Do we really need a feasibility study? (Or what we like to call a “Campaign Planning Study,” here at DickersonBakker.) This is a great question, and to answer it well, you first need to understand the purpose of a Campaign Planning Study.
A Campaign Planning Study is used to determine whether the plan being developed has the potential to raise the amount of money you’ve decided you need. A good Campaign Planning Study will:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of your case for support
- Assess how much money can likely be raised for a project
- Help you determine a realistic and effective campaign goal
- Tell you if you are ready for a campaign
- Show a timeline for the campaign
- Identify potential campaign volunteers and donors
- Give you critical information on how your organization is viewed
A well-structured Campaign Planning Study can help highlight areas in your organization that need to be developed and can show you areas of weakness. These types of critiques can prevent you from oversight and allow you to address and fix current challenges. On the other hand, a good Campaign Planning Study will also help to determine essential leadership volunteers, reveal large donors, new strategies, and even expose public relations opportunities or potential problems.
I think we all understand that the information we get through our one-on-one interviews with key donors and prospects is vital. In that same vein, after a Planning Study has been completed, you will be armed with a wealth of knowledge, including understanding how your community feels about you and your case for support. We have to remember that no matter what the study reveals, it is giving us information that will help our organizations move forward in the right manner, and at the right time.
So, do you need a Campaign Planning Study? In most cases, yes. Think about all the information you could receive: Will our case for support work? How much money can we raise? What are the issues or challenges the community is sharing? How does the community feel about our organization? Are people willing to spend their time, money, and energy into this project?
You want to test your case for support and fundraising goals with the people who can make the campaign a reality. Knowing at the front end how much money you can raise allows you to make informed decisions about conducting a campaign before you get too far in the campaign process.
I believe with all my heart that great leadership starts with a humble heart. If we are willing to listen, we can avoid the unnecessary bad feelings, internally and within the community, that often accompany a failed campaign. Equipped with the information from a Campaign Planning Study we will be ready to move our organization forward with the right plans and in the right spirit!
Let’s talk about your upcoming capital campaign – you can start the conversation by contacting us here >>
