Maintaining the Momentum – keeping a capital appeal on track by Jason Blackburn, Senior Consultant, Capital appeals

By their very nature, capital campaigns can typically take anywhere from two to five years. Ideally the period of active fundraising is only a small proportion of that time, i.e. both the private and public phases taking a couple of years, with pledges coming in over a longer period. However, even the most carefully planned capital campaigns can take longer and it is important for everyone engaged in the appeal for example fundraisers, senior management, Trustees, Appeal Committee members and supporters, not to become disheartened by events, but to look at the various ways to refresh and reinvigorate the campaign.  

Review and Revisit: Take the time to step back and review each and every aspect of your campaign, how are you managing the campaign? How engaged has your organisation been? How motivated are your Appeal Committee? What giving levels have you seen amongst your various constituencies compared to what your research told you to expect? Have you been regularly revisiting your research, adding and updating as you go? A comprehensive review can flag up opportunities that have been missed or weren’t fully exploited earlier in the campaign for whatever reason. Are there funders who weren’t in a position to support you who are worth revisiting and re-cultivating now you are further down the line?

Closing Gifts: Have you developed a strategy for re-approaching some of your earliest supporters? Putting in place plans to re-approach some of those funders won’t necessarily close the remaining funding gap, it may not be appropriate to approach them at all or to seek a gift of similar size to their first, but as they have already responded positively once, they may look favourably on a further approach.

Refreshing the ‘Ask’: How have you been asking for funds? What techniques have you employed and what cultivation and solicitation activities have you used? You may have undertaken some ‘Ask’ Training early in your campaign, but personnel have changed either within your organisation or on your Appeal Committee and it may be time to have a refresher course or provide first time training for newcomers to the campaign.

Appeal Committee Renewal: Even the most committed and enthusiastic Appeal Committee member can reach the end of their effective life, having made best use of their contacts and been as successful as you and they hoped. Work with your Committee to identify new members to help share the load. In many ways it can be easier to recruit people at this stage in your campaign, after all you have a track record of success to draw upon, people won’t have to start from scratch and there is support in place. Think of it as a relay race and what you are seeking now are the best sprinters to pick up the baton and make the final dash for the finishing line.