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Campaign Staffing: Where to Start?

Posted on by CFA

Story House* was a mid-sized literary nonprofit with a $3 million annual budget and no permanent home. Readings took place in rented auditoriums, while writing workshops were held in libraries and community centers. The organization worked out of a small house adapted for office use, a deliberately modest arrangement that reflected a focus on directing resources toward programs rather than facilities. 

The staff was lean but capable: Miguel, executive director; Dana, director of development; Aisha, director of programs; and Dinesh, administrative assistant. This small but mighty team delivered a full calendar of readings, workshops, and community programs while managing fundraising and partnerships. The organization’s ability to achieve outsized results had become part of its identity.

Over time, however, the limits of working in rented spaces became harder to ignore: rental costs added up, scheduled events were sometimes vulnerable to last-minute changes, and participation was often constrained by the limited number of rental spaces for classes and the limited availability of spaces for readings. 

Even more concerning was the fact that workshops would fill after the first week of registration, leaving plenty of unmet demand. People had been asking for years about additional programs for children and teens. It had become apparent that the organization needed to grow. 

Leadership began to see that with an appropriately sized home of its own, Story House could reach more people, schedule more classes and programs, and achieve greater impact. To achieve this ambition, it became clear that a new permanent home with a 200-seat auditorium, three classrooms, a flexible space for smaller readings, receptions, and youth programs, and additional office space to accommodate more staff as the organization grew would be needed. Estimates placed the cost and activation of such a facility at $25 million.  

They knew they would need a capital campaign to realize this ambition. What remained uncertain was how a staff this small could realistically take on the extra work that a campaign would require while at the same time keeping up with the demands of meeting annual fundraising goals.

Staffing Models for Organizations of All Sizes

For many organizations, one of the most challenging aspects of a capital campaign is finding the staff time required to manage daily campaign work. CFA Senior Manager of Campaigns Anne Spears notes that “organizations consistently underestimate how much time campaign work actually takes. Campaigns do not replace day-to-day fundraising; they sit on top of it, multiplying meetings, follow-ups, and coordination.”  

Campaigns introduce new demands that require sustained attention behind the scenes, often pulling leadership away from donor-facing work. “When fundraisers are entering data, stuffing envelopes, or printing name tags,” Anne explains, “they’re not building relationships. And that’s where campaigns can stall.” It’s important to carefully assess the skills and hours needed to do campaign work and plan accordingly. This will look different for different-sized organizations.

Large nonprofits may be in a position to hire part-time or full-time staff to support campaign work. Before adding additional fundraisers, however, it is important to recognize that donor-facing roles are a long-term investment. It can take six months to a year for a new major gifts officer to build the relationships and trust needed to make asks. Given the time constraints of a campaign, organizations may see faster results by hiring supporting roles that free existing frontline fundraisers to spend more time with donors.

Small and mid-sized organizations often need to be creative, using a combination of strategies to support campaign work. Some rely on volunteer fundraisers, though this approach still requires staff coordination to organize outreach, track progress, and support volunteers as they engage donors. Others invest in data or administrative roles that handle tracking, scheduling, and reporting, allowing experienced fundraisers to stay focused on donor relationships and solicitations. Still other organizations resort to shared staffing, where team members divide their time between campaign responsibilities and their regular roles. Anne observes, “The shared staffing model works best when time for campaign work is protected, and individuals are accountable for specific tasks. With dedicated time and clear accountability, it’s less likely that campaign work will get pushed aside.”

The Cost of Being Understaffed

Story House was initially reluctant to hire more personnel. They were accustomed to doing more with less, and as they reviewed their expenses and considered their budget, staffing felt like a cost center, while construction was viewed as the real investment. At the same time, every member of the team had little capacity to take on extra tasks. For any of them to assume more responsibility would be completely unsustainable. 

Anne sees this dynamic often and reminds clients that “Burnout is never worth it. In reality, understaffing a campaign is expensive because it makes campaigns last longer. And longer campaigns cost more.” Delays compound over time. Construction prices can rise, consultant contracts extend, and staff turnover can reset progress. Anne points out, “Time and money are inseparable in a campaign. Investing early in appropriate staffing is not a luxury. It’s actually an act of financial stewardship.”

