Your nonprofit organization can take what you like, and align these ideas to your larger goals to complete your planning process. You don’t publicly market the campaign yet, but solicit donations from the small number of top donors mentioned in your gift range chart who will offer major gifts. During the quiet phase, you focus on securing donations from your major gift donors. You’ve reached the end of the quiet phase when you have 50-70% of gifts outlined on your campaign’s gift range chart; this capital campaign phase may take a while to complete. By clearly defining a project and its impact, nonprofits can inspire donors to contribute to something tangible and transformative.
Both efforts play crucial roles in achieving our goals, ensuring The Sacred Heart Church remains a vibrant hub for faith and service. By participating in these campaigns, you contribute to the continued success and growth of our sacred community. Smaller campaigns may spend around 15% of the goal, while larger ones usually allocate 4-5% to costs like staff, consultants, and marketing. Capital campaigns for nonprofits are often a new experience, especially for smaller organizations.
The campaign lasts for a set period, usually several months or a year, and is carried out outside your regular programs and annual initiatives. Having extra money built into your budget ensures you won’t overspend if an issue were to arise. You’ve got to tie down all of the administrative details about the gift, thank the donor, and then communicate with them throughout the process. Remember that your prospects are likely very busy with professional and personal pursuits, so ensure you’re flexible around their availability.
Things Your Nonprofit Must Know Before Starting a Capital Campaign
- When it comes time to prepare for a capital campaign, it can be tricky to visualize how to get from the starting point to the finish line.
- On the other hand, if your campaign is in full swing when the deadline rolls by, why end it arbitrarily?
- To see some examples, check out these success stories of our own clients who ran successful mini-capital campaigns during the worst of the pandemic.
- Don’t forget to set up donation pages that visitors can use to give online.
- Donors invest in your organization to help you accomplish your mission.
Typically, the amount raised will be determined by the cost of the project you aim to finance. These corporate giving programs reward employees who give to charities by doubling or sometimes even tripling their donations or volunteering to eligible organizations. According to Capital Campaign Pro, your campaign budget should be approximately 10% of your fundraising goal to ensure you meet your targets without additional funding.
As you level up, you need more space to accommodate the growing population of your organization. You may also check your campaign results to determine which areas need to be improved. This will help you make your upcoming campaigns more effective with enhanced results. Read the entire guide if you are a beginner or skip to your desired section for a detailed explanation.
- Funding for a new program or service is another great reason to run a capital fundraising campaign.
- They increase your capacity to make a difference in the world by providing special funds to increase your capacity; perhaps with a new building, renovations, or funds to start new programs.
- Make sure that you budget adequately for the additional staff you will need for your campaign, as well.
- The quiet phase is a great opportunity to connect with key prospects you’ll rely on for major gifts.
Capitalize on social fundraising.
Write a case for support that is both emotionally and rationally compelling. You want to pull at your supporters’ heartstrings while showing them that you will use their contributions responsibly. The list from Donor Search goes into greater detail for each step, which can help you develop your plan as you get started.
Support
Before you kick off your capital campaign, think through the elements we highlighted here to make sure it’s right for your organization. Although capital campaigns require time, resources, and commitment upfront, their payoff can be massive for your nonprofit’s mission. Use the questions and steps above to get started, and make sure you have the tools and assistance you need to make your campaign successful before you dive in. The Sacred Heart Church annually conducts both annual campaigns and capital campaigns to sustain its ministries and advance its mission.
What is a gift range chart?
Your stakeholders and contributors will want to see your results and how their gifts were put to work for your mission. Then, make sure to proactively encourage your supporters to engage with your organization in new ways. Sustainable fundraising depends on an engaged, expanding community that feels connected to your mission. While you focus on inspiring your current donor base, we establish systems to reach and engage a broader audience—ensuring their participation during the public phase and beyond. In particular, universities and large nonprofits tend to run capital campaigns most often, but any organization can launch one with the right support. Growing your nonprofit means more than simply expanding your programming.
Once potential donors have been identified, it is essential to segment them based on their capacity to give and their alignment with the campaign’s goals. The most common type of nonprofits to use capital campaigning are hospitals, schools, and religious organizations. However, any nonprofit organization can launch a capital campaign if there is a specific project or purpose that requires additional funding. Nonprofit capital campaigns are important because they secure funding for the nonprofit organization and help to increase awareness of the nonprofit and its work. In this article, we will discuss what a capital campaign is and show you how to design a successful campaign.
Why Should Nonprofits Launch a Capital Campaign?
The closer your get to your goal, the more encouraged attendees will be to donate. Many employers offer matching gift programs to employees in which they agree to match gifts capital campaigns donated by employees. They may partner with your nonprofit to match gifts to your organization specifically, or part of your fundraising strategy may be seeking out prospects who work for corporations with these programs.
Whether constructing a new community center or expanding existing facilities, knowing the goal gives everyone involved a clear target. It might feel like a lot of prep work, but getting this stage right makes everything else smoother. However, you can typically plan on your campaign taking 3-5 years to complete from beginning to end. According to research from Capital Campaign Pro, the average length of a capital campaign is 3.2 years. Capital campaigns are typically broken up into five phases (more on these below), and each one will take a different amount depending on your organization.