Setting the Right Capital Campaign Goal: Practical Advice for Nonprofits

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt explain how to set a realistic, aspirational fundraising goal for your capital campaign—without pulling a number out of thin air.

They share three essential factors to consider: the cost of your project, a multiple of your current fundraising capacity, and the potential size of your top gifts. You'll learn how these inputs come together to form a working goal—a draft goal used to guide early planning and donor conversations.

Amy and Andrea also tackle what happens when the full project cost exceeds what your donors can realistically fund. You'll hear why it's smart to test a high goal, how to plan for multiple funding sources, and why flexibility is built into the best campaigns.

If you're unsure where to start with goal setting, this episode offers a clear, grounded approach—and a reminder that courage and clarity go hand in hand when asking for big gifts.

To ensure your campaign ends in a celebration, download our free Capital Campaign Step-by-Step Guide & Checklist. This intuitive guide breaks down each step of your campaign, and the timeline allows you to visualize your whole campaign, from start to finish!