All About Capital Campaigns: Nonprofits, Fundraising, Major Gifts, Toolkit

All About Capital Campaigns: Nonprofits, Fundraising, Major Gifts, Toolkit

All About Capital Campaigns is your weekly source for nonprofit fundraising advice. Each week hosts Andrea Kihlstedt and Amy Eisenstein, co-founders of Capital Campaign Pro (capitalcampaignpro.com) and special guests, provide practical tips about raising more money for your nonprofit organization. Topics include capital campaigns, feasibility studies, working with your board, donors, major gifts, volunteers, and more. This is a great resource for nonprofit Executive Directors/CEOs, Development Directors, Board Members, or others looking to learn about nonprofit fundraising.

Episodes

February 4, 2025 32 mins

In this episode, Andrea Kihlstedt talks with Alexandra O’Connor about her journey in capital campaign fundraising. From learning the ropes at Community MusicWorks to leading an ambitious endowment campaign at The Gordon School, Alexandra shares insights on donor engagement, strategic planning, and balancing operations with relationship-building.

They also discuss the challenges of increasing campaign goals, the power of feasibilit...

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In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt reveal the incredible power of the gift range chart, an indispensable tool for any capital campaign. Often called a gift pyramid or table of gifts, this chart does more than outline donation goals—it serves as a comprehensive roadmap for your campaign’s strategy.

Amy and Andrea explain how this simple yet complex chart can eliminate the chaos of cam...

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In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt dive into the often-overlooked power of curiosity in fundraising. They explore how understanding donors' motivations and personal stories can transform your fundraising efforts and create authentic connections that inspire giving.

Andrea shares a real-life example of an arts organization and explains why asking meaningful questions—like what dr...

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In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein sits down with Mallory Erickson, fundraising expert, coach, and host of What The Fundraising podcast.

Together, they dive deep into the origins of the scarcity mindset in the nonprofit sector, exploring how this pervasive mentality impacts fundraising practices and organizational culture.

Mallory introduces concepts from her new book, What The Fundraising: Embracing an...

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Join fundraising experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt as they unravel the essentials of capital campaigns, from small-scale projects to multimillion-dollar transformations.

Discover why size doesn’t define a campaign's success, but its potential to catapult your organization forward does. Through relatable stories, expert insights, and practical tips, this episode explores how campaigns differ from annual fundraising, strat...

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In this episode, capital campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt will help you think through the process of determining the right goal for your campaign. You’ll learn that it takes more than simply knowing how much your project will cost. And setting the right campaign goal sets your campaign up for success.

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This is an encore presentation originally aired on February 7, 2022.

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In this episode, campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt have some fun role-playing examples of asking donors for complex gifts that combine campaign, annual and planned giving.

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This is an encore presentation originally aired on June 27, 2022.

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How do you determine the right price for naming opportunities in your capital campaign? Join Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt as they unravel the art and science behind donor recognition and stewardship. From avoiding common pitfalls in pricing naming opportunities to designing a donor recognition plan aligned with your gift range chart, this episode offers practical insights to elevate your campaign strategies.

Discover innova...

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In this episode, Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt dive into one of the most critical aspects of fundraising success: identifying your top 50 donor prospects.

They discuss why these prospects are pivotal to your campaign's success, how to effectively identify and prioritize them, and strategies for leveraging your inner circle to uncover hidden potential.

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This is an encore presentation originally aired on July 25, 2022...

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Do you wonder how to approach the wealthiest individuals in your community about your capital campaign? In this episode, Amy and Andrea give you a new perspective - and some useful tools - to address this crucial step in your capital campaign.

Discover how to identify potential donors, build genuine relationships around shared values, and create opportunities for collaboration that benefit both your mission and your community. Whet...

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In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein hosts Melissa Bank Stepno from Helen Brown Group, a leading prospect research firm. Melissa brings her extensive knowledge to explore donor-advised funds (DAFs) and their transformative role in the nonprofit sector. With DAFs becoming a popular charitable giving vehicle, nonprofit leaders often have questions. Melissa explains what DAFs are, their tax advantages, and ho...

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In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt dive into the much-anticipated findings from the second annual State of Capital Campaigns Benchmark Report. This essential research, conducted by Capital Campaign Pro, unveils key insights into the capital campaign process, providing data-driven answers to questions that have lingered in the fundraising world for years.

Amy and Andrea discuss...

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November 5, 2024 23 mins

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, co-founders Andrea Kihlstedt and Amy Eisenstein dive into the hot topic of whether hiring a capital campaign consultant is a necessary investment or an unnecessary expense. They explore the significant role consultants play in guiding nonprofit organizations through the complex landscape of capital campaigns. From clearing up common misconceptions to highlighting the strategic advanta...

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In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, co-founder Andrea Kihlstedt speaks with Lila Thorne, former Director of Development at the Northern Forest Center, about their groundbreaking $30 million capital campaign. Lila shares the compelling story of how the Northern Forest Center launched an innovative campaign that combined philanthropy and impact investing to support communities across a 30 million-acre landscape spanning f...

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In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt dive into one of the most crucial aspects of campaign planning: setting a realistic and effective capital campaign goal. Whether you're building a new facility, expanding your programs, or establishing an endowment, determining the right working goal is far from simple.

Amy and Andrea discuss why a working or draft goal is essential and explor...

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In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, co-hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt dive deep into the critical role of CEOs and Executive Directors in leading successful capital campaigns. As the central figures, these leaders often feel overwhelmed by the complex, multi-faceted demands of a campaign, managing everything from program planning to board involvement, and campaign operations.

Amy and Andrea break down the ke...

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In this episode, Amy Eisenstein of Capital Campaign Pro sits down with fundraising expert Courtney Leonard, who shares her experiences from an 18-year career in philanthropy. Currently serving as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Clark University, Courtney delves into the challenges and triumphs of leading a $40 million comprehensive campaign at a small university.

Courtney shares how her team leveraged strategic ...

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In this episode, Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt discuss the importance of recognizing the unsung heroes of fundraising campaigns. These individuals often work behind the scenes, making crucial contributions that drive campaigns to success. Amy and Andrea share stories of meaningful and creative ways to show gratitude.

They talk about how personalized recognition, such as handwritten notes or thoughtful gifts, can have a lastin...

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In this episode, Amy Eisenstein and Sarah Plimpton tackle a common issue in the world of fundraising—campaigns getting "stuck." Every fundraising campaign experiences ebbs and flows, but the key to success is knowing how to navigate the valleys. Together, Amy and Sarah share actionable strategies to help you get your campaign back on track.

From revisiting current donors for potential second gifts to leveraging project de...

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In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt dive into the delicate art of managing donor expectations when their funding ideas don’t align with your organization’s mission.

Drawing from a real-life scenario, they explore what to do when a wealthy donor offers a significant contribution—but with a catch. The donor’s vision, in this case, starting a goat farm in Africa, doesn't match...

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