Capital Campaign Counsel
At Alexander Haas, we understand that developing the campaign plan is only the beginning of the challenge. Successful campaigns depend on executing the plan, monitoring progress and the situation carefully and making the right adjustments to maintain momentum and keep the campaign on course. We also understand the importance of executing the campaign in a manner that does not jeopardize, undermine or disrupt ongoing annual fundraising programs.
As campaign counsel we see ourselves as your partner on the campaign team, advising on strategy for the overall campaign as well as strategies for individual prospects. We believe that every decision made along the campaign route impacts the outcome and we strive to use the experience we have gained from working with more than 1,000 clients to ensure that those decisions have a positive impact on your campaign’s success. We strive to be proactive and help guide you through the campaign, rather than being a “Monday morning quarterback” who critiques you after decisions have been made.
We understand that no two organizations, no matter how similar, are exactly alike. There are unique strengths, challenges and histories that all influence the campaign. We believe that our job, as counsel, is to develop and execute a campaign strategy that takes all of these factors into account to capitalize on the strengths and mitigate the challenges. We have a wealth of experience, having worked on campaigns with goals from $1 million to more than $1 billion, and a great many tools at our disposal, but a “cookie cutter” is not one of them.
We also believe that campaign success is defined by what happens at an institution after the campaign is over: fundraising programs are stronger, annual fundraising has reached a higher level, staff is better trained, and, most importantly leadership understands that fundraising is an ongoing investment. In our role as campaign counsel, we are looking at life beyond the campaign as well.
In order to provide your organization with the level of service required for success, Alexander Haas offers a range of Campaign Consulting Services customized to your unique needs and maximize success and can include:
- Working with you to help identify campaign leadership, including Campaign Chair and Campaign Committee members and develop a strategy for who should be recruited and by whom, when, and how.
- Helping design and develop a campaign plan and budget. The plan will include the strategy, sequencing schedule, range-of-gifts table, organizational chart, job descriptions, and budget for the campaign, etc.
- Assisting in the development of individual cultivation and solicitation strategies for all prospective donors to the campaign.
- Helping refine and position your case statement and giving opportunities.
- Educating and helping motivate your leadership to contribute, solicit for, and market the campaign. Alexander Haas will provide the volunteers with training and information needed to solicit gifts personally.
- Providing necessary direction, guidance, and counsel for campaign leadership, volunteers, and staff. This will include attendance at Campaign Committee meetings, strategy meetings with staff and volunteers, and on-going availability in person and by phone, fax, and email.
- Assessing giving patterns to help identify the best prospects.
- Providing guidance on establishing and maintaining a program to evaluate and monitor the cultivation and solicitation of your prospects. This will include tracking the status of all solicitations, assignments, results, and development of report procedures to be used at all volunteer levels.
- Helping organize your campaign to keep the campaign moving.
- Assisting in planning campaign meetings, by working with the campaign staff and campaign volunteers to prepare agendas and support materials, to ensure that the meetings are effectively and efficiently conducted.
- Providing assistance in letter writing, agenda planning, drafting of correspondence, acknowledgment of pledges and gifts, telephone follow-up with volunteers, and other day-to-day management duties.
- Preparing and helping implement a communications strategy.
- Developing the Board solicitation plan and work with the Board Solicitation Committee to implement the plan.
- Helping write corporate, foundation, and individual requests and proposals, and develop written “strategy memos” and talking points for solicitations.
- Providing counsel on other issues that arise during the campaign.