Creating the case for support and launching a campaign are a heavy lift for most organizations. Now, campaign leaders must contend with the existential question from leaders and donors – will federal grant and budget cuts weaken your organization? Will your organization be able to fulfill its core mission-centric programs today and after the campaign is completed?
Hospitals
Take the case of a hospital campaign to build a new outpatient cancer center. Will the hospital’s financial health be compromised if Medicaid rates and eligibility are cut to the bone? And will the cancer center’s business plan still hold up in this new environment?
Human Services
Or a human services organization that wants to launch a campaign to establish reserve funds to serve its immigrant constituency in job training, ESL, resettlement, and case management. These sorts of programs are being defunded, and immigrants are more and more afraid to show up at your site in fear of ICE raids.
The Basic Question
I could continue with more examples, but it is too discouraging. My business is planning and executing capital and program campaigns for all nonprofit sectors. Organizations must be prepared to answer the fundamental question donors will ask – how will you make it through these dark times, with or without the campaign?
If you can somehow address this question with any degree of surety, you may be ready to move forward with a campaign.
