Capital campaigns are game-changing undertakings for growing nonprofits. These intensive campaigns are all about scaling up your operations by funding major investments that will help you better pursue your mission.

However, as with many other fundraising and operational initiatives, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a considerable curve-ball to the nonprofit sector. Are capital campaigns still viable? Are major donors still contributing to large campaigns?

While the pandemic has certainly brought significant challenges, there have been a few bright spots and encouraging signs. Nonprofits of all sizes around the country are still successfully fundraising since the start of the pandemic. Major donors continue to play outsized roles in supporting the missions they care about. For example, giving through donor-advised funds has increased by a whopping 54% over the past fiscal year.

At Donorly, we specialize in guiding growing nonprofits through planning campaigns, researching prospective donors, and making successful asks. We’ve seen firsthand that nonprofits can still succeed with capital campaigns during the pandemic in the right circumstances and with solid strategies in place. They just require an extra level of preparation and adaptation.

Specifically, COVID-era capital campaigns will need to carefully adapt in three key areas:

• Timing
• Donor Prospecting & Cultivation
• Messaging

Capital campaigns naturally require significant investments of time and strategy. That’s why most nonprofits typically only spearhead a capital campaign once every ten to fifteen years. If a capital campaign is the right move for your organization now (more on this below), it’ll pay to be fully prepared well in advance. Let’s dive in.

Consideration #1: Timing

First, you’ll need to carefully consider if now is the right time for your capital campaign. For many types of organizations, the pandemic has directly affected their readiness and need for a major campaign. For instance, organizations might be experiencing:

• Surges of support from their community
• Drastically increased constituent need for their services
• Resources, staff, and other capital stretched thinner than ever

For example, think about a local food bank that’s experienced a surge of community support but is trying to serve an unprecedented number of constituents using resources that can’t handle the increased scale. For these organizations, now could be the perfect opportunity to tackle much-needed expansions or investments, like new kitchen equipment or a building project. 

If your organization is in a similar situation, a capital campaign could be a smart move. If you ultimately decide to move ahead with a new campaign, keep these additional elements in mind:

• Your campaign’s feasibility study. This exploratory study, conducted by a third-party fundraising consultant, gauges your (and your donors’) readiness for a capital campaign. If you were already planning a campaign before the pandemic struck, you’ll need to conduct a new study since the fundraising landscape has dramatically changed. If you’re starting from scratch, the feasibility study will be the crucial first step to tackle.

• Additional events and engagement opportunities. Capital campaigns usually include a range of methods for donors to engage with your mission, including virtual events, online campaigns, and fundraising activities like online auctions. Give yourself plenty of time to plan and host them during your campaign’s public phase.

• Your campaign’s timeline. Pay extra attention to the benchmarks you set during the campaign planning process. Having concrete dollars-raised targets for each period or stage of the campaign is always essential, especially in today’s unique circumstances.

Remember, though, that your operational or annual funding should be your top priority during times of crisis. If your annual fund is in a strong spot thanks to increased community support, think about the new investments that could help you take your mission to the next level. If your nonprofit is new to this type of campaign in general, get your bearings with this complete capital campaign guide as you weigh your options.

Consideration #2: Donor Prospecting and Cultivation

The strategies you use to research prospective donors and grow your relationships during a capital campaign will naturally need to adapt. 

If you’ve conducted prospect research and secured major gifts in the past, revisit your strategies to make sure they’re meeting the moment. Consider these best practices for today’s fundraising environment:

• Carefully analyze both wealth and affinity markers. Wealth markers will point you in the right direction when looking for prospects who can make a large donation to your capital campaign, but they don’t tell the whole story. You’ll also need to consider affinity markers (like past major donations, interests, history in the community, and service on other nonprofits’ boards) to find the perfect prospects with both the ability and inclination to help your mission grow through the pandemic. 

• Double-down on personalized cultivation. Heavily prioritize building personal relationships once you identify prospects and begin initiating conversations. A more personalized approach will not only increase your chances of securing a gift, but it’ll also lay a strong foundation for continued engagement. Focusing on personal connections and showing appreciation can repay dividends once the pandemic subsides.

• Develop a clear moves management process. Capital campaigns require careful planning and coordination, but taking an organized and focused approach is especially important now to safeguard your time and resources. An effective process will help you track your team’s interactions with prospects leading up to the ask.

• Get expert support as needed. You’ll already need the help of a fundraising expert or consultant to conduct your feasibility study, so consider asking for more support if you’re new to capital campaigns or prospect research in general. A prospect researcher can teach your team the essentials or handle all the heavy lifting to deliver a list of ideal prospects.

For the best results overall, keep the focus on relationship-building. This has always been a best practice for nonprofits, but it’s vital to keep in mind now. Donors want to feel that they’re partnering with your organization to make major, beneficial impacts during an uncertain time.

Consideration #3: Messaging

You’ll also need to adapt your campaign’s messaging strategies based on your community’s current challenges. Capital campaigns always require extremely focused messaging, anchored by its objective and the impact that it’ll have on your mission. During a COVID-era campaign, you’ll need to dig deeper to ensure that your purpose, goals, and marketing messages are as motivating as possible. 

We recommend following these best practices:

• Frame your purpose or objective in a compelling way. Capital campaigns need concrete, meaningful goals to succeed. For example, general capacity-building or raising money to celebrate your organization’s anniversary aren’t motivating for major donors. However, helping you expand your facilities or invest in new equipment is more compelling because these objectives will very directly impact your ability to serve constituents.

• Make sure your team is on the same page with digital communication tools. Video conferencing platforms, in particular, will be important for forging personal, face-to-face relationships with prospects. Review your organization’s communication toolkit and set some standard protocols for the whole team before diving into your campaign.

• Show donors and prospects that you’re thoughtful. As mentioned previously, relationship-building is critical for a successful campaign and long-term support. Start your conversations with prospects by learning about how the past year has affected them personally and professionally. Then, gently shift into discussing how the crisis has impacted your organization.

• Devote plenty of time to developing your campaign’s marketing materials. In a digital-first world, you’ll need to rely on these materials to do more of the “talking” than ever before. Campaign brochures, cases for support, project renderings, and a well-designed site or page will be essential. 

• Rely on your partnerships. Sponsors and community partners are invaluable assets for spreading the word about your campaign during its public phase. Their networks and audiences will already be fairly receptive to your message, so don’t let the opportunity go to waste. 

Here’s the key takeaway to keep in mind: Proactively adapt your fundraising approach, prospect research strategies, and marketing tactics, but don’t rewrite your mission along the way. Your organization’s unique mission and place in your community are the primary draws of any major campaign, so lean into them. Mission-centric campaigns that demonstrate real impact will always be more effective than general messages that vaguely ask for support.

About the Author

Sandra Davis

Founder and President Sandra Davis leads Donorly with 30 years of fundraising experience and leadership. Sandra has consulted on numerous capital campaigns, led strategic planning and feasibility study efforts, and managed board development and recruitment efforts, planned giving, special events, and annual giving programs. Under her leadership, Donorly has grown to support the fundraising efforts of over 75 clients to date.