tions about the need for the new IT&T
and the opportunities and challenges of
bringing the vision to life. In the current
economic and health care environments,
the easy answer might have been to
delay or forego the project. At every
turn, however, the Governing Board
determined the new IT&T was critical
to the future of ASGE’s members and
mission.
ASGE leaders are 100 percent
behind the new IT&T and the capital
campaign. They have contributed their
expertise, passion, time and money to
the effort. Every member of ASGE’s
Governing Board, Foundation Board of
Trustees and IT&T Capital Campaign
National Steering Committee has
made a significant financial commitment to the campaign, totaling nearly
$500,000.
expenses. Before you get started, make
sure you know how the association will
absorb these additional expenses.
One of your largest expenses will
be staff. ASGE opted to retain outside
fundraising counsel to help plan and
implement its capital campaign, but
also has involved foundation, sales,
business development, finance, marketing, public relations, education and
membership staff.
Whether you hire new staff or retain
outside fundraising counsel, you will
likely need to add both expertise and
capacity to your team.
Fundraising Myths
ASGE’s new IT&T is a $20 million project. You might therefore ask, “Why isn’t
your campaign goal $20 million?” The
IT&T Capital Campaign’s financial goal
was determined based on the data from
ASGE’s market study. Campaign goals
must be realistic and attainable. Setting
your campaign’s financial goal at an
unrealistic level will guarantee you have
Do Your Homework
A successful capital campaign requires
strong support from leadership, a
compelling case for support, a comprehensive campaign plan and a pool
of prospects with both the inclination
and capacity to support the project. A
philanthropic market study conducted
by an independent third party will help
you assess your organization’s readiness
to conduct a capital campaign. Typically
consisting of an internal assessment
of your organization’s current development program and operational capacity,
it also will evaluate external readiness
through a series of anonymous interviews with key constituents.
A philanthropic market study can
mean the difference between success
and failure. If your organization isn’t
willing to invest in one, then it likely
isn’t ready for a capital campaign. The
market study will validate your case for
support, help determine a realistic and
achievable financial goal and timetable,
identify campaign leadership and donor
prospects, and confirm your volunteer
leaders’ support.
The Cost of
Campaigning
A capital campaign is an enormous
undertaking. You must be prepared
to spend money to make money. On
average, expect to spend 10 to 12
percent of your total goal on campaign
