8 Deliverables of the Campaign Consultant

So…you are a smart leader and already understand how a Campaign Consultant can help you achieve your monetary goals for facilities, projects, programs and/or endowments.

Excellent consultants not only respect the mission and values of the organizations they serve, but also respect the recipients of the services that the organizations provide. They must value the organization’s history, culture and impacts/outcomes; these elements are strategically woven into the campaign.

1.Campaign Strategy and Planning The most important job consultants perform is to develop a comprehensive campaign strategy, outlining goals, target fundraising amounts, and timelines. This is the Campaign Road Map which leverages a proven path, well-designed tactics, timeline, metrics and ‘built-in’ milestones.

2. Internal Analysis

This exercise is often in the ‘Discovery Phase’…meaning, while the nonprofit organization is courting the Consultant, the Consultant is assessing campaign readiness relative to Board (governance) and Staff (leadership, talent, skills/acumen). A good consultant can observe ‘gaps’ early in the process and help organizations with operational standards so that ALL parties enter campaign with eyes wide open. Discussions can take on topics like newness, giving capacity and/or influence of Board Members, breadth and depth of Board’s connection to the marketplace, Chairperson selection, Committee Job Descriptions, history of past campaign outcomes. All of these (and more) are important elements to consider before laying out Capital Campaign plan.

3. External Analysis (Market)

This involves assessing the nonprofit’s donor base (and major gift potential), leveraging campaign tools so as identify and qualify respective capacity, propensity and affinity of donors (using GIFT PYRAMIDs and interactive GIFT TABLE)s, and potentially conducting pre-campaign interviews with key donors and stakeholders. These exercises help analyze if the organization’s has capacity to raise the desired funds. Campaign consultants help organizations organize potential major gift donors (e.g., TOP 100 per Channel), develop cultivation strategies, design/produce branded collateral, train/coach volunteer solicitors and share templates to help a) make assignments; b) set deadlines; c) track results; d) share progress with stakeholders.

4. Case Development Upon the conclusion of internal and external assessment (organization and marketplace are deemed campaign-ready), consultants often begin engagement by helping to craft the campaign’s CASE for SUPPORT (aka BUSINESS CASE). This compelling narrative and storytelling element effectively communicates the project’s importance, impact, timing, benefits to the market and, often, how lives are positively changed via funds raised. This CASE for SUPPORT is the ‘base’ element serving many other campaign components to include STORY/VALUES, VISION/PLAN, TIMELINE and organizational DESIRED OUTCOMES.

5. Campaign Design; Branded Collateral

It is the opinion of Clemons-Associates that every campaign deserves a unique brand (BRAND ID). This idea is extended to include the campaign’s name, logo, color palette, font package. The campaign’s BRAND ID is professionally incorporated into respective Folders, Flyers, Website, Naming Opps, Digital Assets, Pledge Cards, Event Invitations, Thank You Cards and more.

6. Campaign Leadership and Training

Even the most sophisticated, seasoned and successful business leaders – when performing as a volunteer on behalf of the nonprofit – benefit from coaching, tips and techniques with regard to cultivating, soliciting (the ‘ASK’) and stewardship of donors.

Clemons-Associates has trained/coached volunteers via one-day Board Retreats to pre-launch campaign sessions with hands-on role playing and best practices in donor cultivation/solicitation. Training/Coaching sessions – combined with professional production of campaign collateral and branded digital assets – are ingredients for achieving campaign goals ranging from $1M to $300M.

7. Campaign Execution and Management After the assessment(s), campaign design/development and training/coaching stages, it’s time to raise some money. A good  consultant works closely with the nonprofit’s team and their volunteer leaders to launch plan (Kick-off), execute the campaign, monitor progress, and adjust strategies as needed. This includes tracking fundraising progress, analyzing results, and making necessary refinements. And don’t be surprised if a ‘campaign within the campaign’ is borne given a special opportunity (e.g., 1:1 Match Challenge from an invested donor; Finish Strong mini campaign to bring awareness to campaign’s progress and illustrate that 75% has been secured/25% more will complete campaign

8. Reporting and Communication Consultants share templated communication tools to help deliver campaign progress. Recognizing there is ‘no such thing as over-communication’ during a multi-million-dollar campaign with many moving parts, regularly shared data to all stakeholders is mission critical. See our blog on Campaign STATE of the UNION used to successfully raise $300M and build a new debt-free stadium serving Division One NCAA sports. In addition to this master communication tool, it is a good idea to set up tracking and reporting systems pre-campaign to manage the donor pipeline, solicitation progress and campaign results.

IMPERATIVES:

• Ensure Consultant has a background of campaign plans, strategies, outcomes

• Ensure Consultant plans to Audit/Assess Internal Dynamics (campaign readiness)

• Ensure Consultant plans to Audit/Assess external Dynamics (campaign readiness)

• Ensure Consultant will work with stakeholders to develop Case for Support

• Ensure Consultant plans to develop a unique brand ID serving campaign

• Ensure Consultant plans to train/coach staff, Board, volunteers with regards to campaign activities

• Ensure Consultant has tools to monitor campaign; track progress and milestone

• Ensure Consultant plans to share communication templates

Bottom line: Great consultants can execute deliverables and share best practice/templated tools so as to help nonprofit organizations achieve monetary goals for facilities, projects, programs and/or endowments.

The best consultants will respect the mission, values and history of the organization they serve while strategically collaborating with Board, staff and volunteers on all campaign elements. They should share folders, files and methodologies within their 'tool box' so as to shorten the relative learning curve and move through mission-critical phases: assessment, pre-campaign, quiet phase, kick-off, public phase and celebration.

Craig Clemons with Friend, Philanthropist and President/Founder/Board Chairman of Express Employment Professionals, Bob Funk, Sr.

Seeking expert assistance from seasoned professionals?

Contact Craig Clemons at craig@clemons-associates.com or one of our rock star associates for more details. Clemons & Associates is on standby to help you with brand identity, strategic messaging, campaigns, digital assets and programs/projects.