What is Your Campaign Readiness IQ?

By Rita Galowich, President, Fund Inc®
Strategic partner of Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc.

We have discovered over the past several months that many of the organizations contacting us to request a feasibility study in readiness for an upcoming capital campaign are not really in the best position to move forward with such a major fundraising effort.

We discover this as we discuss and ask them questions about their fundraising goals and successes, strategic plans, board leadership, board readiness to fundraise, and the strength of their case for support.

Additionally, in this challenging economic climate, we are hearing that organizations are somewhat hesitant to begin a major fundraising effort. Their concerns lie in whether or not people will want to make major financial contributions at this time, or if there is even the financial ability to make gifts.

Our suggestion is to take a step back and address the issue of campaign readiness. Being “campaign ready” will not only enable an organization to have a successful campaign, it will also strengthen all of its annual fundraising activities. And isn’t that what we all would like to see?

So, you ask, what would make your organization campaign ready? At Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, we define campaign readiness as having:

• a case that is valid, realistic, compassionate, compelling and universally understood;
• commitment by organizational leaders;
• involvement of community leaders;
• a strategy (including cultivation) to obtain large gifts;
• proper planning;
• proper timing;
• a consultant who understands the needs of the organization and can relate to the organizational environment and philosophy.

Achieving campaign readiness means going back to the essentials. It means strengthening your board of directors so they understand their multi-faceted role in fundraising; it means having a solid and outcome-directed strategic plan; it means being sure volunteers and staff are trained in best practices to solicit contributions; it means raising the awareness of your organization in the community so that you can raise the money you need; and it means having a strong case statement to share with all of your constituents.

All of these components support building the capacity of an organization to better deliver services, govern more effectively and efficiently, and move the organization into a campaign ready mode.

Jeffrey Byrne & Associates Essential Fundraising ServicesSM (EFS) moves our clients who are considering a capital, endowment or major gift campaign into a campaign ready position. If, during our initial discussions with your organization, we discover you may not be campaign ready, we will help you determine your strengths and challenges, and then suggest the appropriate EFS program for you (learn more about EFS).

Your “Campaign Readiness IQ” builds from the bottom up to strengthen all your resource development efforts. Experience has demonstrated that our clients who become campaign ready raise the bar on all their governance and fundraising initiatives. Their annual funds get stronger; their strategic planning is actually implemented; their boards know how to lead and understand their important role as fundraisers. And when they do get ready to initiate their campaign, they are most definitely campaign ready!  
 
So, I ask you: Are you campaign ready? If you’d like help assessing your campaign readiness, give us a call and we can help you answer that question.