Starting your own Capital Campaign designed to raise $500,000 or more.

Your Very Own Capital Campaign -- Part 2

PHASE ONE -- Placing Your Goals On Paper

You will want to inspire, motivate and shape the argument for what you are attempting to accomplish. Your potential future supporters will want to know precisely what you plan to do with the money that you raise.

For this, you will want a “case statement”. This is a statement that will make the argument or “case” on your behalf. It should explain the “why, what and how” you plan to complete your task of raising money. It will also share with each potential donor why you need their particular financial support at this time.

The Case Statement will include:

•

A brief history of your organization

•

Your Current Operations

•

Project Description

•

Program Objectives

•

Your Challenge To The Donor

•

How One Can Contribute

•

Contact Information

Some groups go one step further and place this Case Statement into an attractive booklet or brochure format. This brochure or booklet might also include:

•

Architectural drawings

•

Your Board Of Directors contact list with titles

•

Community volunteer leaders and your Campaign Leadership Team which may include photos

•

Nonprofit Status Documents

•

Letters from prominent individuals in the community and affiliated with your group.

•

Who you serve – demographics, constituency, area served.

•

What is your fundraising goal and breakdown of what will it pay for once it is achieved.

•

Levels of Giving and naming opportunities and/or a "wish list"

PHASE TWO – Developing A Donor Base

In planning your fundraising strategy, you’ll need to understand who your prospective donors are and how they will be encouraged to give. This planning stage is crucial and will eventually maximize your funding potential by focusing on contacting the right people at the right time during the capital campaign.

For starters, develop a prospect list of companies, organizations and prominent individuals potentially interested in your organization. This list should be created with the intention of contacting them later on to secure their input during your Feasibility Study phase.

Those on your list that you do not contact during the study should be reviewed at at later time with a Prospect Review Committee designed to identify potential donors in your community.

During this Feasibility Study phase, each key person, president or CEO of a prospective corporate donor, community leader or prominent individual on your prospect list are contacted by the most influential community leader that you can enlist to champion your case.

The initial contact is achieved through an introductory letter with the sole purpose of securing an appointment for your representative or fundraising consultant and establishing the need for each key person’s input.

Their input will come by way of a “confidential survey” or “Feasibility Study” conducted at a future appointment. Each individual will be asked to assist in providing answers to questions that will enable you to plan an effective fundraising strategy.

Continued...

Your Very Own Capital Campaign -- The Beginning, Part 1

Your Very Own Capital Campaign -- Phase One and Two, Part 2

Your Very Own Capital Campaign -- The Feasibility Study, Part 3

Your Very Own Capital Campaign -- Final Phase, Part 4