Embarking on a Large Capital Campaign

Zoe Crick- Head of Development, Rambert

Helen Searl, Corporate Relations Manager, London Philharmonic Orchestra

Devising the Strategy and Campaign Committee

• Instil Board confidence

• Have a robust and dynamic plan

• Cleverly present the financial information and tell the story

• Be picky with your campaign committee

• Remember the capital project is finite

Developing the case for support

• Understand the background leading to this moment

• Have clarity on key messages and try not to deviate too far away from them

• Prepare the counter argument

• Make everyone a fundraising ambassador

• Bring your Artistic Director onboard with fundraising from the beginning

Getting started

• Make sure you have a sizable budget in place

• Carefully decide on what print and product you need

• Use every aspect of the journey

• Consider joint revenue and capital approaches

Cultivating individuals

• Work the Committee hard

• Carefully craft a range of high level events

• Use opportunities for engagement wisely

• Clean your lists

• Make sure you know what benefits you’re offering

Public Campaign

• Choose carefully when to launch

• Ensure you know your audience

• Experiment with some non-traditional ideas

• Make sure you’re joined up with your marketing and press departments

Analysis of Gifts - Gift Pyramid

Target: £10M Leadership gifts

2 gifts @ £1.5M

2 gifts @ £1M

Target: £2M Leadership gifts

4 gifts @ £500,000

Target: £1.5M Major gifts 6 gifts @ £250,000

Target: £1M Major gifts

10 gifts @ £100,000

Target: £500K Major gifts: 10 gifts @ £50,000

Target: £500K Major gifts:

20 gifts @ 25,000

Target: £400K Major gifts

40 gifts @ £10,000

Target: £500K: 60 gifts @ £5k and 200 gifts @ £1,000

Target: £50K Public Campaign

Target: £150K Gala/Major Event

£5M

CSCB

£1

M

£1.5M £1.5M £1M

5 gifts

Ian & Tina Taylor £500K

£500K 3 @ £500,000

1 @ £100,000; 1 @ £150,000

10 @ £50,000

6 @ £20,000; 1 @ £25,000

1 @ £10,000

51 @ £5,000 and 47 @ £1,000 (ongoing)

ACE stabilisation fund - project development

£7m ACE; £5m Coin Street Community Builders (gift of land), 1 @ £1m

4 @ £250,000

Engaging Your Local Community

• Positive PR

• Endorsement from key community member

• Encourage fundraising efforts

• Involve them in your journey

• Make them excited about the building development

• Opportunities for ‘quick’ donations

Engaging your Audiences

• If possible get venues involved

• Make announcements, do collections, build awareness

• Talk to your audiences on all forms of communication- online, print, on the phone.

• Tell them why this capital campaign is important, what’s in it for them?

Create a Sense of Ownership

• Can you give donors something tangible? Their name on brick, a seat, a bench…

• Can you create a story around a large item and build a community of giving?

• Can you create a link between the history of your organisation and the journey you’re embarking on?

Engaging Donors

• Time your communications- don’t target donors at the same time as annual appeals or big Direct Debit runs

• Make sure donors know the difference between capital and your core work

• Ask donors to ‘top up’ their donations/memberships with gifts to capital

• Opportunity to re-energise lapsed donors

The Nitty Gritty

• Consultant or not?

• Think about running separate events for different stakeholders

• What about your core funding?

• Priorities for your department/ organisation

• Be prepared to change your strategy

Benefits

• VAT implications- think carefully

• What benefits give you best value?

• Naming rights, will you offer them?

• Don’t over promise

• Can you give different benefits to those you currently offer to major donors?

Once you are ‘Home’

• Be aware of donor fatigue

• Manage Board/ Senior Management expectations of continued donations

• Factor in the time to write reports and service requirements

• Continue to nurture your new donor relationships, to tailor support

Our Top Tips

• Don’t start fundraising until you know full costs

• Use your peers and take advice

• Go onsite as early as possible- makes it real

• Have a firm plan, but with space to deviate

• Make sure it’s a whole organisation campaign

• Think about your donor benefits carefully

• Be confident and enjoy it