Rethinking Capital Campaigns: A New Way to Lead a Successful Campaign

Capital campaign fundraising is on the brink of an irrevocable and irreversible change. This move is making high-quality, professional expertise available at a fraction the cost. This change is taking place across a number of sectors.

Whether legal, medical, accounting, or even capital campaigns, expertise is no longer held by a select group of experts who offer it up in high-priced hourly bits. Platforms like LegalZoom, WebMD, and TurboTax are making it possible for you to get expertise, formerly held by professionals, easily and inexpensively.

And, there’s good news for you – and the nonprofit sector. The field of capital campaigns is undergoing the same changes, enabled by the same new opportunities.

So, if you’re considering a capital campaign, just getting started on one, or think there might be a campaign in your future, keep reading…

“Winging it” is Not an Option

If you don’t have a lot of campaign experience, you’re not alone. Virtually no development directors have extensive experience running capital campaigns.

That’s because most organizations begin campaigns only once every 10 or 20 years. So even seasoned, long-time development staffers have minimal experience planning and running multiple campaigns from start to finish.

Understandably, since capital campaigns are such high-stakes fundraising endeavors, no board or staff members feel confident “winging it.” And until recently, the information needed for leading successful capital campaigns had been the closely held secrets of consultants, and therefore had not been readily available to development professionals.

As a result, organizations relied extensively on experienced consultants to guide them through campaigns.

But now, with this massive shift taking place in the way people communicate and access information, YOU can sit in the driver’s seat of your own campaign, and easily access the help and resources you need.

Putting YOU in the Driver’s Seat of Your Campaign

As a consultant, my job is to help nonprofit professionals (i.e., you) and volunteers raise money more efficiently and effectively. One of the most impactful ways to raise money is through a capital campaign.

However, most consultants don’t teach their clients the theory or strategy behind capital campaigns, because then their jobs, as consultants, might become obsolete.

Capital campaign expert Andrea Kihlstedt and I decided it was time for you to be able to lead your own campaign. After all, you know the culture of your organization, your donors, and your community better than any consultant ever will.

Everything you need for a successful campaign:

What you need to lead the way in your own campaign is a roadmap, a good variety of tools, and an advisor to help you stay on course. So we’ve pulled back the curtain on capital campaigns and created an online utility that gives you access to many of the tools professional consultants use:

You get everything you need for a successful campaign, plus the assurance that YOU are in control of your own campaign — not some expensive consultant who has no familiarity with your organization and community.

Introducing the Capital Campaign Toolkit

The Capital Campaign Toolkit is an innovative online platform that provides a master plan, plus all the tools, templates, resources, and support you need at every stage of your campaign — from start to finish.

The Toolkit, quite literally, changes the way you can approach your capital campaigns.

In the past, at the first murmurs of a campaign among staff and board members, organizational leaders would send out an RFP to a number of capital campaign consultants.

But in today’s world, that’s no longer the first step. In fact, it may not be necessary at all.

Now, instead of spending heaps of money right out of the gate on a consultant who’s unfamiliar with your organization, you can utilize the Capital Campaign Toolkit and take charge of your own campaign.

But you’re never entirely alone. The Toolkit also gives you access to campaign experts to help you navigate and get your questions answered. In fact, you can choose from three levels of support, up to and including having your own campaign advisor at a fraction of the cost of a campaign consultant.

Again, you’re in the driver’s seat from the very start. YOU choose your own level of support with the flexibility of knowing you can change that level at any time.

Get a Sneak Peek at the Capital Campaign Toolkit »

You can watch the 5-minute video demo or request a live demo for an even closer look at this game-changing platform. Discover how the Capital Campaign Toolkit provides everything you need for a successful campaign.

We Want to Hear from You

So, does the Capital Campaign Toolkit sound like something you’d try for your next campaign?

Does it excite you? Does it make you a little nervous? Andrea and I would love to hear your thoughts. Post your comment below.