Deciding What Roles to Hire

Story House needed more hands and could afford to make only one new hire, making the decision consequential. What emerged was the need for a development coordinator: someone responsible for executing the administrative tasks required to support fundraising strategies set by leadership. This role would handle gift processing, scheduling, reporting, prospect tracking, materials management, and follow-up. Rather than adding another major gift officer and waiting months for full productivity, the organization chose to invest in a position that freed leadership to focus on donor relationships.

Anne sees this decision point frequently. “Every organization is different, so it’s hard to generalize,” she says, “but in most cases, the first hire is not another gift officer. Often, what’s needed first is someone who takes the administrative weight off the people doing that work.” When organizations make that decision early, campaign activity becomes more systematic and less reactive.

What Lasts Beyond the Campaign

Importantly, Story House understood the new development coordinator role as an investment beyond the campaign itself. Once the campaign was complete, the development coordinator would remain on staff, with their role evolving as future needs became clearer.

When campaigns are staffed thoughtfully, their impact extends well beyond the fundraising goal. “The best outcome of a campaign,” Anne reflects, “is coming out the other side with a deeper pool of committed donors and a healthier organization.” For Story House, staffing decisions would shape not only the success of the campaign but the strength of the organization as it carried its mission into the future.

Partner With Us

At their core, campaign staffing decisions are not just about adding people. They are about protecting time, focus, and momentum. Through a development assessment or feasibility study, CFA helps organizations see clearly whether their staffing can support their fundraising ambitions, where gaps are likely to appear, and how to address them in ways that fit both budget and culture.

Contact us to find out how the right staffing decisions can strengthen your campaign and your organization for years to come.

*Disclaimer: Client confidentiality is paramount in our work with each and every organization. The story in this article is fiction, based on real situations drawn from CFA’s broad experience serving nonprofit organizations.

Leslie Cronin

Leslie Cronin, Senior Manager of Strategic Communications

Leslie Cronin comes to Creative Fundraising Advisors with broad experience in education and nonprofits. Early in her career, she taught English, composition, and creative writing at selective independent schools, colleges, and universities. In 2005, she became Senior Development Writer at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, overseeing all aspects of communication coming out of the museum’s development department including exhibition descriptions, grant applications, correspondence with major donors, acknowledgements, and event invitations.

Leslie later brought her experience in education and fundraising to a new role, serving first as board member and then vice president of the board of an independent school in Houston, Texas. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the formulation of the school’s 20-year plan, including its successful accreditation as an International Baccalaureate institution. She worked closely with a wide variety of consultants on urban planning, architecture, and a fundraising feasibility study. Her insight into the client experience helps her every day in her work for CFA.

As Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, Leslie helps CFA’s clients shape their campaigns for maximum impact and results by leading case development workshops, writing compelling case summaries, and crafting powerfully persuasive campaign collateral. Additionally, Leslie manages CFA’s brand voice by developing content for the firm’s resource library and overseeing the editorial calendar. 

Leslie believes nonprofits have the power to change the world. In crafting cases for support, she writes as a committed advocate for each client and their goals. Leslie holds two Masters degrees, one an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the other an MA in English Literature from Temple University. She is mother to two grown children, a voracious reader, and an amateur equestrian. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, author Justin Cronin, and their rescue dog, Lonesome Dove.

Data Health for Nonprofits

Posted on by CFA

A Wake-Up Call Over Breakfast

Kendra* is the development director of a regional food bank. Recently, she met a board member, Luisa, for breakfast. They were chatting the way they always did at their breakfast meetings when Luisa set down her coffee cup with a sigh. “There’s something I need to show you,” she said, pulling a stack of three letters out of her handbag. “I got three appeals from the food bank this quarter,” she said gently. “Two went to my home and one to my office, and this one,”  she said, presenting the envelope to Kendra, “still has me listed as Mrs. Walker.” The name of Luisa’s former husband made them both wince.

Concerned, Kendra took a more careful look at the stack. The letters were beautifully written and personalized, but two-thirds of the data that went into them was flat-out wrong. Luisa was a committed supporter, and Kendra knew she would be in for the long haul, but as the situation sank in, Kendra’s stomach dropped. Duplicate records, outdated names, and wrong addresses weren’t just clerical errors—they were signs of a much larger problem: wildly inaccurate data. Kendra apologized profusely, and Luisa was so gracious, but Kendra knew that there were more errors out there that wouldn’t be so kindly received.  

