All About Capital Campaigns: Nonprofits, Fundraising, Major Gifts, Toolkit – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Andrea Kihlstedt and Amy Eisenstein dive into the art of transforming your capital campaign meetings from boring and unproductive to engaging and effective. Whether you're tired of meetings where attendance dwindles or you’re just looking to inject more energy into your sessions, this episode is packed with practical tips and strategies.

Andrea and Amy begin by discussing the critical role that meetings play in the success of a capital campaign. Campaigns often span several years and involve numerous committees and workgroups, making well-run meetings essential to maintaining momentum and engagement. They highlight the importance of designing meetings with clear objectives and meaningful participation, ensuring that every attendee feels valued and involved.

The hosts then break down the elements of a "bad meeting"—those sessions where participants check out mentally, engage in other activities like checking emails, or simply don't show up at all. They contrast this with the features of a successful meeting, where participants are eager to attend, actively contribute, and leave feeling accomplished.

Andrea and Amy provide actionable advice on how to design meetings that resonate with your team. They suggest starting every meeting with a clear purpose, engaging participants right from the beginning, and ensuring that everyone has a role to play. They also share their insights on how to handle different personalities in meetings, such as the overly talkative or the silent observer, ensuring a balanced and inclusive discussion.

The episode includes real-life examples and anecdotes that bring their tips to life, illustrating how effective meetings can propel your campaign forward. They also discuss how to use meetings as opportunities for brainstorming, decision-making, and progress reporting, making sure that every session is a step toward your campaign goals.

Whether you're meeting in person or virtually, the principles discussed in this episode apply across the board. Andrea and Amy emphasize that good meeting design is crucial, no matter the format, and they share their experiences in both in-person and virtual settings. From the importance of clear agendas to the necessity of follow-up tasks, this episode covers it all.

By the end of the episode, you’ll have a toolkit of ideas to ensure your meetings are productive, engaging, and pivotal to your campaign’s success. If you’re involved in leading or organizing meetings for a capital campaign, this episode is a must-listen. Don’t let another meeting pass by without putting these expert strategies into practice!

Join Andrea and Amy as they turn the mundane into the motivational and show you how to make every campaign meeting count. Tune in now and start transforming your meetings today!

For more free capital campaign resources, visit https://capitalcampaignpro.com/campaign-resources.

In this episode of "All About Capital Campaigns," hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt dive into the transformative power of women in philanthropy with their special guest, Kathleen Loehr. Kathleen, a leading expert on women's giving and author of "Gender Matters: A Guide to Growing Women's Philanthropy," shares her deep insights on the unique ways women approach charitable giving and why they are often the unseen yet significant donors in capital campaigns.

Kathleen discusses the rising wealth among women and how they are becoming key decision-makers in philanthropy, often giving more and in different ways compared to their male counterparts. She highlights the importance of curiosity in fundraising, encouraging organizations to ask insightful questions and truly understand the motivations and values of women donors. Kathleen also challenges the traditional fundraising practices that were established with male donors in mind, emphasizing the need to adapt these strategies to better resonate with women and other unseen donors.

Throughout the episode, Kathleen offers practical advice on how to engage women donors effectively, from data mining and asking the right questions to understanding the complexities of women's relationships with money. She also touches on the growing trend of collective giving among women and how role models like MacKenzie Scott and Melinda Gates are inspiring more women to make significant contributions.

Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser or new to the world of capital campaigns, this episode is packed with valuable insights that will help you better engage with women donors and unlock their full philanthropic potential. Don’t miss out on this enlightening conversation that could transform your approach to fundraising.

Tune in to learn how you can start seeing and valuing the unseen donors in your campaigns!

For more free capital campaign resources, visit https://capitalcampaignpro.com/campaign-resources.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt delve into the essential, yet often overlooked, aspect of fundraising: understanding why donors choose to give.

Andrea starts by challenging the conventional focus on donors' financial capacities and emphasizes the importance of uncovering the underlying motivations behind their generosity. She points out that while organizations invest heavily in researching donors' financial backgrounds, they often neglect to explore the personal reasons that drive major gifts.

They discuss several tactics to better understand donor motivations, such as analyzing previous donations, recognizing patterns in their philanthropy, and identifying personal connections to specific causes. Andrea likens this process to being a "Sherlock Holmes of fundraising," where every detail about a donor's interests and behaviors can provide valuable clues.

Join Amy and Andrea in this engaging episode to gain valuable insights and practical strategies for unlocking the motivations of your major donors and transforming your fundraising efforts.

Visit capitalcampaignpro.com for more free resources and to explore how our expert campaign advisors can assist in strategizing and executing effective capital campaigns.

Campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt question the traditional practice of naming buildings and room after large-gift donors.  While that approach may be right for some organization, it may be worth reconsidering for others.

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This podcast is the fifth of a special Summer Series of conversations on important fundraising topics. Our live webinars will return on September 12, 2022; learn more at ToolkitTalks.com.

Campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt discuss how to get ready to solicit a lead gift donor. They share with you three important and often overlooked things to do that will increase your chances of success.

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This podcast is the fourth of a special Summer Series of conversations on important fundraising topics. Our live webinars will return on September 12, 2022; learn more at ToolkitTalks.com.

Campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt discuss the importance of developing and maintaining a list of your top 50 prospects and why it’s especially important as you get ready for your capital campaign. 

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This podcast is the third of a special Summer Series of conversations on important fundraising topics. Our live webinars will return on September 5, 2022; learn more at ToolkitTalks.com.

Campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt urge you to get the right mindset about money before asking donors for gifts. Adopt a positive money mindset and you’ll raise more money.

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This podcast is the second of a special Summer Series of conversations on important fundraising topics. Our live webinars will return on September 5, 2022; learn more at ToolkitTalks.com.

Campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt discuss the important lessons they’ve learned from leading peer support groups of people conducting capital campaigns.

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This podcast is the first of a special Summer Series of conversations on important fundraising topics. Our live webinars will return on September 5, 2022; learn more at ToolkitTalks.com.

In this episode, campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt have some fun role-playing examples of asking donors for complex gifts that combine campaign, annual and planned giving.

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This episode was recorded as part of a live webinar held Monday, June 27, 2022. To participate in future webinars, register at ToolkitTalks.com.

In this episode, campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt explore practical ideas about identifying and recruiting the best volunteer leadership for your campaign.

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This episode was recorded as part of a live webinar held Monday, June 20, 2022. To participate in future webinars, register at ToolkitTalks.com.