Readiness Planning: Preparing for the Major Gift Solicitation Meeting
Thanks for joining my series on major gift development. In previous episodes, I covered the…
The Art and Science of Major Gifts Cultivation
Thanks for tuning in to the third post in my series on major gift development. We started by defining the concept of a major gift and then moved on to the identification and qualification of major gift prospects. Now we are ready to tackle cultivation. Remember, cultivation is the process…
Where Are the Donors? Identifying and Qualifying Major Gift Prospects
Last week I began a series on major gift development. We started by defining the concept of a major gift and came up with a few guidelines: A major gift is generally set at a level that is equal to or greater than gifts made by the top 5% –…
Major Gift Development: What’s All The Fuss?
The last 13 weeks have been devoted to a series on capital campaign development, but whether you tuned in to that conversation or not, you are likely to have been exposed to the concept of major gift development. I will soon begin a series on the development of an annual…
Getting to the Finish Line: Ground Breakings and Grand Openings
The last 12 weeks have been devoted to capital campaign development, and we are finally crossing the finish line! I have covered everything from case development to prospect identification to quiet phase solicitation and recognition. Now we’re at the point when we can discuss opportunities for public celebration. First –…
Nearing the Finish Line: Planning for Your Campaign’s Community Phase
Welcome to Episode 11 in our 12-part series on capital campaign development. Last week we spoke about the campaign quiet phase and talked about the make-or-break nature of the work during this time. Once you have raised 80 to 90% of your campaign’s goal, you are likely ready to launch…
Preparing for Solicitation: Beginning the Quiet Phase
We’ve arrived at Episode 10 in a 12-part series on capital campaign development. Last week we began a conversation about the cultivation of key prospects and I promised to speak about preparation for the campaign’s quiet phase this week. Remember – Cultivation is the process of enhancing the prospect’s relationship…
Preparing for the Ask: The Art of Cultivation
Welcome to Part 9 in our capital campaign series. You’ll want to refer back to earlier posts in the series if you missed our discussions about campaign readiness, goal setting, feasibility, leadership and board development, the creation of supporting materials, the case for support, prospect list development, prospect research and…
Donor Recognition and Stewardship
Happy New Year! Welcome to Part 8 in our series about capital campaign development. So far we have covered a lot of territory, including campaign readiness, goal setting, feasibility, leadership and board development, the creation of supporting materials, the case for support, prospect list development and research! Before we get to…
Capital Campaign Prospecting
Welcome to Part 6 in my series about capital campaign planning. We’ve covered a lot of territory thus far, so if you are at the beginning stages of planning your campaign, back up about 6 weeks. If you are ready to begin thinking about who is on your prospect list,…
Your Campaign Case for Support
If you’re regular reader of this blog, you’ll know that we are in the middle of a series about capital campaigns. If this is your first time checking in with us, please feel free to go back a few weeks to learn more about what you’ve missed with regard to…
What’s in Your Capital Campaign Toolbox?
Several weeks ago we began a conversation about capital campaign planning. We defined a capital campaign as an intense effort on behalf of an organization to raise significant dollars (typically related to the building or renovation of a facility) to fund a one-time project or series of projects during a…
Recruiting, Training and Engaging Your Capital Campaign Team
Two weeks ago we began a conversation about capital campaign planning. We defined a capital campaign as an intense effort on behalf of an organization to raise significant dollars to fund a one-time project (or series of projects) during a defined time frame. This typically involves the purchase, building or…
Determining and Testing Your Campaign Goal
Last week we began a conversation about capital campaign planning. We defined a capital campaign as an intense effort on behalf of an organization to raise significant dollars to fund a one-time project (or series of projects) during a defined time frame. It typically involves the purchase, building or renovation…
How Do I Know if I am Ready for Capital?
In a perfect world I would have written this post BEFORE my series on feasibility studies, because if we are going to undertake a serious, detailed conversation about capital campaign planning over the next several weeks, we will most certainly need to swing back to speaking about feasibility. Ah well…
Feasibility Planning Part V: Arrival at the Report
Thanks for tuning in to the final post in a five-part series about campaign feasibility planning. We’ve covered significant territory thus far, including information about why organizations embark upon feasibility studies, when they conduct the study, what materials are needed, who to interview and what the process entails. Now we’re…
Feasibility Part IV: The Study Process
We’ve been talking over the last few weeks about campaign feasibility and what’s involved in this important planning process. This post serves as Part IV in my 5-part series and will finally get to the issue you have all been waiting for: the campaign feasibility process (i.e. – how it…
Be Sure the Shoe Fits: Differentiation And Campaign Planning
This article originally appeared in Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools’s fall issue of its quarterly publication, HaYidion. Before launching a private consulting practice, I served for five years as director of development at a sizable Orthodox school in a major metropolis. On my first visit as a consultant to…
The Feasibility Study Part III: Interviewees and the Study Process
We’re in the midst of a conversation about the campaign feasibility study and what’s involved in embarking upon this important planning process. This post serves as Part III in my 5-part series and will focus on the “who”. Remember – a feasibility study is conducted prior to a capital, endowment…
Feasibility Planning Part II: How Does It Work?
If you read last week’s blog, you’ll remember that I talked about how you know if your organization should embark upon a feasibility study. We covered the question of “why”. Just to recap, a feasibility study is conducted prior to a capital, endowment or significant major gifts campaign. It is…