2023 Capital Campaigns: An Immersive Workshop | Schedule

Examine what a campaign is, the different types of campaigns, and how they can transform a school. Explore phases of a campaign, the requirements for a successful campaign, and assess campaign readiness and start prepping.

• What is a Capital Campaign?
  • Types of campaigns – brick and mortar, endowment, programmatic
  • Phases of a campaign
  • Requirements for a successful campaign – The Four Pillars
    • Compelling priorities with strong support
    • High perception of organization and trust in leadership
    • Support for a campaign and willingness to give
    • Volunteer leadership pool
    • In addition to annual giving – a campaign gift should never replace an annual gift
    • A way to increase enrollment, cultivate donors, and build energy
• Assess Campaign Readiness
  • Donor readiness
  • School readiness
  • Development/advancement office readiness
• Campaign Prep 
  • Case prospectus
  • Campaign goal and gift chart
  • Prospect research and qualification
  • Prospect pool
  • Board of trustees
  • Faculty and staff
  • Technology
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Identify three challenges and three opportunities that you are facing as a school during a potential campaign.

The campaign study is a crucial step to determine campaign priorities and receive input from established and potential donors. This session will assist you in identifying campaign leadership and volunteer involvement, provide tactics to engage alumni, and evaluate campaign readiness based on four benchmarks of a successful campaign. The first step to any campaign. Two 15-min breaks throughout the session.

• The Campaign Study
  • Qualifying prospects to interview (alumni, longtime families, new families)
    • Electronic wealth screening
    • Qualitative peer review of interview lists
    • Questions to ask
  • The role of a consultant
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Interviews
  • Surveys
  • Report
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Develop a case prospectus for your school based on campaign priorities to test.

The campaign study is a crucial step to determine campaign priorities and receive input from established and potential donors. This session will assist you in identifying campaign leadership and volunteer involvement, provide tactics to engage alumni, and evaluate campaign readiness based on four benchmarks of a successful campaign. The first step to any campaign. Two 15-min breaks throughout the session.

• The Campaign Study
  • Qualifying prospects to interview (alumni, longtime families, new families)
    • Electronic wealth screening
    • Qualitative peer review of interview lists
    • Questions to ask
  • The role of a consultant
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Interviews
  • Surveys
  • Report
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Develop a case prospectus for your school based on campaign priorities to test.

The campaign planning phase session is intended to prepare your school for launching your capital campaign. Planning for goals, procedures, timelines, and gift policy and procedures. The planning phase is a crucial step in preparing your campaign for success. Two 15-min breaks throughout the session.

• Campaign Planning Phase
  • Recruit volunteer leaders
  • Develop case for support
  • Solicit leadership gift
  • Design campaign strategies
  • Recruit steering committee
  • Secure annual gift
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Come up with a campaign name. Use gift charts and develop naming opportunities.
• Prospect Qualifications and Cultivation
  • Qualification
  • Top 100
  • Prospect information
  • Cultivation events
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Role-play: asking a donor for a gift and overcoming objections.
• Solicitation Training
  • Assign solicitors
  • Moves management
  • Top to bottom, inside out
  • Art of the ask
  • Solicitation waves

The campaign planning phase session is intended to prepare your school for launching your capital campaign. Planning for goals, procedures, timelines, and gift policy and procedures. The planning phase is a crucial step in preparing your campaign for success. Two 15-min breaks throughout the session.

• Campaign Planning Phase
  • Recruit volunteer leaders
  • Develop case for support
  • Solicit leadership gift
  • Design campaign strategies
  • Recruit steering committee
  • Secure annual gift
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Come up with a campaign name. Use gift charts and develop naming opportunities.
• Prospect Qualifications and Cultivation
  • Qualification
  • Top 100
  • Prospect information
  • Cultivation events
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Role-play: asking a donor for a gift and overcoming objections.
• Solicitation Training
  • Assign solicitors
  • Moves management
  • Top to bottom, inside out
  • Art of the ask
  • Solicitation waves

Starting your campaign! The two phases of a campaign will ensure a well-rounded and successful campaign. Plan for the quiet phase internally and prepare for a successful launch in the public phase. This session will help you establish key players in a top-to-bottom approach during the quiet phases and communicate effectively and instill confidence during the public phase. Two 15-min breaks throughout the session.

• Quiet Phase
  • Prioritize lead gifts and major gifts in a sequence that maximizes giving.
  • Board involvement
  • Campaign steering committee
  • Staff and faculty engagement in the process
  • Top 20-30 gifts that set the pace for the entire campaign
  • Challenge match: opportunity to maximize giving.
  • Setting the ask amount and preparing the proposal.
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Create a plan for a circumstance in which the media finds out about your campaign prior to a public announcement or getting the story wrong.
• Public Phase
  • School-wide gifts
  • Kick-off
  • Media
  • Special events
  • Additional class-level volunteers
  • Direct mail and phone
  • Follow up
  • Celebration event
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Plan the kickoff of the public phase including event, media, social media, etc.

Starting your campaign! The two phases of a campaign will ensure a well-rounded and successful campaign. Plan for the quiet phase internally and prepare for a successful launch in the public phase. This session will help you establish key players in a top-to-bottom approach during the quiet phases and communicate effectively and instill confidence during the public phase. Two 15-min breaks throughout the session.

• Quiet Phase
  • Prioritize lead gifts and major gifts in a sequence that maximizes giving.
  • Board involvement
  • Campaign steering committee
  • Staff and faculty engagement in the process
  • Top 20-30 gifts that set the pace for the entire campaign
  • Challenge match: opportunity to maximize giving.
  • Setting the ask amount and preparing the proposal.
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Create a plan for a circumstance in which the media finds out about your campaign prior to a public announcement or getting the story wrong.
• Public Phase
  • School-wide gifts
  • Kick-off
  • Media
  • Special events
  • Additional class-level volunteers
  • Direct mail and phone
  • Follow up
  • Celebration event
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Plan the kickoff of the public phase including event, media, social media, etc.

The campaign is almost over but the work never stops! You have cultivated your donors and it is vital to keep them invested and giving. This session will assist you in giving donors the recognition they deserve, planting seeds for future campaigns, and placing a premium on genuine and authentic gratitude. Two 15-min breaks throughout the session.

• Donor Recognition and Stewardship
  • The thank you
  • Planting seeds for post-campaign involvement
  • Pledge fulfillment
• Focus Session – 15-minute session – Develop a donor recognition and stewardship plan.
• Preparing for Your Next Campaign 
  • Trouble Shooting and Trends
  • Q&A