When is the Right Time for a Major Gift Campaign?

In our work with thousands of nonprofits, one of the questions we are often asked is this: “How do you know when it’s the right time for a major gift campaign?” The simple answer is: “If the nonprofit needs money, it’s the right time to raise major gifts.”

However, needing money does not guarantee that you will raise major gifts. That takes intentionality. Asking these questions will help predict your nonprofit’s ability to complete a successful major gift campaign:

Is your vision big enough?

Needing more money to keep the lights on and “help people” is not a bold vision; and donors want to invest in something big. Raising major gifts requires you to think well beyond the day-to-day tasks, and imagine the lives you could change if you had all the money you needed. Would you establish a new, permanent home? Would you renovate your current space? Would you retain additional staff members, expand programs, create a strategic reserve, build an endowment…? Take time to dream; then plan.

Have you done your homework?

How do you know how much money you could realistically raise? How long would it take? Who cares deeply about your mission, and who will lead your campaign? What steps do you need to take before you launch the campaign? Undergoing a pre-campaign study – conducted by objective, experienced and highly professional fundraising consultants – will provide the answers to these questions and more. Combining proven experience, research and donor/prospect-derived data, the pre-campaign study will provide a “roadmap” for success.

Do you have the right leaders?

Leaders can make or break a campaign. When your staff, board and campaign leaders are informed, mission-focused, determined and committed to executing the campaign in a disciplined manner – using a donor-centric, strategic campaign plan – the campaign will have a much greater chance of success. The right leaders feel ownership in success and take pride in what happens under their watch.

A successful major gift campaign takes the right vision, plan and leadership. It takes courage. Are you ready to raise major gifts? Kinetic is ready to help you make it happen!

Karin Cox, Co-Founder and Senior Executive Vice President, kcox@kineticfundraising.com

Join Us on the Growing Philanthropy Tour

Next stops on the road to achieving Kinetic’s mission of growing philanthropy by 25 percent in the next 20 years:

Grapevine, Tex.
February 1, 2019
IGNITE 2019: Conference
Sustainable Fundraising
Karin Cox

Inverness-shire, Scotland
February 4-6, 2019
The Great Fundraising Masterclass
Adrian Sargeant

London
February 7-8, 2019
LSE Annual Behavioural Public Policy Lecture
Grantham Centre
John List

San Diego
February 12, 2019
2019 NSFA National Conference
Demystifying the Major Gift Campaign
Karin Cox

Inverness-shire, Scotland
March 4-6, 2019
Think Double! Fundraising Masterclass
Adrian Sargeant

Washington, D.C.
July 11, 2019
2019 Bridge Conference
AFP of Washington DC Metro Area Chapter
Prepared for Success: Demystifying the Major Gift Campaign
Karin Cox

Past Stops on the Tour

Resources for Smart Fundraising Available on Kindle

Keep up to date on the latest fundraising trends with the Kindle ASR Media collection:

Fundraising Leadership – The definitive source for empowering board members to become pro-active fundraising leaders by Karin L. Cox
Performance-Driven Fundraising – Handy, yet entertaining reference tool for new and seasoned fundraisers by Matthew J. Beem

Book of the Month

Kinetic President and CEO Matthew J. Beem’s book Performance-Driven Fundraising: Taking Control of Your Success shares decades of fundraising insights and features campaign success stories. Performance-Driven Fundraising will help accelerate anyone’s learning curve and serve as a valuable reference tool for new and seasoned fundraisers.Go here to purchase the book.

On the Web

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Visit the Kinetic website for:
– Educational opportunities
– Books/reference articles
– Conference/workshop speakers

Strategies for Success explores smart ideas, connecting with thousands of fundraising professionals. We welcome your best practices contributions or comments. Send to Strategies for Success editor Karin Cox, kcox@kineticfundraising.com. If you’d like a free subscription to Strategies for Success or its monthly companion, Philanthropy Success, contact info@kineticfundraising.com.