Do You Wish You Had a Campaign Readiness Magic 8-Ball?

  • Published April 5, 2023
  • / By Martha Voegeli

Maybe your board chair has suggested a “capital campaign” or your school has a building project that needs philanthropy to make it happen. Or maybe you think a campaign’s a good idea, but this is your first, so while it seems like a good idea, you aren’t quite sure what you’re signing up for. Or maybe you have a gut feeling that a campaign for your school is the right next step, but—how do you know the time is right?

There are some fundamental questions you should be able to answer before you start campaign planning:

  • Do I know who will make the top 10 gifts?
  • Do I have the right team in place?
  • Is the need for this campaign well-considered and supported by a Strategic or Master Plan?
  • Is the board ready to step up and lead this campaign with gifts and action?
  • How do I gauge the culture of philanthropy at my school?
  • What is my role in the campaign, and how do I find the time to do it?

We often get questions from schools about conducting a feasibility or campaign planning study. It can be a time-consuming and costly undertaking if the answers to the questions above are not clear.

Marts&Lundy created The Azure Summit for new and aspiring Heads of School, Heads considering their first campaign, and their chief development officers, as an intensive training program to help prepare for all aspects of fundraising responsibilities. In just two days, learning from experienced practitioners and industry leaders, and from each other, participants gain the knowledge and confidence to make the right decisions about fundraising at their schools. Said one attendee:

“I felt The Summit was designed to help someone like me, who has spent my career on the academic side. It gave me the opportunity to learn from the experts, who have been in the trenches with schools across the country during strategic planning and all stages of their capital campaigns in all cycles of the economy. The shared anecdotes, role play, and opportunity to ask questions was invaluable.”

Join us this July in Atlanta on the campus of the Westminster Schools for two days designed to give you the knowledge and confidence to plan and succeed in your campaign.