Feasibility study:
What is the image of the organisation? Do you have a donor base willing to support the
capital campaign? Do you have the resources in place to make it happen? Conducting an
initial feasibility study to assess – or ‘test the waters’ – is essential before leaping in head
first with potentially disastrous consequences.

A clear fundraising strategy:
Should the feasibility study be positive, take the time to devise a clear and achievable
fundraising strategy to guide you through the life of the campaign.

Articulating the case for support:
Put together a clear, emotive and compelling case for why your donors should support
the campaign.

Potential donors:
Segmented your donor file to make sure that major donors are asked by their peers,
and medium and general prospects are also asked in the appropriate way.

Supporting materials:
You will need a case statement, budget, website, and visual representations to support
your campaign and inform your donors of the need to give. Remember, donors will only
give if they believe in the cause and trust you to deliver on their behalf.

Be realistic:
A capital campaign is a vast undertaking. Make sure your preparation and lead-in time
are adequate, and that you don’t alienate your donors by selling a vision that is not realistic
or achievable. Experience shows that donors will not forget the promises you don’t keep,
nor their expectations which you have left unfulfilled. Once trust is lost, it’s hard to regain.