A capital campaign is NOT a nice little development project. It does not belong to the development department and it is not their “goals”.  

A capital campaign embraces an entire organization, from the Board of Directors to every volunteer. It touches on your mission, vision, staff, community reputation, donors, business community, non-profit community, and in some way impacts your entire future as an organization.

Whew, that’s a big responsibility!

And in my experience with campaigns I have seen them make a positive impact on all of these areas. 

From the start a campaign is about the future.  When a campaign is completed it will be a part of a new organization, a new program, a new impact.  It will be the process that moves an organization in a new direction, possibly to a more effective future.

We have a saying in our campaigns – “The end result of a capital campaign is not bricks and mortar, but a new tool that will produce more effective ministry.”

The campaign is a process to move an organization to the future and give them a more effective tool – the new building or location or campus.  And through this entire process change is an inevitable result.

The board and staff will change through this process. A campaign is hard work and many times can get discouraging. The leadership and management of an organization will find out who has what it takes to see the campaign through to the end.  These tried and tested board and staff will find a renewed sense of commitment to the ministry after going through a successful campaign. A sense of ownership permeates the new facility as staff will realize that they helped make it happen.

A renewed sense of ownership will also be felt by the donors. Leadership and sacrificial gifts all make a campaign a success and contribute to the belief that this could not have been completed without every gift.  In today’s donor marketplace there is much skepticism toward another campaign. But when a successfully planned and executed campaign is concluded, donors take great pride in their participation.

Organizational change is not the primary reason someone plans a campaign. But when the entire organization embraces a campaign, every level is affected.  In the end, the changes that take place throughout a campaign are positive and prepare the organization for the future. A future that includes a new tool for making an impact, a more seasoned board and staff, and an organization that has embraced faith and hard work.

The organization that fears change should not embark upon a capital campaign. For in taking on this great process, everyone invariably will ask questions, seek answers, and be willing to embrace change.

The end result should be a more effective and efficient way of meeting the goals of our mission statement, and isn’t that what it is all about?