How We Capital Campaign

Finding an answer to the question, “what is a capital campaign,” is easy to do. According to Bloomerang a capital campaign is “an intense effort on the part of a nonprofit organization to raise significant dollars in a specified period of time.” Specifically, the funds raised are concentrated for a capital project, be it acquisition, renovation, or expansion of a facility, but they can also be centered on debt retirement, endowment building, or program development. These are infrequent, large-scale efforts designed to create a step-change from the organization’s current state to a desired future state where things are different – in a good way.

So if we can get our heads around what a campaign is, the question becomes, how do we do it? For a nonprofit’s staff who are stretched (and may or may not be rockstar fundraisers), and a board of directors comprised of dedicated community members and volunteers – the idea of getting organizing to raise a couple million dollars (or more) can be stressful and anxiety-producing. Breaking the work into discrete phases, with specific objectives, and finding the time to get it all done can seem like one of many challenges to make a campaign successful.

Phases of Campaign Work

The elements and phases of a campaign are fairly standard across the fundraising field.

• Preparation

• The feasibility study

• Campaign readiness

• Quiet phase of the campaign 

• Public phase of the campaign

• Completion and post-campaign celebration

There’s so much to be said about each of these phases – from what they entail, how long they last, and strategies for executing each of them. But for me, the central question I like to ask potential clients is “what’s your appetite for partnering with a consultant to do this work and how do you see that relationship working well?” There is no shortage of campaign consultants for hire so really, the question for an organization is, what is it about your project, culture, board, and organization, and Brightspot’s approach, practice, and experience that would make us the best partner? 

Our Approach

• Opportunity: Campaigns are some of our favorite projects. They are exciting, thoughtful, and require creative thinking. They are also personal and can be transformative for the donor, the board, and the organization. Campaigns bring in resources and energy that may not otherwise be funneled towards organization capacity and growth. We are trained to see these opportunities across the organization and call them out. Campaigns can mean new opportunities for your data and systems (see point 4 for more geeking out), board and governance work, and staff development or realignment. Most importantly, when done well campaigns elevate the overall development effort and raise the profile of all areas of need and the various ways to support the organization. 

• Messaging: The work that really excites us are the campaigns pushing for a step-change in an organization’s operations, mission, or future. These efforts produce invested donors, dedicated volunteer leadership, and are the ones that can really benefit from telling their story in a clear, compelling way. We listen to staff and other stakeholders, glean their expertise, and craft clear, specific language that lays plain the impact that is desired and possible. We love the challenge of translating the excitement of this big potential change into a compelling case statement that will encourage donors to get involved. 

• Leadership: Staff taking on a leadership role for a campaign often need outside support, coaching, and expertise. We can’t forget that they have full-time jobs to balance! When it comes to board or committee members, they often ask for guidance and direction, tools, and the information needed to support a campaign in a meaningful way. Brightspot embraces this reality and gets in the weeds with staff and committee members to support their activities in ways they need, to give them confidence in their actions, and supply the resources needed to make it happen. 

• Systems: Aside from raising funds, campaigns can have the secondary effect of “building capacity” and “strengthening infrastructure.” Setting the jargon aside, these efforts can be a game-changer for internal systems. This applies to the data-side of things and organizations that have not previously utilized a CRM to track their donor notes, relationships, and history; but, it also applies to the human-side of development work. Campaigns create new relationships and collaboration among staff, new meeting structures and purposes, and can create better information sharing between the board and volunteers and the staff. Brightspot is a team of systems-thinkers who are inspired to create, document, and support these shifts to help ensure they become part of the new organization. 

Moving Forward

The framework and project details of a campaign will differ slightly for each client. What Brightspot brings to these engagements is an understanding of these differences, an instinct for how to best support your effort, and a partnership that is based on a shared vision for success. If you’ve read this far, like what we have to say, and are considering a campaign – Brightspot would be honored to start a conversation.