By John R. Frank
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 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.
