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Successful Library

Capital Campaigns

American Library AssociationAnnual Conference - Chicago

Presented By Metropolitan Groupwww.metgroup.com/libraries

June, 2005

© Metropolitan Group

The Fundamentals

• Planning• Sustainable Fundraising• Leadership• Case Development• Identification and Qualification

Process• Cultivation• Gifts and Stewardship

Planning

• Project planning includesfundraising

• Feasibility– Project size– Programs– Collections– Endowment

• Long-term donor baseFinancial goal and donor base goal

Sustainable Fundraising

• Build donor base as a goal• Case for the long-term• Ongoing communication with

donors and prospects• Foster a development culture

Leadership Recruitment and

Involvement

• Staff engagement/ownership• IQ session with board/staff to ID

champions• Recruit hosts and area campaign

committees• Leaders from communities of

interest and cultural/ethniccommunities

Case Development

• Fundraising success flows from soundstrategic plans.

• We must describe how our librarychanges lives.

• What will be the impacts of thiscampaign?

• Capital fundraising is storytelling!

Prospect Identification and

Qualification

• Cardholder list–screening• Friends/past campaign donors• IQ sessions with board, volunteers

and staff• Outreach to interest groups and list

trades• Lures for major donors/self-

identification• In-kind/bid process• The usual suspects & national funders• Staff and retirees

Cultivation

• Obtaining information, gauginginterest and providing involvement

• Cultivation is a process of discovery, atime to ask questions and to listen

• Learning about the prospect’s needs• Infusing them with our enthusiasm

and passion• Inspiring them with our commitment

Cultivation Events

• Establish a standing calendar of events(tours, author dinners, hosted events).

• Offer variety of times for regular dinnersand 1-2 breakfasts and luncheons

• Highlight major campaign areas toattract specific audience segments

• Assure follow-up system is in place andinclude in host description– Table assignments– Debrief session/follow up

Recognition and Naming

• Recognition of the public in stand-alonelocation / entryway

• ID all naming opportunities spaces andtangibles

• Incorporate branding of fundraising entity• Installation of donor recognition as

cultivation• Separate donor recognition levels from

fund use• Invite donors to library programs of

interest•“Every gift counts”– leverage gifts in

public recognition and publicity

Campaign Capacity and

Structural Considerations

• Library directors and staff should beinvolved in cultivation/asks

• Libraries are uniquely positioned forplanned giving– build in endowmentand sustainability strategies

• Challenge gifts work - the campaignneeds a “leadership” challenge and an“every donor” challenge

• Establish clear policy that private donorsare above and beyond public funds

• Make the library’s fundraising entity the“preferred repository”

Capacity and Structural

Considerations continued

• Train and allocate staff for consistent andcomplete database management

• Make necessary changes in librarystructure, charter and plans to create afundraising “event-conducive” space

• Create protocols to assure and track: giftacceptance, thank you ladder, pledgefulfillment, post campaign gift close andstewardship

Questions and Discussion

Metropolitan Group

Agency Profile

• Library services:- Capital campaigns

- Endowment campaigns

- Program and annual funds

- Summer reading programcampaigns

- Public funding initiatives

- Brand communication plans

- Strategic planning

Metropolitan Group

Agency Profile

• Library clients– City and county libraries

– State libraries

– Research libraries

– Archives and special collections

– Friends organizations

– Library foundations

– Library associations

Strategic CommunicationResource Development

Organizational DevelopmentIntercultural and Cross-Cultural Communication

Portland, OR • Washington, DC

Chicago, IL (fall 2005)

www.metgroup.com

Mission : Metropolitan Group crafts strategic and creativeservices to help social purpose organizations create a just

and sustainable world.