Why You Need a Capital Campaign Consultant

Capital campaign consultants are important and frequent players on the capital campaign team. They can be worth their weight in gold when it comes to your campaign.

But why are they so valuable?

Understanding Why You Should Have Capital Campaign Consultant

You are undertaking a high-risk, high stakes venture. By the end of your campaign, your organization’s visibility will be at an all-time high. Your success or failure in this campaign will become well known. Everyone in your community will be aware of your campaign, particularly if it is very successful.

So, you want to stack the odds in your favor. You do NOT want to fail! And one of the smartest decisions you can make is to secure an experienced advisor to guide you through your campaign.

You will invest a significant amount of money and energy in your campaign over two or three years. And you will want someone on your team who has a great deal of campaign experience and who knows how to apply that experience to your organization’s particular situation.

Because most organizations only conduct campaigns every 10 or 20 years, very few people have a great deal of experience. Many development staff members and board members have worked on small parts of campaigns, but few have designed and implemented one from stem to stern.

Capital campaign consultants, however, specialize in capital campaign fundraising. And you will want to work with a consultant who has worked on many campaigns. Experienced consultants will add valuable insight and guidance to your campaign team.

Capital Campaign Consultants Serve You in Many Ways

Your consultant will bring an outside, objective viewpoint.

Don’t underestimate the value of an outside point of view. Your consultant can help put things in the proper perspective when you need it most. They can challenge some of your organization’s most cherished beliefs. They can say things that people inside the organization can’t say. A consultant’s outside perspective helps assure your team that you are following a sound strategy.

They bring experience to the campaign.

A good consultant brings depth and breadth of experience gained from many campaigns in a variety of organizational settings. They can impart confidence, stand firm in the face of conflicting opinions and articulate credible reasons for designing and running a campaign in a particular way. When you have board members expressing different opinions about how a campaign should be run, your consultant’s outside perspective will be invaluable.

They put problems in perspective.

Setbacks can and will happen in your campaign. When they do, your consultant can listen to problems, sympathize, calm things down, and help outline a specific course of action to get the campaign back on track.

They offer skilled writing and editing help.

Writing may not be a strong suit among your staff. Your consultant can edit and also help shape many written pieces — the case for support, donor discussion guides, proposals, appeal letters. Their campaign experience enables them to help you create a clear plan for your campaign materials and make sure that they are effective.

They provide gentle and not so gentle nudges.

Your consultant wants every one of their campaigns to be successful. So, if you and your staff get distracted by the demands of the season, you can count on your consultant to focus — and refocus – attention on the timeline and what needs to be done.

They take tough stands.

Timelines can slip in a campaign. Solicitations can get delayed. Committee members can stall. Your able consultant can take a tough stand without flinching, because they have the experience and the understanding to back up their opinions. One of their most important roles is to “call it like they see it,” even in difficult situations.

They address the issue of board giving.

Your consultant can address the delicate issue of board giving directly and take your Executive Director and board chair off the hook if needed. Your consultant can help design a process that encourages the board to determine their collective goal for giving. This helps refocus the board’s attention on their own responsibilities as donors and leaders.

They provide emotional support.

You will probably need some hand-holding during the campaign. Don’t discount this important role for your consultant. The reassurance your consultant can give you can be a treasure and a gift — when you need it most!

Are you convinced yet?

We hope so. Because we want YOUR campaign to be as successful as possible!

New Ways to Get Effective and Efficient Campaign Advice

While many capital campaign consultants still provide services in traditional ways, today you have more efficient and effective options for getting expert campaign advice. The internet and widespread acceptance of video conferencing has enabled a new approach.

Capital Campaign Pro has created a multi-prong support system that gives you access to a complete online library of downloadable campaign materials, virtual campaign advising with an experienced campaign expert, and access to weekly small peer learning groups lead by expert campaign advisors.

The Capital Campaign Pro toolkit approach makes full use of the way people access information and guidance through virtual channels. Though you will get the support of an expert advisor, you can now get that support in a flexible and cost-effective way.

Comparing the Capital Campaign Pro’s Toolkit to Traditional Consultants

The chart below will show you a comparison between the toolkit model and that of traditional consultants.

Learn More About the Toolkit Approach

If you are planning a capital campaign and are considering engaging a consultant, we would be happy to speak with you to learn more about your campaign plans and help determine if Capital Campaign Pro’s approach would be right for your organization. Simply sign up for a free strategy session — we’d love to help you.