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| Preparing for a Capital Campaign? By Dan Mirgon, CFRE
One of the most difficult projects a ministry will undertake is that of planning, conducting and executing a Capital Campaign for a new facility. Being prepared is critical. Here’s what you need to know to do it well.
The foundation of a
successful campaign is your annual and major donor cultivation program.
Now, some of that is true, but for the most part, a capital campaign requires that you already have a pool of committed friends that love you and want to help you grow. These major donors will already be helping you fulfill your mission and vision through their giving, praying and volunteer work.
Next, you will need a vision that is grander than “we have all these people to serve.” Yes, you probably have an increasing list of needs that confront you every day. But that alone is not a reason to build a new facility or renovate an old one. The real reason needs to be a blend of that unmet need and a commitment by all parties involved that this particular plan is the “best for the people we serve.”
Now that may sound like I said the same thing, but listen to it again. A blend of “unmet need” with “a commitment . . . that his plan is the best for the people we serve.” This is a group plan to accomplish something more for the people you and your donors serve. It can’t be “without this building, these people won’t get our help.” Quite frankly, most donors aren’t going to feel compelled to help if your ministry sounds like it is doing all the work – buy yourself.
You will also need to understand the Phases that successful campaigns follow. First is the Planning Phase where you determine the real need that will be met by this project. Here you need to have done enough research to prove to yourself and others that this building or renovation, done this way, at this price will have the most impact on these people. The entire organization needs to be part of the planning process, and only after you have answered these questions, do you consider the next phase. All of your campaign literature is prepared from this planning, and will be used throughout the campaign.
Phase two is the Quiet Leadership Phase where you recruit and train a list of highly recognizable major donors to make their initial “leadership” gifts, and they help you recruit others to do the same. This phase should culminate in 50%-70% of your financial goal being committed before you go on. The final phase is the Public Phase where you ask the donor list and the community to “help you finish what these other donors have started.” Here you will see lots of smaller gifts, public events, and high visibility for the “completion” of the campaign.
Throughout this process, the ministry has to stay on track. This is sometimes the hardest part because the focus of your efforts might shift from the people you are serving to the project you are working on. Concurrent with the Campaign is the building plan. At some point, after you have reached a appropriate financial commitment, you will need to begin the building or renovating process. Please be careful here. Far too many ministries have a groundbreaking ceremony before they are ready.
Finally, you need to be able to prevent the problem spoken of in Luke 14: 28 – 30. Let’s remember that the secular world is watching how “these Christians” conduct their business. It is God’s reputation that is at stake here – not ours.
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Far
too often, we are asked to lead a campaign only to hear that the ministry
isn’t doing “one-on-one” donor development. The belief is that they will
find their future major donors through their campaign or through direct
mail.