Capital Appeals Consultancy

Raising a significant sum through a capital appeal is a major undertaking and a very different proposition from revenue and project fundraising. It requires dedicated resources to plan an appeal, research and identify potential donors, solicit donations and coordinate a campaign often over several years. It can be a daunting task for many organisations.

Typically, successful capital appeals comprise a mix of support, with gifts from individuals, grant-making trusts, companies, statutory funds (where applicable) and community events/giving. As the amount to be raised is likely to be considerably more than an organisation would normally raise in a given period, a capital appeal requires careful planning and preparation.

The first step is to identify whether it is actually possible to raise the funds required or not. This is achieved by conducting a feasibility study, which is an important way to reduce risk and scope out the key issues to be addressed in the appeal before they are encountered. Click here for further information about feasibility studies.

The second step, assuming the feasibility study points to a likely success, is the development of the capital appeal strategy, which sets out how funds will be raised and over what timescales, detailing who will do what, what the costs will be, how progress will be monitored and, crucially, what is the case for support (in other words, why donors should give to the appeal). Click here for further details about fundraising strategies. 

The third step is the implementation of the appeal, which classically occurs in two phases (the private or quiet phase and the public phase).

There are many issues to consider when planning and running a capital appeal, not least: 

• devising a really compelling case for support
• recruiting appeal leaders and supporting them in asking for funds
• managing a database of prospects and donors
• handling large numbers of gifts and pledges
• integrating capital appeal activity with ongoing revenue fundraising
• handling issues such as naming rights and donor recognition
• ensuring that the capital appeal does not conflict with ongoing revenue fundraising
• identifying the human capacity to run the appeal.