Don’t Waste Your Capital Campaign Feasibility Study

Some capital campaign feasibility studies are simply a waste of time and effort. It’s a real shame when an organization spends significant time, energy, and money on a study that is not helpful. Frankly, this result is disappointing…

Is Your Capital Campaign Set Up to Fail?

Set your capital campaign up properly: perform your due diligence and market research early in the game.

Using a Feasibility Study to Close Major Gifts – Without an Ask

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An expertly crafted Feasibility Study can open your donors' hearts and minds to wonderful possibilities your project will create.

Want to Know What Your Major Donor is Thinking? Try This Question!

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Want to find out what your donor is thinking? Ask them what they think or what are their impressions. It's our favorite Golden Question to ask donors.

Capital Campaigns: Three Secrets of Success

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If you're nonprofit is running a capital campaign, take a look at our article for three secrets to a successful campaign.

3 Reasons Capital Campaigns Lose Their Momentum

There is really nothing more painful than a capital campaign that loses its momentum. It’s a sad situation – the institution is out there in public with an important initiative, a very public goal, and major gifts designated toward…
Planning a Campaign? Add Power and Influence

Planning a Campaign? Add Power and Influence

We were helping one of our clients work through a challenge yesterday. Our client, a national organization, is planning a $300 million capital campaign. The problem is, the organization’s board is not composed of "heavy hitters" so…

How to Start a Capital Campaign Plan: A Mistake-Proof Checklist

Many organizations are either planning a capital campaign, or thinking about one in the future. It's what happens early on in the capital campaign planning process that really lays the groundwork for success. This Checklist Tool will help…
Momentum

Secrets to Maintaining Your Capital Campaign’s Momentum

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The Magic of Capital Campaign Momentum Is your organization enjoying the benefits of robust capital campaign momentum? In fact, many campaigns struggle to maintain this important success factor.   Momentum is a magic quality…