A capital fundraising campaign is a concerted effort to raise a relatively large amount of money in a relatively short period of time. A capital campaign involves an organized group of volunteers, working together with the charity, to solicit pre-qualified and very targeted prospects, in face to face meetings.
Capital campaigns are organized in such a way that the top prospects are solicited first and prospects with lower potential are solicited later in the campaign. (This form of fundraising, known as sequential fundraising, was invented by Ben Franklin.)Solicitation is done by volunteers, supported by staff, in one-on-one meetings with prospects. The campaign may be supported by special events, such as information sessions, that are designed not to solicit funds, but introduce people to the campaign. Similarly, advertising or stories in the media may alert people to the campaign but do not solicit donations.
In order to succeed at a capital campaign, the charity must have a well defined need (case statement), communication materials that clearly explain the cause, dedicated volunteers who are willing to make direct solicitations on high-potential prospects, and relationships with prospects who have the potential to make large donations. The goal of a capital campaign may be to raise funds for capital projects, endowment funds or new program initiatives. Day to day operating funds are usually not supported by capital campaigns.
