All About Capital Campaigns: Nonprofits, Fundraising, Major Gifts, Toolkit

Capital Campaign Pro
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All About Capital Campaigns is your weekly source for nonprofit fundraising advice. Each week hosts Andrea Kihlstedt and Amy Eisenstein, co-founders of Capital Campaign Pro (capitalcampaignpro.com) and special guests, provide practical tips about raising more money for your nonprofit organization. Topics include capital campaigns, feasibility studies, working with your board, donors, major gifts, volunteers, and more. This is a great resource for nonprofit Executive Directors/CEOs, Development Directors, Board Members, or others looking to learn about nonprofit fundraising.

  1. Crisis, Clarity, and Capital Campaign Leadership: How Smart Donor Engagement Strengthens Decisions

    5D AGO

    Crisis, Clarity, and Capital Campaign Leadership: How Smart Donor Engagement Strengthens Decisions

    A snowstorm shuts down a city, a systems failure brings operations to a halt, or a major campaign gift suddenly falls apart. Moments like these reveal how strong a nonprofit’s donor relationships really are. In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, host Amy Eisenstein is joined by Capital Campaign Pro co founder Andrea Kihlstedt to explore how nonprofit leaders can engage donors as true partners during moments of uncertainty, urgency, and high stakes decision making. Drawing from real world examples ranging from weather emergencies to immigration enforcement disruptions to internal system failures, Amy and Andrea share practical guidance on how leaders can communicate clearly, think strategically, and strengthen donor trust when circumstances change fast. The conversation begins with external crises that affect entire communities, such as severe weather events or sudden policy actions that disrupt daily life. Amy and Andrea discuss how these moments create natural opportunities to reach out to major donors with care, transparency, and purpose. They explain why timely phone calls often matter more than broad email messages, and how early communication helps donors feel informed, valued, and connected to the organization’s thinking. Listeners will hear how involving donors does not always mean asking for advice. Sometimes it means sharing decisions before they become public. Sometimes it means checking in personally to see how a donor is doing. Other times it means inviting a small group of trusted supporters to help think through options, risks, and tradeoffs. Amy and Andrea emphasize that discernment matters, since every donor plays a different role. The episode then turns to internal crises, including technology failures, data disruptions, leadership challenges, and reputational threats. Amy and Andrea speak candidly about their own experience when Capital Campaign Pro faced a complete systems outage, and how that experience highlighted the value of contingency planning and donor expertise. They explain why transparency builds confidence over time and how reaching out to donors with relevant experience can lead to stronger solutions and better preparedness. The discussion also connects these ideas directly to capital campaigns. Amy and Andrea walk through scenarios that campaign leaders fear most, including a lead gift that collapses late in the process or a project that suddenly becomes unviable. They outline how early communication, scenario planning, and thoughtful donor engagement can help organizations respond with clarity rather than panic. Throughout the episode, the message remains consistent. Donors want to feel like partners, especially during moments that matter. When nonprofit leaders communicate early, think ahead, and invite the right people into the conversation, crises often become turning points that deepen relationships and strengthen campaigns. This episode offers nonprofit executives, development professionals, and campaign leaders practical insight into building donor relationships that hold steady when plans change and decisions carry real weight.

    22 min
  2. How to Hire the Right Capital Campaign Consultant and Get Your Board Fully On Board

    JAN 27

    How to Hire the Right Capital Campaign Consultant and Get Your Board Fully On Board

