Don’t Be Too Quiet During Your Capital Campaign
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I’m sure you’ve heard the words, “quiet or silent” and “public or community” to describe capital campaign phases. And likely, these terms have inspired a variety of responses from your stakeholders and perhaps even yourself. In my experience, these labels can be confusing, and in some cases downright frustrating for board members, volunteers, donors and nonprofit professionals. So, what do they mean, and do they even matter?
The concept of a "quiet phase" in capital campaigns has evolved over time, and in some cases, I have found that it may not be the best label. By definition, capital campaigns are fundraising efforts to raise significant amounts of money for specific projects, such as building construction or major renovations. The traditional capital campaign process involves two distinct phases: the "quiet" phase and the "public" phase.
Quiet Phase: During this initial stage, organizations reach out to a select group of prospective donors, typically their closest and most loyal individuals, foundations, and corporate partners with capacity for large gifts, to secure significant pledges and donations. This phase is characterized by a strategic and tailored approach for each prospect.
Public Phase: Once a substantial portion of the fundraising goal is reached during the quiet phase, the public phase follows, when contributions are invited from a broader audience, including the public, through various marketing and outreach efforts.
While this traditional approach is rightly used by organizations, there are reasons why “quiet” may not be the best term to describe the campaign’s early phase. The fact is that many organizations are public facing, so when their leadership decides to embark upon a large project or initiative, it is often visible to everyone. In the interest of maintaining transparency with its stakeholders and the community, this requires strategic communication. For example, an organization may purchase or come to own a large piece of land beloved in a community and therefore public knowledge. Or, in order to prepare for a large project, an organization may need to make changes to its facilities, which are more visible to the public than most. Or a lead gift may be so transformational that it should be communicated soon. These kinds of messages can create excitement for the organization, so the idea of being “quiet” isn’t exactly accurate.
Instead, I would argue that organizations should be strategic about the gifts they solicit in the early stages of a campaign, but generally, they should be anything but quiet because awareness for the organization should not be a secret. Effective communication helps build trust, keeps stakeholders informed, and can inspire future support for the project’s goals.
Therefore, communication is the key to campaign success.
Critical caveats:
A feasibility study must have been conducted to affirm the ability to raise the funds and establish the most appropriate campaign strategy.
They must establish and plan the appropriate audience, message (which could be limited) and vehicle for every communication.
As I mentioned, early in the campaign, you may only solicit gifts from key perspective donors, but there may be a need for important announcements. If that is the case, the message needs to be clear that the organization is still in the early phases of the project and funds are being raised, WITHOUT a solicitation or broad appeal for support. Keep it simple. Then, the message evolves as more funds are raised and the time becomes appropriate for broader community appeal. The hope is that more people are engaged with the organization and when the time is right, perhaps they will support the project, too. If an organization does not have need for project-related announcements or communication prior to launching broad fundraising efforts, messaging should focus on awareness-building and the organization’s mission impact, in order to increase engagement and hopefully build up the donor base.
No matter your fundraising or communication strategy in a capital campaign, the word, “quiet” can’t be taken too literally, hence the confusion and questions I often field from nonprofit colleagues and clients. And, it is important to note that capital campaigns continue to evolve over time. Organizations should always tailor their fundraising and communication strategies to meet their specific goals and donor demographics along the way.
Results-driven leadership is the name of the game for Laura Hutyra. As Vice President and a seasoned fundraising executive, Laura helps nonprofit clients throughout Texas and beyond solve challenges and meet their mission, while also leading the team in collaborative projects and operations to grow the company.
