On average, you can expect to earn 50 to 70% of your fundraising amount during the quiet phase. Planning is a crucial phase for your entire campaign as it lays the entire foundation of your next-level plans. How well you strategize during this phase will dictate the success of your campaign. Capital campaigns are exciting undertakings for everyone involved, donors included. Taken together, the increased investments and the energy infused into your organization during the campaign period are likely to boost the results of your entire fundraising program over time. Try to search for grants that support nonprofits and projects like yours.

There are a few different parties that will get involved with your campaign and are considered an important part of your team. All of these parties should be completely committed to the success of your nonprofit capital campaign. Capital campaigns are a push by a nonprofit to raise a significant amount of money over a period of time in order to complete a specific goal. If you’re considering a capital campaign, schedule a complimentary strategy session to discuss your campaign goals with one of our experts.

Establish Contingency Plans

Challenge grants are a great way to maximize the giving power of your supporters. Your nonprofit might consider adding a gift range chart to your capital campaign brochure. These helpful visual elements can easily break down the donation needs of your campaign for potential donors, giving them clear suggestions for the size of their gift. An expert not only has the experience to help you properly prepare for your campaign, but they also have the resources and outside perspective to give you the most accurate results possible. A top-notch fundraising consulting firm, like Averill Fundraising Solutions, can offer all of these key services.

Assemble Your Capital Campaign Team

• To keep your capital campaign separate from your other fundraising efforts, consider creating a website or a dedicated page just for the campaign.
• A top-notch fundraising consulting firm, like Averill Fundraising Solutions, can offer all of these key services.
• Furthermore, expressing gratitude through personalized thank-you notes or recognition events fosters goodwill among donors and encourages future contributions.
• This visibility can lead to more partnerships, increased donor trust, and more significant community support in the long run.

The fundraising goal may not always correspond to the expense of starting a project, as there are several other hidden costs. While these are obvious, a comprehensive capital campaign can level up your organization by building partnership opportunities. In such cases, expanding the existing space is a great option but will require financial support from the donors through fundraising campaigns.

First-Time Supporters

• The quiet phase strictly operates on network building, where one sponsor leads you to the next.
• Are your financial targets in line with what your community can achieve?
• At this point, the basics of your capital campaign plan are likely starting to form in your mind, so it’s time to get into the weeds of the planning process.

This might be an indication to reevaluate, and not spend any more time on a campaign that is unlikely to succeed. On the other hand, don’t stop your fundraising efforts if you reach your goals near the planned deadline. In addition to contributing to your fundraising efforts, lead prospects will also introduce you to other potential donors. You can learn a lot from past fundraising success to help you raise money during your next capital campaign. Campaign planning that’s informed by what’s been proven to work in the past can lead to more success for many organizations.

Here is an example of a gift range chart based on our previous animal shelter example (where the quiet-phase objective was $800,000). Based on your project and feasibility study results, determine the general length of each phase. Then, review your timeline with all team members to ensure they think it’s reasonable.

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The committee must be large enough to handle the particulars of your campaign but small enough to allow everyone to present ideas. Based on your fundraising targets, allocate sufficient time for the quiet phase and the public phase. For instance, an animal welfare organization might use capital campaign funds to construct a new shelter, while a school could invest in cutting-edge technology for its classrooms.

Try to list the gift amount and the number of prospective donors you must reach for each amount. You can take things further by attaching specific donor names to each gift. A clear timeline keeps everyone on track and ensures the campaign progresses systematically towards your goal. Ask your team what they learned, what went right, and how they can use what they learned to create more successful fundraising in the future. Have your team meet and decide where you want to allocate your funds, including costs ranging from hiring consultants to direct mail materials.

Since capital campaigns are extensive fundraising efforts for large projects, they need a robust team and community support. They are unlikely to succeed without the cooperation of board members, staff, and individuals. Unlike annual fundraising, which supports ongoing operations, capital campaigns focus on securing large gifts from donors and often involve extensive planning, marketing, and volunteer involvement. A capital campaign is a targeted fundraising effort by a nonprofit organization to raise significant amounts of money within a specified period.

Identifying Potential Donors and Supporters

Grants should be a primary focus of your capital campaign fundraising strategy. Many foundations and companies are interested in backing projects instead of nonprofit daily operations, and your capital campaign can provide these organizations with the perfect opportunity. During the public phase, your focus should be on raising higher awareness of your campaign and attracting as many donors as possible. While you can still solicit major gifts, you should focus on broad marketing within the community.

The research reveals that board giving accounts for an average of 15% of campaign goals. While board capital campaigns support remains important, this finding confirms that organizations don’t need a “big money” board to run successful campaigns. A realistic timeline keeps everyone focused and ensures you’re making progress without feeling rushed.

Research and data are extremely powerful assets, and there are plenty of success stories that highlight the powerful role that research can play in generating transformational gifts for campaigns. In order to capture these benefits, careful planning, tracking, and transparent communication are essential throughout a capital campaign. Check out Double the Donation’s guide to conducting a successful feasibility study. Make your fundraiser count by consulting our tried-and-true capital campaign best practices.

Therefore, it’s crucial you’re reaching out to the right people to get the funds your mission needs. The implementation phase consists of a quiet (private) phase which is when the majority of the fundraising is done. At this time, you and your team will reach out to major donors with large gift asks. This is followed by a public phase, which fills in the gaps by asking for donations from a larger public pool of donors. Your team’s success depends on streamlined systems, clear processes, and smart strategies. While many nonprofits benefit from following this structure, it’s not the right approach for every organization.