Open Forum

Fundraisers with capital campaign experience: I am completing a research project and campaign plan for upper level members and would appreciate any insights on how your annual giving models (upper level memberships and such) related to your campaign. For instance:

• did you implement or consider a “group gift” from your upper level membership groups?

• did you engage upper level members as advocates for the campaign?

• did you alter your annual giving model during or after your campaign?

I appreciate insight on any of the above topics. Thank you!

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Mary Polce
Manager of The Museum Associates
Denver Art Museum
Denver CO
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Hi Mary,

We are in the final phase of a capital campaign now, following a highly successful major gift campaign 6 years ago that was well over goal. The capital campaign is 90% to goal as we go public with it.

1. YES we engaged top level members in campaign advocacy - by letting them know about the capital project first, individually and as a group, during the quiet phase of fundraising; by asking each individually to give; and by asking many to serve on our fundraising committee. Several members of this group helped plan the project. Your high level members are among your most likely and highly qualified prospects To give, and as volunteers, tell peers about the campaign.

2. We did not change annual fundraising strategies during this fundraising period. Doing so confuses donors. We did thank everyone for Annual support and ask that continued annual support take priority over capital giving to the project. An organization's capital projects cannot cannibalize annual programs and operations.

Feel free to call with any questions. Thank you.

Lastly, we did not consider a "group gift" from top level members. Each person in this type of group needs individual attention to maximize their gift. A "group gift" would be far more appropriate for a less engaged or newly engaged civic club or community group who would have reason (mutual mission or goals) to support your project.

Hi Mary. We are just about to go public with our campaign, with roughly 75% complete.  We did indeed involve our upper level members/donors in the process, inviting them to give leadership gifts, participate in campaign events, participate on our campaign leadership team, etc.  We did not consider a group gift of any kind. Also, we have not altered our annual fund in any way, though we're in the process of evaluating our mid-tier giving program in an effort to build a solid base for our next campaign!  Our $58 million campaign goal includes capital, endowment and annual fund.

Mary -- I'll weigh in if it's not too late. 

Our clients have occasionally secured "group" or consortium gifts from their support societies. Generally this happens only if it is a separately incorporated/governed group such as "friends" who might raise funds through their own events, gift shop, etc. 

But in most cases, when a donor society is managed by the museum and is part of the annual fundraising structure, then each donor is approached individually, as the others described. And we advise most clients to wait until two-thirds (or more) of the goal has been reached before "going public". You might develop a small committee to help solicit this group and secure a handful of their gifts prior to the public launch, and then solicit the remainder during the public phase.

On occasion, we have worked with clients to structure a combined annual/campaign gift for mid-level donors. For example, if you've got a $1,000 donor level, you might create a program to secure pledges of $4,500 over three years from these donor/members -- $1,000 per year for annual and $500 per year for campaign. Create a special recognition program and engagement experiences to motivate these donors. Then, as the campaign pledges are paid off, you are in a good position to elevate the annual giving level to $1,200 or $1,500 since you've already got a corps of engaged donors who are accustomed to donating that amount each year. 

Hope that helps.