Capital Campaign Playbook

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Planning a capital campaign is one of the most complex undertakings a nonprofit organization can face. Success requires much more than an ambitious goal and an attractive brochure. It depends on organizational readiness, credible leadership, careful financial planning, strong donor relationships and disciplined execution.

The Capital Campaign Playbook (42 pages) provides nonprofit leaders, board members, fundraisers and campaign volunteers with a practical framework for planning and managing a successful campaign. Written from a Canadian perspective, this revised and expanded guide combines established fundraising principles with current approaches to governance, communications, prospect research, data management, risk and responsible artificial intelligence.

Inside the book, you will learn how to:

• Determine whether your organization is ready for a campaign
• Conduct a feasibility study and interpret the results
• Develop a persuasive, evidence-based case for support
• Establish a realistic campaign goal and gift range chart
• Recruit and organize campaign leaders and volunteers
• Identify, research, cultivate and solicit major-gift prospects
• Plan campaign communications and the public launch
• Track commitments, payments, prospects and campaign risks
• Develop gift acceptance, naming and donor-recognition policies
• Use AI responsibly for research, planning, proposals, communications, tracking and reporting
• Complete, evaluate and document the campaign

The book also includes a fully worked example of a $5-million capital campaign plan, adapted and updated from a real-world planning model. Practical worksheets, checklists, dashboards, policy frameworks, solicitation tools, a risk register and an AI prompt library make this more than a book to read—it is a resource your organization can use throughout the campaign.

Whether you are considering your first capital campaign, preparing a board for a major decision or updating an existing campaign plan, The Capital Campaign Playbook will help you replace guesswork with a thoughtful, ethical and manageable process.

Written by Dr. Ron Strand, a Canadian nonprofit practitioner-scholar, educator and former fundraising and communications leader with more than four decades of sector experience.