Back at the office, Kendra went straight to see Youssef, the food bank’s new development data coordinator. He’d been hired two weeks earlier, and his workspace was only halfway unpacked. “I just had the most mortifying conversation with Luisa Reyes,” she told him. She explained the whole situation, concluding with, “Our data is a mess.”

Youssef nodded, unsurprised. “To be honest, I knew this would be the first issue we needed to solve. Not to worry. I’ve started an audit,” he said. “There’s a lot to untangle: out-of-date records, partial merges, inconsistent fields; but it’s fixable. We just need to review and clean up about 30,000 records. Kendra’s jaw dropped, “That’s a ton of work! How will we do that before the November direct mail appeal?” Youssef smiled, “It’s okay! I’ll triage the cleanup, starting with our most important stakeholders and working our way through the list from there. This will not be just a one-time sweep; what I’m implementing is a plan for ongoing data health.” 

Data Health, and Why It Matters

“Data health” (sometimes called “data hygiene”) refers to the condition of an organization’s data—its accuracy, consistency, and usability. Bad data erodes donor trust and directly undermines the sophisticated tools nonprofits rely on for the science of fundraising. When names, addresses, or giving histories are inaccurate, data screening and predictive modeling cannot function properly. Reliable screening depends on clean, standardized fields to match records against wealth indicators, philanthropic databases, and demographic trends. When the data is in disarray, an organization will struggle to identify important prospects, analyze giving potential, or build a base of evidence to drive strategy. Clean data, on the other hand, strengthens every part of fundraising: screening, segmentation, communications, stewardship, and strategic planning. 

Creative Fundraising Advisors’ (CFA) Data & Research team—Dan Alberti, Senior Manager, Data Solutions, and Stephanie Willis, Senior Manager, Prospect Development—regularly helps nonprofits identify and correct systemic data issues.

“Think of data health like tending a garden,” says Dan. “You can’t expect to have healthy plants or an abundant harvest if you don’t routinely fertilize, water, and weed. Consistent inputs—accurate entries, standardized fields, and regular cleanups—build a database that supports the whole organization’s vitality. Conversely, if you’re not routinely checking and cleaning the data, small issues can quietly grow into big credibility problems.”

As both Kendra and Youssef had predicted, the problem with incorrect data at the food bank wasn’t isolated. When Youssef really dug into his audit, he discovered inconsistencies in salutations, conflicting household records, and out-of-date contact preferences. In many cases, the team was sending multiple different versions of an appeal to the same donors, sometimes at multiple addresses. Beyond embarrassment, that duplication was wasting resources—printing, postage, and valuable staff time.

Diagnosis and First Steps

The first phase of Youssef’s cleanup plan was discovery. He exported all donor records into a master spreadsheet so he could see the whole landscape at once—filtering for duplicates, blank fields, and irregular entries before making changes inside the CRM. He also mapped the source of each list: online donations, mailed checks, event attendees, and volunteer sign-ups. “We needed to know where the errors were entering the system,” he explained.

The “flat view” (or spreadsheet) revealed distinct patterns. Once he isolated the problem areas, Youssef began a systematic cleanse: deduplication, standardization of names and addresses, verification of email formats, and cross-referencing gift histories. Then he scheduled recurring maintenance tasks: a monthly duplicate check, a quarterly data-entry review, and an annual full-file audit.

Pro Tips for Data Health

1. Establish clear data entry rules.
Youssef created a written “data manual,” defining every field and abbreviation. Then, he drafted clear instructions on how to record household names, salutations, gift types, and notes. This living document became a training tool for anyone touching the database. “The more consistent your inputs,” says Dan, “the cleaner your outputs. Data rules aren’t red tape; they’re the language everyone needs to speak to keep information coherent.”

2. Schedule regular reviews.
The food bank built a monthly data health routine: running duplicate reports, checking for blanks in key fields, and using national address-verification tools. “Good data hygiene is never finished,” Stephanie emphasizes. “Every new record potentially contains multiple opportunities for error. Healthy databases have ongoing cleaning habits baked into the workflow.”

