“Be Not Afraid”
Top 5 Things You Can Do To Help Ensure a Successful Campaign

Is your parish considering embarking on a capital campaign? Here are the top 5 things to do before you begin.

Determine a Case Statement of Needs
You need to have an outlined, prioritized case statement of needs that are supported by the majority of your parishioners. You should also have an idea of how you will pay for these needs including one or multiple campaigns, a loan, etc. You should determine how quickly these funds will allow you to begin your projects. In addition, if you are planning on building or renovating, you need to have clear plans from your architect.

Understand Arch/Diocesan Regulations
Every arch/diocese has different regulations for parishes conducting campaigns. Be sure to contact your arch/diocesan development office before getting too far into the process to ensure you are following their regulations and protocol. Important things to determine are the diocesan regulations regarding the funds needed to break ground, borrowing funds, repayment of a loan, etc. There may also be rules regarding time of year you can conduct a campaign, firms you are able to use, etc.

Recruit Strong Campaign Leadership
A campaign is only successful as the leadership behind it. There must be strong support for your case from the pastor and parish councils. The pastor must be able to recruit strong leaders to serve as a campaign committee, encourage others to get involved, motivate the parish leadership and parishioners, and challenge everyone in the parish to support the effort to the best of their ability.

Pick a Timetable
There is never a perfect time to conduct a campaign, but there are better times during the year then others. Factors that should be considered when determining the best time to launch your campaign include parish or arch/diocesan annual appeals, snow birds, vacation times, etc.

Choose the Best Counsel
Choosing the right counsel to help you achieve your fundraising goals is crucial. Important factors to consider when choosing counsel include the past experience of the firm, whether they offer full-time service or part-time service, whether they are a Catholic only consulting firm or a firm that works outside the Catholic arena. You should also review whether they use a reception model or a visitation model and their average pledge redemption rate.

We would be happy to meet with you to discuss how our firm can help you map out a successful course for your capital campaign.