Sure, every organization and situation is different. However, when launching a campaign, I strongly recommend a firm sequence of events.
Leadership: Members of Leadership make the first campaign commitments. The CEO, board chair, campaign co/chairs, and Chief Development Officer are the first to give. They may not be the largest gifts, but they make the campaign real in the eyes of others. It is common for me or a Copley Raff consultant to have those first-gift conversations with Leadership.
Insisting on this will often help me gauge the organization’s depth and breadth of commitment to the campaign. A campaign is usually cathartic for an organization, so it is crucial that Leadership is enthusiastic about it.
Askers: In the campaigns I counsel, I insist that only donors to the campaign are in a position to ask others for a commitment. The last thing you want for the donor candidate with whom you are discussing a gift is for the Ask team member to query them about what they gave to the campaign. If the team member has not given, that will be a very awkward moment for everyone and will likely negatively impact the meeting outcome.
Cabinet: Leadership should ask the campaign cabinet members first, followed by all board members.
The organization’s “family” must show its commitment to the campaign so that other stakeholders and supporters will jump on the bandwagon Leadership has created.
Photo by Todd Trapani