3. Align systems and people.
Stephanie also points out that data health isn’t just a technical task—it’s cultural. “The most successful organizations are those that build shared responsibility for data accuracy across departments,” she says. “If your program staff, gift processors, and fundraisers all understand how their entries affect the whole system, you’ll have fewer errors and better decisions. Clean data is everyone’s job.”

When Good Data Builds Donor Trust

As the cleanup progressed, Youssef and Kendra began to see immediate benefits. With duplicates resolved, mailings became more cost-efficient. Merge fields populated correctly, and acknowledgment letters used the right names and salutations. Kendra thought she noticed something else: the donor tone was improving. “When people get communications that clearly recognize them, they feel known,” she said. “Even a small fix—like addressing someone by their chosen name—signals respect and professionalism.”

To measure progress, Youssef created a simple dashboard showing three metrics: duplicate rate, percentage of complete records (including valid email and address), and average turnaround time for gift acknowledgment. Within three months, duplicates dropped by 40%, and the team could process gifts and send thank-yous two days faster.

From Data Health to Data Confidence

By spring, the food bank’s next direct mail appeal ran flawlessly. Every letter was correctly addressed, and no donor received more than one. When Luisa, the board member who first pointed out the problem, received her spring appeal, she called Kendra—not to complain, but to congratulate. “This one’s perfect,” she said. “Nice job cleaning house, and please give Youssef my thanks.”

“Clean data is a form of stewardship,” notes Stephanie. “It shows donors that you value accuracy, respect their information and preferences, and run an organization that is responsible and trustworthy. When you’re committed to donor-centered, relationship-based fundraising, you can’t allow sloppy data to undermine the trust you’ve worked so hard to build. ”

The Strategic Advantage of Clean Data

Healthy data doesn’t just prevent errors—it empowers better strategy. With reliable records, Kendra could segment appeals by giving behavior and communication preferences, identify lapsed donors with confidence, and generate reliable retention reports. When she presented to the board at fiscal year’s end, her charts were more credible than ever before.

“Data health might not sound glamorous,” Dan says, “but it’s the foundation of everything else—storytelling, stewardship, analytics, and campaign success. Without it, you’re flying blind.”

The positive ripple effect extended beyond development; the food bank program staff could now connect donor support with impact and service metrics more reliably. Finance could reconcile reports faster. Communications could personalize messages accurately across channels. Kendra and Youssef had transformed what started as a breakfast embarrassment into an organizational triumph. “I used to dread pulling lists,” Kendra admitted. “Now I actually trust what’s in our system. Clean data gives you confidence—it’s like seeing clearly after years of fog.”

Partner with Us

Is your nonprofit’s data helping or hindering your mission? Do duplicate records, missing information, or inconsistent reports make fundraising harder than it should be? Take CFA’s data self-assessment to see if your data systems need attention. CFA helps organizations audit, organize, and sustain healthy databases that strengthen trust and drive fundraising strategy. Our experts can audit your current system, design routines for long-term maintenance, and train your staff to keep information accurate across every department. Contact CFA today to learn how strong data health can support your organization’s growth and impact.

*Disclaimer: Client confidentiality is paramount in our work with each and every organization. The story in this article is fiction, based on real situations drawn from CFA’s broad experience serving nonprofit organizations.

Leslie Cronin

Leslie Cronin, Senior Manager of Strategic Communications

Leslie Cronin comes to Creative Fundraising Advisors with broad experience in education and nonprofits. Early in her career, she taught English, composition, and creative writing at selective independent schools, colleges, and universities. In 2005, she became Senior Development Writer at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, overseeing all aspects of communication coming out of the museum’s development department including exhibition descriptions, grant applications, correspondence with major donors, acknowledgements, and event invitations.

Leslie later brought her experience in education and fundraising to a new role, serving first as board member and then vice president of the board of an independent school in Houston, Texas. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the formulation of the school’s 20-year plan, including its successful accreditation as an International Baccalaureate institution. She worked closely with a wide variety of consultants on urban planning, architecture, and a fundraising feasibility study. Her insight into the client experience helps her every day in her work for CFA.

As Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, Leslie helps CFA’s clients shape their campaigns for maximum impact and results by leading case development workshops, writing compelling case summaries, and crafting powerfully persuasive campaign collateral. Additionally, Leslie manages CFA’s brand voice by developing content for the firm’s resource library and overseeing the editorial calendar. 

