Dos and Don’ts of Successful Capital Campaigns

The president and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) in Texas, Joel A. Bartsch coordinates and leads museum staff, develops education programming, and manages the museum’s membership. Since accepting this role more than 15 years ago, Joel Bartsch has doubled development dollars and spearheaded some of the museum’s first capital campaigns.

Often spanning the course of several years, capital campaigns are one of the most intricate fundraising efforts that nonprofits take on. Below are a few tips to make sure your next capital campaign is successful:

Do hire a capital campaign consultant.

Having a consultant in your corner when planning a capital campaign gives you a valuable source of experience, strategies, and objectivity. Consultants can help you with many important parts of capital campaigns, such as feasibility studies, and are skilled in assisting you with everything from marketing to training leadership.

Don’t expect volunteers to do everything.

While all good capital campaigns make use of volunteers, they are not capable of handling everything that your campaign needs to be successful. Many of them have multiple jobs or businesses that occupy their time, so it’s essential that you also hire administrative staff to provide more round-the-clock support of your campaign than volunteers can.

Do create a case for support.

Also known as a case statement, this is an essential component of the planning process, since it explains how your capital campaign will help your organization. In a case statement, briefly explain the history of your organization, followed by its services and vision for the future. Follow this up with a reason for the campaign and an explanation of how you will use raised funds.

Don’t announce the campaign too soon.

Many people make the mistake of believing that announcing their capital campaigns early on will create momentum and generate funds. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. Before you announce your campaign, raise about 50 to 60 percent of your goal, or more. This gives you plenty of time to plan the campaign and make sure it’s effective before sharing news of it with everyone.