Posts by Andrea Kihlstedt
How to Pick the Right People for Your Campaign Feasibility Study
A feasibility study is only as good as the information you gather. And that information is only as good as the people you have chosen to interview. So if you want your feasibility study to yield the right results,...
Capital Campaign Timing: 4 Lessons to Build Donor Trust
The timing of your campaign must take many things into consideration. Is your organization ready? Do you have the donors? Is it a propitious time in your community? Are the economic indicators positive? These and many...
Your Capital Campaign Isn’t Done When You Reach Your Goal
I know you’ll feel a huge surge of relief once you’re campaign goes over its goal. That pledge comes in that surges you over the top and you send a celebratory email out to the key people who have been working on your...
A Powerful Way to Build Your Board Before a Campaign
Years ago, I had the good fortune to meet Peter, a wise man who was experienced in the ways of nonprofits. Peter was not only wise, but he was also wealthy and had access to the upper echelons of New York society. For...
Understand How Major Donors Think: Meet Isabel and John
Major donors fuel capital campaigns. And when it comes to capital campaigns, three questions always pop up, again and again: Will our capital campaign cannibalize our annual fundraising? Should we include our annual...
Plan a Campaign to Take Your Nonprofit Back to the Future
Think back to the time before Covid-19... Can you recall your organization’s goals back then? Do you remember what you were planning to raise money for? Did you have big goals that were rudely interrupted when you...
Comprehensive Campaigns: Including Everything Toward Your Campaign Goal
What should count toward a campaign goal? In addition to capital gifts, should you count gifts made to your annual fundraising program? How about gala revenue? And planned gifts? Or should you only count gifts made...
Refresh Your BHAG this New Year to Increase Your Organization’s Capacity
Don’t have a BHAG? (Pronounced Bee-Hag.) Not sure what a BHAG is? BHAG is an acronym developed by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in their book Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. It stands for Big,...
How to Use a Capital Campaign Planning Committee to Great Effect
One tongue-in-cheek definition of capital campaigns: Capital Campaign -- an unending string of committee meetings that result in raising a lot of money that has a huge impact. I rather like that definition. It not only...
Want a Complete Roadmap for Your Capital Campaign?
The Capital Campaign Toolkit gives you access to an innovative online platform that provides all the tools, templates, resources and support you need at every stage of your campaign.