Leslie believes nonprofits have the power to change the world. In crafting cases for support, she writes as a committed advocate for each client and their goals. Leslie holds two Masters degrees, one an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the other an MA in English Literature from Temple University. She is mother to two grown children, a voracious reader, and an amateur equestrian. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, author Justin Cronin, and their rescue dog, Lonesome Dove.

Preparing Your Board for a Campaign

Posted on by CFA

An Independent High School With an Ambitious Strategic Plan

Clayton* is a seasoned chief development officer at an independent high school that is nearing its 100th anniversary. The school’s board of directors recently adopted a strategic plan, gathering input from students, faculty, parents, alumni, and school leaders. Clayton thinks of this board as something of a dream team: generous, committed, and equipped with a broad range of skills and perspectives. Several members are alumni who credit the school with shaping their lives. Evelyn, the board chair, is an alumna with a grandchild enrolled. Her family has attended the school for generations. 

The  recently created strategic plan sets the school on a path to become recognized as the leading independent high school in the region by achieving four big but attainable goals: 

  1. Bolster academics by hiring teachers with advanced degrees to mentor students interested in doing original research 
  2. Improve college placement by hiring senior staff members in college counseling and revamping the counseling process
  3. Create a top-tier high school athletics program by building a new sports complex and investing in dedicated coaching staff
  4. Expand financial aid so the most promising students can attend regardless of their ability to pay.

The school had never before undertaken such a wide-ranging plan, tackling scholarship, college placement, athletics, and financial accessibility. 

Questions that Arise when Boards Contemplate Campaigns

At the board’s annual retreat, Clayton and Priya, the head of school, presented a blueprint to operationalize the strategic plan. Every initiative was a logical next step in the school’s mission, but those initiatives would require significant resources. Clayton and Priya made a compelling case that the only way the strategic plan could be realized was to launch a comprehensive campaign. As they laid out their case for a campaign, there were many questions. 

The board chair, Evelyn, said that in her work on another board, a consulting firm had been hired to conduct a feasibility study that provided reliable analytics on how much could be raised, a range of gifts table based on the organization’s own data, recommendations on staffing, and a tested case for support that later evolved into beautiful campaign collateral. She was enthusiastic about the prospect of a major fundraising campaign at the school, but proposed hiring seasoned fundraising consultants to map the steps to success. Everyone agreed it would be wise to get professional support for this epic project. Clayton knew that success would also hinge on something beyond numbers and projections: the active participation of the board itself. Evelyn invited discussion.

One alumna leaned forward: “How can we help? Are we expected to fundraise ourselves?” Another asked if the board would be expected to solicit their friends. A third trustee raised a concern: “When I was on the historical society board, our campaign plateaued halfway through. How do we avoid that?”

A Wide Range of Roles for Board Members to Play

Clayton explained that if the board elected to go ahead with a campaign, each member’s participation would begin with a personal commitment. “Every trustee will be asked to make a gift that is personally meaningful to them,” he said. “Your leadership in giving will set the tone for the entire community.” Then he addressed the role of trustees in fundraising: “Not everyone is required to share contacts or make asks,” he assured them. “If you feel compelled to participate in fundraising, we’ll be happy to provide training and pair you with staff or fellow trustees. What we would more likely ask is that you open doors, make introductions, and share your story of the school with others.” His answer seemed to ease any anxiety about “cold calling.” 

CFA Founder and CEO Paul Johnson reinforces Clayton’s point about board participation: “When trustees make a gift that is meaningful to them, they not only fund the campaign—they model a culture of philanthropy. Gifts from leadership are powerfully persuasive for other donors, but beyond giving, board members can help in a wide variety of ways that fit with their strengths and busy schedules. They can serve as ambassadors in the community, invite prospects on a tour to meet staff and leadership, host an event, or join the campaign committee if they wish to play a bigger role.”

Sharing the Vision Builds Trustee Confidence 

Though the board was still in an investigative mode, Clayton knew it wouldn’t hurt for them to strengthen their skills in telling stories of the school’s impact and linking those narratives to their own values and life experiences. He distributed a one-page case statement for each of the initiatives and asked trustees to pair up. Each pair took turns presenting an initiative, linking it to a personal story, and practicing how they might share it with a colleague or friend.

