Child Enrichment, Inc. completes a successful $6.3MM Do-It-Yourself capital campaign

Learn how Child Enrichment, Inc. raised $6.3 million in a do-it-yourself capital campaign.

Located in Augusta, Georgia, Child Enrichment, Inc. provides a voice and a path forward for children who have been abused, neglected, and trafficked. As an umbrella agency encompassing both a child advocacy center and a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program, Child Enrichment provides services are free of charge, and has served 28,000+ children since 1978.

The Challenge:

When Kari Viola Brooke joined the organization in 2011 as Executive Director, talk had already begun about needing a new building in order to accommodate the increasing needs of the community.

Kari explained, “We didn’t have the space or the capacity to get kids in or to train volunteers. Kids had a long wait time. So the need was there before I inherited this job.” Not only did Kari inherit a daunting task, but she also inherited the results of a previous feasibility study. She described how her former boss had worked so hard on trying to get their campaign started.

They had hired a consultant to do a feasibility study. At that time, their project was about $3 million. The consultant said that they didn’t think they could raise more than a million. Kari and her team were determined to move forward, but the disappointing results of the feasibility study, not to mention its expense, put them in a difficult position.

“I knew we didn’t want to do another feasibility study. And our board said ‘We’re not hiring a consultant.’ And I was sort of like ‘I don’t know how to do this, so I need some sort of help.’ So I started Googling ‘capital campaign consultants’ and other terms like that.”

Kari Viola Brooke, Executive Director

And that’s when Kari found Capital Campaign Pro.

The Solution:

Capital Campaign Pro offers Do-It-Yourself Essentials for leaders who really don’t feel the need for a full service or traditional consultant. DIY Essentials members get access to an online toolkit of templates and examples, email support from our experts, weekly peer support calls, and monthly trainings for staff, leaders, and board members.

“[DIY Essentials] was one of the best things that I have found, because not only did I learn a lot of stuff related to capital campaigns, but also fundraising, stewardship and philanthropy – that has carried over beyond the campaign. Having access through the online toolkit to guides on building committees, building teams, building that support – it was just invaluable.”

Kari Viola Brooke, Executive Director

Kari particularly took advantage of weekly peer support calls, which we often hear is more akin to “fundraising group therapy.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the other people on the weekly calls. Some of us still talk to each other now. Honestly, I was really sad when the capital campaign fundraising part was done, because I got so used to these weekly calls. And then I was like, ‘Wait, is there another option? Can there just be ED calls that I could come on every week, because I am going to miss this community?’ So, it was just really, really great!”

The Impact:

All told, Kari and the team raised $6.3 million and eventually cut the ribbon on a beautiful new facility in the autumn of 2023.

At 16,000sq ft, the new building is about 4x bigger than the old building, and boasts two forensic interview rooms, seven therapy offices, two advocate offices and a medical exam room.

By leveraging information found in their previous feasibility study, as well as resources in the toolkit, Kari was able to re-engage donors and raise more from them than was ever thought possible.

“The biggest lesson I think I learned was [to] ask for advice. And I don’t mean just from peers on the weekly calls or from the folks at Capital Campaign Pro. Asking donors for advice was the number one thing that helped me so much. It was so much easier for me to ask a donor ‘How are we going to get this?’ as opposed to saying ‘Would you give us a million dollars?’ Because once I was asking them for advice, it kind of made them feel invested in it too. And these donors wanted it to succeed because they were a part of the solution.”

Kari Viola Brooke, Executive Director

“I applaud Kari for her determination, willingness to learn, commitment to the project, and overall positive attitude which got her through some difficult challenges. She made it through to the other side of a capital campaign with new fundraising skills, enhanced donor relationships, and the ability to do something huge, which was outside her comfort zone. We were there by her side, cheering her on and we are so proud to have played a part in her success!”

Amy Eisenstein, Capital Campaign Pro CEO & Co-Founder

With DIY Essentials support from Capital Campaign Pro, you don’t have to go it alone.