Are capital campaigns different?
6/22/2002
Chapter 1 in this revised how-to book spells it out: Capital campaigns are about more than money. Capital campaigns—raising large funds of money for one specific purpose, as opposed to blanket, broad-based campaigns—are the "ultimate test of an organization's philanthropic potential," according to author Andrea Kihlstedt. In a capital campaign goals are specific, challenging, and huge, putting pressure on the organization to reach new levels of visibility and engagement with the communities involved in the campaign. Due to this upping of the ante, many organizations emerge transformed and revitalized, with a more focused sense of purpose and mission. Kihlstedt leads readers through the steps involved in such a campaign, including research, prospecting, planning, communications issues, and finally, saying thank you by practicing the "discipline of gratitude."