At first, the room buzzed with nervous energy. Some trustees stumbled; others read from the handout. But as the minutes passed, voices grew stronger, and stories more inspirational. One alumna who was an athlete recalled life lessons she’d learned about leadership and noted that the sports complex would enable many more athletes to develop those skills. Another trustee, a scholarship recipient, spoke of how financial aid had been a life-changing opportunity for him. By the time Clayton asked for volunteers to tell their stories to the whole group, several were eager to share. In just 20 minutes, abstract initiatives had become heartfelt narratives.

Communication and Celebration Create a Cohesive Board and a Successful Campaign

With energy levels high after the storytelling session, Clayton looped back to the question about plateaus. On a whiteboard, he sketched the arc of a typical campaign: early lead gifts, a mid-campaign lull, and a public push at the end. “Let’s talk about this middle plateau,” he said. “What would it feel like to be halfway through and struggling?”

Trustees spoke of discouragement, doubt, and the temptation to scale back. Then, Clayton asked them to collaborate on designing countermeasures. They came up with hosting centennial-themed alumni gatherings, running feature articles on student scholarship in the alumni magazine, and sharing monthly updates with major stakeholders to regain momentum. 

While Clayton felt it was prudent to let the board consider how they might handle a setback, he also felt it was important for them to know a campaign would also bring wins– like new faculty hires, new funding for students in need, and breaking ground on the new sports center.

To illustrate this, he returned to the campaign timeline on the whiteboard and sketched in milestones worth celebrating: principal gifts, crossing the halfway mark, and the public launch. He invited trustees to imagine how they would recognize donors and one another along the way. Ideas ranged from receptions to spotlight videos on social media to thank-you notes from students. The mood brightened as trustees envisioned celebrating together.

Paul Johnson encapsulates campaign dynamics: “Plateaus are inevitable. A campaign is a marathon. As the months unfold, there are triumphs and challenges, and sometimes there are moments when not a lot happens. If there is a lull in fundraising, communication is imperative, so the group can work together to get back on track. Similarly, when things are going great, celebration is fuel. Recognition for individual contributions and shared achievements creates energy and momentum. When CFA is providing campaign counsel to a nonprofit, we typically advise campaign committees to create a fundraising dashboard to easily track and share progress. This helps to keep the relevant players apprised.”

The Results

By the end of the retreat, Clayton was seeing a visible shift. Trustees who didn’t know a lot about campaigns now seemed more comfortable with the idea. They had practiced telling the story, anticipated challenges, brainstormed solutions, and realized that there would be victories large and small along the way. 

The campaign still had a long road ahead—beginning with the feasibility study—but together they had taken the first steps toward charting the school’s path into the next century.

Paul Johnson offers a final observation: “Every organization has unique strengths and challenges going into a campaign. Very few have all their ducks in a row. At CFA, we meet clients where they are, tailor our advice, and guide them toward customized strategies and solutions. We work with clients and their boards to build a bridge between their present-day challenges and a visionary, empowered, and impactful future.”

Partner with Us

Are you preparing for a campaign? Do you wonder how to fully engage your trustees? CFA has guided nonprofits nationwide in equipping boards for campaign success. Contact CFA today to learn how we can help.

*Disclaimer: Client confidentiality is paramount in our work with each and every organization. The story in this article is fiction, based on real situations drawn from CFA’s broad experience serving nonprofit organizations.

Leslie Cronin

Leslie Cronin, Senior Manager of Strategic Communications

Leslie Cronin comes to Creative Fundraising Advisors with broad experience in education and nonprofits. Early in her career, she taught English, composition, and creative writing at selective independent schools, colleges, and universities. In 2005, she became Senior Development Writer at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, overseeing all aspects of communication coming out of the museum’s development department including exhibition descriptions, grant applications, correspondence with major donors, acknowledgements, and event invitations.

Leslie later brought her experience in education and fundraising to a new role, serving first as board member and then vice president of the board of an independent school in Houston, Texas. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the formulation of the school’s 20-year plan, including its successful accreditation as an International Baccalaureate institution. She worked closely with a wide variety of consultants on urban planning, architecture, and a fundraising feasibility study. Her insight into the client experience helps her every day in her work for CFA.

As Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, Leslie helps CFA’s clients shape their campaigns for maximum impact and results by leading case development workshops, writing compelling case summaries, and crafting powerfully persuasive campaign collateral. Additionally, Leslie manages CFA’s brand voice by developing content for the firm’s resource library and overseeing the editorial calendar. 

Leslie believes nonprofits have the power to change the world. In crafting cases for support, she writes as a committed advocate for each client and their goals. Leslie holds two Masters degrees, one an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the other an MA in English Literature from Temple University. She is mother to two grown children, a voracious reader, and an amateur equestrian. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband, author Justin Cronin, and their rescue dog, Lonesome Dove.

Moving to the Campaign Public Phase

Posted on by CFA

When is it time for your campaign to go public? Because the quiet phase occurs largely behind closed doors, the transition into the public phase of a campaign can seem complex and mysterious. The art and science behind successful campaigns play prominently in the decision to shift gears from one phase to the next. 

The most effective campaign quiet phases are far from a well-kept secret. Rather, the quiet phase is a distinct point of inflection when a campaign’s most significant work is underway. 

As CFA shared in A Closer Look at the Campaign Quiet Phase, the quiet phase serves as a litmus test for a campaign’s vision and case for support, deeply engaging top priority donors while building confidence amongst fundraising staff and donors alike. The quiet phase also confirms what is often the most uncertain component of any campaign: the fundraising goal. By testing the case for support and gaining insight from an organization’s closest supporters, the quiet phase provides a period of flexibility before setting the final bar to achieve success. 

TRANSITIONING FROM THE QUIET PHASE

The determination to enter a campaign’s public phase is more nuanced than simply surpassing a predefined fundraising threshold. 

CFA Senior Manager of Campaigns Anne Spears brings over a decade of fundraising experience, offering strategic guidance to organizations throughout each stage of their campaigns and supporting progress toward their campaign goals. CFA takes a customized approach to each client we serve, and there are a variety of factors Anne considers when providing counsel at this strategic period in a campaign:

  1. Fundraising Progress: While most nonprofits raise between 50-80% of their overall goal before going public, campaigns quickly raising a significant percentage of funds may choose to set their sights higher than the original internal goal, while those experiencing fewer commitments or gifts lower than anticipated may establish a more feasible fundraising goal before entering the public phase. 
  1. Campaign Momentum: An organization’s pace toward their fundraising goal can also influence the decision to go public. Organizations quickly raising funds with a strong prospect pipeline may choose to take their campaign public early on to sustain the excitement. Conversely, organizations experiencing a decline in fundraising momentum may go public more quickly to broaden their pipeline of potential supporters. For organizations with a commitment to equity, the decision to promptly take their campaign public creates access early on for donors and stakeholders at all levels. 
  1. Anticipated Timeline and Trajectory: An organization’s capacity to implement and sustain a campaign will influence the duration and eventual finish line of their campaign. Some organizations with a smaller donor base and modest fundraising goal may strive for an expedited campaign relying on their current staffing structure, while organizations with ambitious goals may expand their fundraising team and set out on a lengthy campaign to reach their final destination. 

CFA provides customized counsel to each organization we serve, weighing these factors alongside the organization’s history, base of support, and vision for the future. While each campaign follows a unique course, having a direct line of sight to the fundraising goal – defined by a strong base of donors and promising prospects in the pipeline – before publicly announcing the campaign is the surest path to success. 

SUSTAINING MOMENTUM IN THE PUBLIC PHASE

Regardless of the depth of an organization’s development team or the extent of its fundraising goal, campaigns are a comprehensive undertaking that require sustained stamina and capacity to complete. As critical donor engagement activity progresses in the quiet phase, there is important groundwork to be laid internally to sustain progress in the public phase. 

Creating a Communications Plan

 “The key to public phase fundraising success hinges on a smooth passing of the baton from an organization’s development team to their marketing team,” according to Anne. For smaller organizations, these efforts may be housed under one department or even shared amongst a few staff. Larger organizations will require increased cross-functional coordination as the marketing team prepares the public facing communications plan. “When organizations decide to go public quickly, there is significant work happening simultaneously – securing leadership gifts while also targeting stakeholders at varying giving levels. So, it’s critical that organizations have their campaign communications plan ready as activity ramps up.”

