seven basic steps for a highly successful campaign - 2016
TRANSCRIPT
Seven Basic Steps for a Highly Successful Campaign
Steve Wasser
Seven Basic Steps for a Highly Successful Campaign
Build your BoardConduct a Feasibility StudyFinalize the Campaign PlanDraft your Case StatementSecure your Leadership GiftsGo Broad and Challenge the CommunityStewardship
Why even consider launching a campaign?
Reasons to Launch a Campaign
Obvious Not-so-obvious Organization has needs
larger than regular fundraising goals
Grow endowment; launch new program; construct or expand a building
Permanently grow your overall donor base
Increase your population of major donors
Permanently move all of your fundraising goals up a level
Campaigns should be a “stair stepper” to growth
Increase the visibility of your organization in community
Prove your worth. Pure philanthropy has a remarkably high ROI. Your CEO, CFO and Board will take notice
Build your Board
Build your Board Influence AND affluence Minimum of 12 members Think about 16-20 members Need to achieve a critical mass These are the door openers Identify the askers Be calculating when it comes to composition:
gender, ages and occupations An impressive roster lends instant credibility and
can be spotlighted immediately in case statement Secure those gifts first and build momentum fast
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Role of the Board in a campaign
#1 Rule: Make your own personal gift
100% Board participation is key
“If your own board isn’t giving, why should I?”
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Role of the Boardin a campaign
Write thank you
notes or personal invitatio
ns
Identify prospect
s
Open doors: Intro
email or phone
call
Participate in
meetings
Host Gatherin
gsSolicit Gifts
Conduct a Feasibility Study
Why Conduct a Feasibility Study? Determine if your donors and the community
support the cause. Learn what resonates with them Discover their concerns
Test your case statement: Which elements work?
Validate campaign goal. Or not! Deliver results to CEO/Board/senior team Objective recommendation of goal Interviewees will be honored May even disclose giving plans
Key Steps to a Successful Study Who to use?
Choose a firm that best represents you and is a comfortable fit with your culture and donors
Fits within your budget Provides you with the key services you need Interview 4-5 potential partners
Develop draft case statement and send in advance Conduct 40-60 interviews (depending on campaign
goals) Include as many top donors and prospects as
possible Ask for specific (but anonymous) feedback
Finalize the Campaign Plan
Finalize the Campaign Plan Modify early draft to incorporate:
Feasibility study results Donor/prospect feedback from feasibility study Finalized fundraising priorities, financial goals, and
timeline Bring back in the major shareholders
CEO/CFO, senior leadership team, key board members
Should have consensus
Contents of the Campaign Plan Your challenge Results of the feasibility study Populations of potential donors Financial goals Tactics to achieve your goals Timeline Budget Campaign gift chart/donor pyramid
Finalizing your Case Statement
Finalizing your Case Statement You have more building blocks than you realize
Early business plan for feasibility study Draft used during interviews Feasibility study report Various internal documents from day to day
business Package the information for the public Who should do this?
Feasibility study partner Marketing and communications Completely new partner At some point…YOU
Finalizing your Case Statement Why you should consider having two versions
High-end for leadership donors (die-cut cover with a built-in pouch for business cards and naming opportunities)
Lower cost second print for smaller asks (eliminate the bells and whistles)
Landing on a tone Write conversationally. Be succinct. Be urgent and compelling Directly answer the question: “Why should I care?” Focus on community impact and not JUST your
organization In retrospect, we would cut our first statement by 20-30% However, don’t be too brief…the weight gets noticed. It
has gravity.
Finalizing your Case Statement Additional factors to consider
Offer detailed plans, timelines and the overall cost Can you include early renderings? Do you have floor plans?
Highlight the campaign dollar goal Deciding on cost per unit and how nice the piece
should be You know your organization’s culture Is a $15 case statement paired with a $75 meal
worth a $10,000 commitment? Of course. Can the $15 case statement help get you that conversation? Only your team will know
Secure your Leadership Gifts
Campaign Rules of Thumb Three key statistics to act as your guide
The 80/20 Rule…or is it 90/10?? 80% of your revenue will come from 20% of your donors Think about how this should affect your time
management! At least one lead gift of 10-25% of overall goal
Much needed revenue AND a figurehead to rally around The next 50-60% of revenue from leadership and
best of the major donors Importance of stratifying your donors
Campaign pyramid
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Prioritizing your Universe of Donors
Board, Senior Leadership, Staff, Faculty
Current Major Donors & Alumni
Community
Getting Started: Qualification Identify Prospects
Existing major donors Alumni and others who have made smaller gifts
regularly over a period of years People close to your organization: current and former
board members, volunteers, faculty and staff Enlist board members to help identify prospects
Focus on securing lead gifts first; then smaller gifts Divide donor base into A, B and C tiers Tier A: Leadership prospects Tier B: Major gift prospects Tier C: Community phase/direct mail
Getting Started: Qualification Send case statement package and cover letter
Introduces the case for support Call in two weeks to set up appointment
Include naming opportunities list Demonstrates community support Shows that they would be in “good company”
Go Broad and Challenge the Community
Go Broad and Challenge the Community Launch when half-way to goal Celebratory campaign launch event Smaller individual asks to Tier C donors Direct mail campaign
Depending on your timeline, could be multiple asks over a year or just one ask
Can you tie into your phone program? Do you have ancillary material
Regular newsletters Magazines Website with online giving
Go Broad and Challenge the Community Power of a matching gift challenge
Put your arms around all of your donors Part of the final sweep “Turn your $25 gift into $50 instantly” Opportunity to go BACK to a major donor Our $25,000 challenge raised additional $57,000 Secure the gift up front!
Be tactical We leaned heavily on major donors and our
community donors/grateful patients We chose to insulate 3,200 employees in order to
protect the annual fund. It worked
Stewardship
Stewardship: the key to the next gift People want to give THROUGH you, not TO you Communicate the IMPACT of their gift
Pictures or stories of people who have been helped Invites to ribbon cutting ceremonies or other events Student profile and thank you note from scholarship
recipient
Regular donor contact Donor events Periodic letters/updates Holiday cards
How to say thank you Letter from leadership Periodic impact letters or reports Event invitations Segment of phonathon Post cards on unusual holidays Past donors are your most likely future donors
