Soapbox Engage Blog

Capital campaigns are unique fundraising ventures. These campaigns not only require months (and sometimes years!) of a nonprofit team’s time and effort. They also help organizations raise massive amounts of revenue that make large-scale projects possible, like building a new facility or purchasing important equipment.

Because of the sheer scale of capital campaign work, there are many moving parts to keep track of and thus, many opportunities for error. To help your nonprofit team prepare for future capital campaigns, we’ve assembled a list of common capital campaign mistakes and how to avoid them:

• Mistake #1: Failing to assemble a strong team.
• Mistake #2: Setting an unattainable goal.
• Mistake #3: Not conducting a thorough planning and feasibility study.
• Mistake #4: Not prioritizing major gifts and major supporter relationships.

Being aware of potential pitfalls is a great starting point to set your organization up for capital campaign success, but to take things a step further, consider working with a fundraising consultant. A consultant can guide you through the process of planning and executing a capital campaign, helping you reach your goals and strengthen your relationships with your supporters.

Ready to learn about common capital campaign mistakes? Let’s get started.

Mistake #1: Failing to assemble a strong team.

Unlike smaller, more run-of-the-mill fundraising campaigns, capital campaigns are all-hands-on-deck efforts. This means that everyone in your organization will play a role in helping to plan and execute the campaign.

This is why the first common capital campaign mistake we see is organizations failing to assemble a strong team. Your team should be made up of people within your organization’s community that can commit to the campaign for the months or years that it will take to drive it to success.

Specifically, you should have the following team members on your side:

• Campaign chair: Your campaign chair will oversee your campaign’s various committees and promote your campaign in your community. Your chair should be someone who is a strong leader and isn’t afraid to tackle complex projects.


• Committee members: Your capital campaign will require a number of committees, such as a planning and steering committee. These committees will be made up of staff members, board members, and even prominent members of the community.


• Board members: Your board will play a critical role in your capital campaign. Not only will they approve all major decisions regarding the campaign, but they will contribute their own gifts to your goal and assist you in seeking out other major gifts.

Volunteers: Recruiting volunteers will be essential to the success of your capital campaign because they can help you with marketing, fundraising, or facilitating events.

Having a team made up of dedicated, talented individuals is the key to getting your capital campaign off the ground and navigating any challenges that pop up along the way. Take special care to hand-pick roles for all of your organization’s staff members, and provide thorough training so that your team feels confident moving forward with the campaign.

Mistake #2: Setting an unattainable goal.

Another frequent mistake that nonprofits make when launching capital campaigns is setting unattainable goals.

Of course, there’s a difference between an unattainable goal and an ambitious goal. An ambitious goal that feels challenging can be motivating for your team and your supporters. On the other hand, setting your sights on something unattainable given your organization’s current size and capacity can set you up for failure.

Instead, start with a goal that you know you can manage. According to Averill Solutions’ guide to capital campaigns, you should determine your initial goal by taking into account the following:

• Campaign costs (such as hiring, new software, and events)
• The minimum amount you need to raise for your project
• Extra costs (such as the construction of a giver recognition wall)

Your goal should be ambitious, but well within the realm of possibility for your organization. After all, you can always adjust your goal down the line after you conduct a planning and feasibility study or set a stretch goal if you meet your first goal earlier than expected.

Mistake #3: Not conducting a thorough planning and feasibility study.

The third mistake that nonprofits commonly make with capital campaigns is not conducting a thorough planning and feasibility study. According to Averill Solutions, a planning and feasibility study will help determine if a capital campaign is a viable option for your nonprofit given its current capacity.

An important aspect of a planning and feasibility study is interviewing your organization’s stakeholders about their thoughts on your campaign and your organization overall. Because you want honest answers during the interview process, it’s best practice to hire a fundraising consultant to conduct your study and these interviews for you.

Let’s take a closer look at three parts of a planning and feasibility study:

1. Looking at past wins and challenges: Your organization’s fundraising track record can tell you a lot about how capable your nonprofit is of succeeding with a capital campaign. Examine supporter data from previous campaigns, as well as how your internal team made those campaigns successful. Also, acknowledge past stumbling blocks and what you can do to prevent similar missteps during a capital campaign.


2. Creating a case for support: A case for support is a document that synthesizes the goals you have for your capital campaign, as well as the reasons your stakeholders and the broader community should support it. You can use it during the interview portion of your study, but consider it a living document and continue to refine it prior to using it as a marketing asset during the public phase of your campaign.


3. Interviewing stakeholders: Next, your fundraising consultant will interview your organization’s stakeholders. These might include board members, major supporters, longtime volunteers, business owners, or recipients of your services. Your consultant will ask questions to gauge how feasible your stakeholders think your project is, and whether they’re willing to help it succeed.

After your planning and feasibility study is complete, you’ll go over the results of the interview phase with your fundraising consultant and decide whether or not to move forward with your campaign. If your campaign is viable, you can start putting things into motion. If not, keep an open mind and take your consultant’s advice on what your organization needs to do to be ready for a capital campaign down the road.

Mistake #4: Not prioritizing major gifts and major supporter relationships.

The final mistake we sometimes see nonprofit organizations make with capital campaigns is neglecting major gifts and major supporter relationships.

Major gifts should make up most of the funds you pull in during your campaign. Specifically, during the quiet phase of your capital campaign, you’ll typically need to raise 50-70% of your total goal from major gifts alone. This will make the public phase of your campaign, where you turn to the larger community for smaller gifts, much more manageable.

Major gifts are made possible by thorough prospect research and relationship-focused interactions:

• Prospect research is the process of examining potential supporters’ financial capacity for giving, as well as their affinity for (or interest in) your cause. To conduct prospect research, you’ll need to rely on tools like your CRM, SEC and FEC records, and prospect generator tools.


• Relationship-focused interactions: Once you’ve identified a prospect who has both the capacity and affinity to give, it’s time to get to know them before asking for a gift. Set up a time to meet with them face-to-face. Ask them about themselves, their family, their career, and their interest in your cause. By thinking beyond a one-time gift, you’ll set your organization up to maintain strong relationships with each and every major supporter.

When it does come time to request a gift, ensure that your ask is personalized, specific, and direct. The supporter you’re soliciting should feel seen and valued as a person, and be inspired to consider saying “Yes!”

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Capital campaigns are challenging endeavors. But by avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll be well on your way to meeting your campaign goals and seeing your project through to completion. You can do this!