Capital Campaign Gift Chart Builder Helps Nonprofits Focus on Process
Successful capital campaigns rely on process and strategy. A capital campaign gift chart is a key planning tool that allows you to focus on the process to help you make the asks and secure the gifts that will move your campaign to completion.
What does a capital campaign gift chart show?
A capital campaign gift chart shows a rough estimate on the size and number of gifts you will need to achieve your campaign goal. Every campaign is unique, but it’s helpful to start with long-accepted and proven methodologies. We base the calculation in our gift chart on the Pareto Principal, also known as the 80/20 Rule. In the capital campaign world, that means that we begin with the expectation that roughly 80% of gifts to your campaign will come from 20% of your donors. Here’s an example of what a $5 million campaign gift chart would look like.
In our chart, we expect to secure a lead gift that totals 15% of your capital campaign goal. From there we’re looking for three more major gifts that drive you to 30% of your goal, and so on. Major and mid-sized gifts from just 96 total donors get you to 80% of your goal. The remaining 20% of goal will come from a larger volume of gifts of less than $15,000.
How to use a capital campaign gift chart
Establishing this gift chart at the beginning of your capital campaign planning process will help you understand the level of gifts you will be seeking and help you focus your initial efforts on finding and soliciting those donors who can give at these important levels of your chart. Seeing your $5 million goal broken down this way while thinking about your donors’ capacity and interest may lead you to consider whether your goal is achievable or inspire you to believe that you could raise even more. The gift chart information, along with your donor-approved case for support, prospect research and wealth screening, should give you the confidence you need to make asks at the specific giving levels you need to reach your campaign goal.
With your gift chart in mind, you will identify specific prospects for each giving level. This can be done through data your organization keeps on past donations and through the information gathered and shared with you during the feasibility study. Ensure success by identifying more prospects than you need as some may choose to give less than you expect or not give at all.
Of course, your capital campaign gift chart is a guide to help you plan your unique campaign. You along with your capital campaign consultant should combine it with your own knowledge of your organization, your donor prospects and your community to develop a plan for reaching your final goal.
Download the gift chart builder now or contact us to learn more about capital campaigns.
If this information was valuable, you might like to read Successful Capital Campaign Solicitation Techniques.
Melissa Sais is a consultant and communications director with CampaignCounsel.org.
