As we near the end of the quiet phase of our capital campaign, we're thinking strategically about if and when we need to open up giving opportunities to non-donor and donor club members (people who give anywhere from $30 - $969 over and above the price of membership in exchange for minimal though graduated benefits). In particular, we're thinking about selling bricks or something similar as part of a new, outdoor sports experience.
I've sold bricks before, but not as a way to close out a campaign, and I'm wondering if anyone has done it successfully. We're also a bit concerned that donor club members might decide to buy a brick rather than buy a contributing membership that year. There's another thread here that talks about keeping the annual fund and brick campaign separate in donors' minds, but this is a bit different, since our donor club members are not necessarily solid AF donors. (We consider them keepers - and assign them to a portfolio - once they've donated above-and-beyond their membership for three years in a row.)
Has anyone run a campaign closing, public campaign at an organization with a strong contributing membership base? And if so, what were the benefits and what were the drawbacks?
Thanks!
Valery
------------------------------
Valery De Long
Campaign Manager - Extraordinary Transformations
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
------------------------------