Capital Campaigns during the Recession
Leading staff, volunteers and donors through uncharted recession waters requires both new ideas and the tried and true. Here are “10 Mottoes” for campaigns in these challenging times from panelists at the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Golden Gate Chapter Fundraising Day 2009 on May 4:
1. Affirm the mission — focus the case for support on service to the community.
2. Focus on best friends — keep in touch frequently and let them know how you are responding to the economic climate.
3. Involve donors — don’t stop asking for advice, gifts or connections to others.
4. Communicate the impact of gifts — report impact and momentum.
5. Ask donors to make your oranization a priority — ensure that your organization stays on their list and encourage their current giving levels.
6. Be candid about how your organization is conserving resources — talk positively about adjustments you’re making and eliminate less-productive activities.
7. Be flexible about how donors can give — provide options.
8. Focus volunteers and staff on what you organization CAN DO — cultivate, steward, identify new donors, raise visibility and engage volunteers in outreach.
9. Emphasize the lifetime value of donors — build and maintain relationships for the future.
10. Plan and adjust — be strategic, adjust campaign ending dates if necessary, scale priorities, possibly defer building projects — and stay the course for the long term.
Thanks to the insights of Julie Seewald Bornhoeft, Director of Development and Community Relations, WEAVE of Sacramento, CA; Lori Fogarty, Executive Director, Oakland Museum of California; Charles W. Sizemore, philanthropy consultant, of Palo Alto, CA; and Sandy Drew, Senior Consultant, Marts & Lundy Inc.
According to Sizemore, nonprofits that will best weather the economic downturn will also:
- Invest in keeping their advancement programs whole.
- Be proactive in meeting with current and prospective donors.
- Focus on donor retention in their annual funds.
- Show understanding of donors’ financial circumstances.
And they will help board members to understand the importance of their advocacy by:
- Increasing their annual gifts
- Being active in demonstrating organizational need
- Voting against decreasing the development office budget
- Teaming with leadership (president, executive director, head) and development staff to make calls on prospective donors.
