By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on February 28, 2012
And Some Questions in Response: We are a small 501(c)(3) arts organization with an annual budget of about $25,000 in a small community of about 4,000. We are looking at mounting a capital campaign to buy a building and make it a community arts center. Most buildings of the needed size are selling for $100,000 […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on February 7, 2011
Naming Opportunities (This post is Part 2 of a 2 Part Response to a Submitted Question) The other first step is to make a list of potential “purchasers” of those naming opportunities. These must be people with the (significant) resources to be able to afford the “purchase” – people to whom you have or someone […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on February 3, 2011
Naming Opportunities (This post is Part 1 of a 2 Part Response to a Submitted Question) When I think of a playground, I picture swings, a set of see-saws, a jungle gym and various other pieces of equipment; and, I see multiple opportunities to raise money. There are many ways to raise money, but I […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on January 11, 2011
As noted earlier, the first official announcement of the campaign is about the person who has volunteered to Chair the Campaign and who has made a significant (pace-setting) commitment. That is one way in which the Chair is recognized. The Chair, who is often (one of) the largest donor(s) to the campaign, is recognized initially […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on December 14, 2010
Publicity is an important part of any extended campaign … serving many purposes. • Multiple opportunities to tell how the Project will benefit the community • Public recognition to the Institutional and Campaign Leaders, and selected donors • Creating and maintaining community enthusiasm There must, however, be specific conditions and a strict timetable for the […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on December 10, 2010
The “Lowest-Rated” prospects are those who are left after the (“higher-rated”) prospects from all the other Divisions have been assigned; and, considering that condition, this segment of your constituency should not be solicited until all of the “higher-rated” prospects have been solicited. As noted, these are the prospects for whom you have no idea of […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on December 7, 2010
“Lower-Rated” refers to those prospects whose gifts/commitments will fall outside of the definition of a “major gift.” (See: What is A Major Gift?) That doesn’t mean that the total giving from those prospects would be an insignificant dollar figure … it just means that there’d be a relatively large number of prospects, requiring a large […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on December 3, 2010
There are a number of rules for the solicitation of gifts/commitments to a campaign: A solicitor… (1) Must make his/her campaign commitment before s/he can solicit commitments from others; (2) With few exceptions, can only ask for commitments equal to or less than that which s/he has made; and, (3) Should be the best person […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on November 23, 2010
Leadership is the key factor in any capital campaign – leadership that energizes the process from its onset. So, to start a campaign, the first donors must be Board Members. These individuals must set an example with their level of giving so they have the credibility/leverage to solicit the other Board Members and so they […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on November 19, 2010
Once the “Quiet Phase” has been completed and the various “campaigns” for the Hospital Family are well under way, solicitation can begin in the next group of prospects – corporations, small businesses and the individual prospects assigned to Divisions tasked with obtaining gifts in various specific dollar ranges (i.e., $3,000-$5,999 and/or $6,000-$9.999). But … there […]
Hank Lewis with Development Consultant Associates has over thirty years as a fundraising consultant and is a specialist in Board and Leadership Development, Capital Campaign, Bequest Program and Major Gifts. [Read more ...]