There are four essential components in a successful capital campaign – the Case, Leadership, Prospects, and the Plan. Each one of these is critical to the success of the campaign.
What is a Case for Support in a Capital Campaign?
The Case is a written document that gives the rationale for the campaign. After reading the case, a prospective donor will understand what the campaign will make possible and why she should support the campaign financially. A well-written case can transform a good campaign into an excellent campaign.
What’s in a Capital Campaign Case?
It might be best to treat the case with the attitude of a journalist and ask the basic questions.
Who? Begin with a brief history of the congregation. The current campaign is one part of an ongoing story of mission and ministry for your church. Include your mission statement, the members of your governing board, and a list of those providing leadership for the campaign.
What? Give readers a description of the changes that this campaign will enable. What problems is the campaign attempting to address? What opportunities will a successful campaign create?
Why? Donors will support a mission and vision that changes lives. Describe how this campaign will change lives. The campaign will fulfill the church’s mission – tell us why that’s important enough to invest.
How Much? Give readers an estimate of the costs to fulfill the campaign. If there are multiple aspects of the campaign, break those down.
When? The timing question falls into two distinct areas: the timing of the campaign, and the timetable for implementation of the work. Help church members set expectations by estimating starts and ends of each component of the campaign.
How? Finally, conclude with the funding strategy. This would certainly include the proceeds of the campaign. Will debt be incurred to complete the projects? How will the debt be serviced? Has a gift been received or pledged already that would give the congregation confidence of campaign success?
An Example:
First United Methodist Church of Athens recently posted an FAQ about their upcoming capital campaign.
While not a case document per se, can you identify the elements of the case for support in this well-written web document?