Most nonprofit leaders are familiar with the idea of a capital campaign being largely executed during “quiet” phases. But are capital campaigns required to be “silent”?

During capital campaigns we don’t solicit the general population with splashy kick-off events, donate now buttons, and social media campaigns until we have proven our ability to raise multi-millions and reaching the goal is well in sight. We encourage our clients to raise 95% of the funds during the quiet phases before launching a public effort.

Initially, capital campaigns focus on lead gifts, which come from individuals, corporations or foundations that are willing and able to give at major gift levels ($25,000+). During these phases your committee is working to secure five-, six-, seven-figure gifts and beyond. Every part of the process and of the communication plan is designed to inspire the biggest gifts a donor is capable of making. Securing gifts at those levels revolves around one-on-one meetings with potential donors. They will see your campaign video, brochure and naming opportunities during direct solicitation meetings with members of your campaign committee. This is the most effective way to bring in the large donations needed to make your campaign successful.

Does that mean they can have no knowledge of the campaign before this one-on-one meeting? No, it does not.

Campaign Newsletter

A monthly campaign newsletter that is mailed to the campaign prospect list is a great way to warm up those prospects your committee will be soliciting. The campaign newsletter reinforces the organization’s case for support and places your vision and the campaign’s return on investment before these prospects regularly with campaign stories, images and graphics.

This brief newsletter (one-page front and back) is dedicated solely to updates on the campaign. It features images and photos of the project along with one or two short stories about the campaign, donors and successes. The copy is very short; the entire newsletter should come in at about 400 words. We like to mail it with a signed cover letter to individuals, corporations and foundations who are donors or donor prospects and other interested parties, like your city councilors or other community leaders.

If you are a membership organization, you also can consider emailing the newsletter to your membership, which will be a cost-effective way to keep those closest to you informed even if they are not major gift prospects. They will then be well-informed when the public campaign begins.

Campaign Press Release

Announcing campaigns to the public does not generally occur until a significant amount of money has been pledged; however, you may consider sending a press release during the quiet phases of your campaign to keep your community informed and to control the narrative. This is especially important if your plans will be of great interest to the community at-large. Human services projects like food banks and health care expansions are examples of times we have advised our clients to share their plans with the whole community to educate and build relevance among community leaders and philanthropists early in the campaign process. 

It is important to note that these press releases are not a call for donations and nowhere in them are readers asked to give. The release might lead with the launching of the campaign and success to date, followed by a quote from a campaign leader on the importance of the project to the community. That’s followed by an explanation of the project and the impact it will have on the community and its residents. The release can end with something like this:The campaign committee’s current focus is on one-on-one meetings with donors interested in making five-year pledges to the campaign. For more information, contact Mary Smith at abc@email.org.

If someone contacts you, offer to meet with them. If they are not interested in meeting, let them know the public campaign will begin at a future date and to watch social media or their mailbox to learn how to give directly at that time. Share this same information if a reporter reaches out for more information on the campaign.

The Public Campaign

Communicating with your entire database of donors and your community comes at the very end of your campaign, during the effort’s public phase. That phase should begin after you have raised at least 95% of your funds during the previous campaign phases. These communications will emphasize that donors are helping to complete an already successful effort and that every gift counts.

Communications pieces used during this public phase of your campaign are the things many people recognize as fundraising vehicles, but which the capital campaign process requires you to hold until the final push. They will invite the entire community to get behind the effort in ways that are appropriate for them personally. These will include more press releases, direct mail and email solicitations, social media campaigns, a campaign page on your website with a “Donate Now” button, and events.

Above all, remember to personalize your campaign communications. Elevate your campaign communications above the customary by adding personal notes within cover letters and emails. And speak to the head and to the heart of your donors and donor prospects, sharing with them the downstream impact (e.g., fewer hungry families due to a food bank expansion) of a successful campaign.

If you like this article, you might like to read more about 3 Ways to Keep Your Capital Campaign Quiet.

Melissa Sais is vice president and partner at CampaignCounsel.org.