  • A consistent, compelling communications plan should be built around the campaign’s case for support, complete with content and collateral to expand awareness, garner additional interest, and support individual donor cultivation. Check out CFA’s Donor Communications & Outreach Guide for more details about creating a donor communications plan to support your campaign or annual fund.

Engaging Staff and Volunteers

As organizations transition into the campaign public phase, the initial motivation and enthusiasm driving early fundraising wins can wane amongst staff and volunteer committee members. Establishing SMART goals tied specifically to the quiet and public phases of a campaign can support fundraising staff as they continue to make meaningful progress and sustain momentum within their own portfolios. As CFA’s Principal-West Coast Kristin Love shared in a recent article on fundraising metrics, relying on activity- and outcome-based leading indicators will drive results by informing time management, improving accountability, and ultimately increasing giving. 

The roles of volunteer committee members naturally transition and often decline in the campaign public phase, with involvement becoming more sporadic and event-based. The campaign public phase often involves peer-to-peer fundraising, which can also be a chance for volunteers to leverage their networks in new and exciting ways. To replenish the excitement of the campaign committee, Anne often advises clients to create space for new committee members as campaigns go public. “Allowing committee members to roll off and bringing in new, fresh energy can help to galvanize the team in the midst of a marathon of a campaign.” 

ACHIEVING FUNDRAISING SUCCESS IN THE PUBLIC PHASE AND BEYOND 

Sustained fundraising success requires consistent planning for the future. Just as organizations prepare for their campaign public phase during the quiet phase, it is equally important to establish systems to ensure proper gift acknowledgement and data integrity during the public stage. Internal capacity building can be one of the most impactful, enduring efforts of any campaign.

CFA guides our clients to ensure gift recognition processes, donor data entry, and reporting systems are prepared and ready for an influx of gifts. These vital systems provide real-time insights to inform fundraising strategies while enabling sustained donor engagement and stewardship post-campaign. With accurate donor records and consistent donor moves management strategies, organizations will be positioned to sustain future fundraising success.

CONTACT US

Campaigns are an extensive undertaking that require a balance of organizational strategy, experience, and stamina. At CFA, we have partnered with more than 100 organizations throughout the planning, execution, and sustaining of transformative campaigns. If your organization is interested in support to launch a successful campaign, contact CFA today to explore how we can help.

Anne Spears, Senior Manager of Campaigns

An experienced fundraiser with over a decade of experience in education, religious, and social service based nonprofit fundraising, Anne is passionate about the work being done by nonprofit organizations. She is energized and inspired by working side by side with our nonprofit partners as a project manager for fundraising campaigns.

Most recently Anne was the Director of Development at the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas where she oversaw a multitude of initiatives including capital campaigns for Diocesan camp facilities from the South Texas Coast to the Colorado Rockies, campaigns to assist asylum seekers traveling from Mexico to the U.S., and consulted with the 87 Diocesan churches regarding their fundraising needs. 

Previously Anne was the Chief Development Officer for Ascension DePaul Services of San Antonio and the Development Coordinator at St. Thomas Early Learning Center in College Station, Texas. She also worked for the State of Montana as a social services specialist serving indigenous and rural populations.

Anne has a  B.S. in Sociology, a M.S. in Family and Child Studies, along with a Master of Public Administration. She also is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Anne lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and three children.

Email Anne

Kendall Carlson, Content Writer

A frequent contributor to CFA’s digital content, Kendall Carlson has spent her career advancing nonprofit organizations across the Twin Cities. With 16 years of experience, Kendall brings a balance of strategic and operational leadership spanning fundraising, program development, evaluation, and strategic planning.

Most recently, Kendall served as Development and Communications Director at Hired, where she diversified revenue for the organization’s $11M budget and increased individual giving by 60%, led a rebrand, and launched an organization-wide data for impact initiative. Prior to Hired, Kendall served at Greater Twin Cities United Way, where she led an advancement strategy team to increase investment and engagement from the organization’s top corporate and major donors.  Kendall is known as a strategic, solution-oriented leader with a high capacity for detail and commitment to quality. She launched her consulting practice, Luminate Consulting, in 2022 to bring her skills in fundraising and program strategy to nonprofits seeking sustainable growth.