    Hiring a capital campaign consultant can quietly shape the success of your entire campaign, long before a single dollar is raised. In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt walk through how nonprofit leaders can involve their boards, educate their teams, and choose a capital campaign consultant with clarity and confidence. Amy and Andrea share why the consultant selection process itself creates valuable learning for board members and staff, even before any hiring decision is made. They explain how a thoughtful process builds alignment, surfaces assumptions, and helps organizations understand what experienced capital campaign support actually looks like. Listeners hear why starting with conversations matters more than paperwork, and how early calls with consultants reveal far more than a standardized proposal ever could. Amy and Andrea outline how to form an effective consultant selection committee, who should serve, how large it should be, and how to set expectations so the work stays focused and productive. They also explain how involving skeptical board members at the right moment can strengthen buy in rather than stall progress. The conversation addresses one of the most common missteps nonprofits make when hiring a consultant: relying on an RFP to drive the decision. Amy and Andrea explain how RFPs often lead organizations to define services they do not yet understand, while strong consultants respond best to real conversations about goals, readiness, leadership dynamics, and fundraising history. Listeners learn what to listen for during early calls, including curiosity, responsiveness, and the kinds of questions consultants ask when they truly understand campaigns. This episode also tackles persistent myths about local consultants and donor lists. Amy and Andrea clarify why ethical capital campaign consulting never involves bringing outside donors into an organization, and why experience across many campaigns matters more than proximity. They discuss how national firms bring broader perspective, tested approaches, and exposure to a wide range of campaign environments, while still respecting local context and relationships. As the episode continues, Amy and Andrea explain how to narrow a consultant list, gather proposals that actually reflect strategic thinking, and evaluate models of support. They compare hands on implementation approaches with advisory and coaching models, helping listeners identify which style best fits their organization, staff capacity, and campaign goals. The discussion also highlights why staff leadership matters in the final decision, since staff will work most closely with the consultant throughout the campaign. This episode offers practical guidance for nonprofit executives, development leaders, and board chairs who want to approach consultant selection with intention rather than pressure or assumptions. By the end, listeners gain a clearer understanding of how to use the hiring process as a learning opportunity, how to avoid common traps, and how to choose a consultant who truly strengthens their campaign from start to finish. For more board engagement tips, be sure to download our free Board Member’s Guide to Capital Campaign Fundraising. It answers the questions board members most frequently ask, or wish they could ask.

    26 min
  3. Your Biggest Capital Campaign Donors After the Ask: What Happens Next Matters Most

    JAN 20

    Your Biggest Capital Campaign Donors After the Ask: What Happens Next Matters Most

    Your largest capital campaign donors often give early, generously, and then quietly disappear from view. That silence can cost you far more than most organizations realize. In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt talk candidly about what strong stewardship looks like during the long middle stretch of a capital campaign and why the period after the initial gift is where future success is decided. Andrea and Amy explain how capital campaigns are built on a small number of transformational gifts, why those donors are usually secured early, and how easy it is for even well run organizations to lose momentum with the people who matter most. The conversation explores what major donors experience when months pass without meaningful contact, updates, or personal outreach. Amy and Andrea share practical ways to stay in close relationship with your top twenty to twenty five donors through consistent, thoughtful communication that keeps them engaged as partners rather than completed transactions. They discuss simple systems leaders can use to keep these donors front of mind, from monthly reviews to creative reminders that prompt personal outreach. Listeners will hear real stories from campaigns where steady stewardship made the difference. One example shows how a campaign that stalled near the finish line was completed by returning to early donors who had been kept informed and involved all along. Another story highlights how asking a major donor for advice during an unexpected challenge led to an extraordinary outcome that reshaped the organization’s future. The episode also addresses a common reality in nonprofit leadership. Many development directors inherit donor relationships that were neglected after a previous campaign. Amy and Andrea outline clear steps for repairing trust, resetting expectations, and building a healthier culture of stewardship going forward. They explain how organizations can create shared responsibility and simple structures so donor care continues through staff transitions and busy campaign periods. This episode offers practical guidance for executive directors, board members, and development professionals who want to protect their most important relationships, finish campaigns strong, and set the stage for future giving long after the campaign ends. To see if your organization is truly ready for a capital campaign, download this free Readiness Assessment. This guide will help you evaluate six aspects of your organization, including the board and your case for support.

    21 min
  4. Capital Campaigns Without a Traditional Board: How Small and Grassroots Organizations Raise Big Money

    JAN 13

    Capital Campaigns Without a Traditional Board: How Small and Grassroots Organizations Raise Big Money

    When your board lacks time, wealth, or fundraising experience, does that mean a capital campaign is out of reach? In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, host Andrea Kihlstedt is joined by fundraising trainer, author, and longtime colleague Andy Robinson to explore how capital campaigns succeed in small, grassroots, and unconventional organizations. Drawing on decades of experience and two detailed case studies, Andy challenges common assumptions about board driven fundraising and shows what really makes campaigns work when infrastructure is thin and capacity feels limited. Together, Andrea and Andy unpack what happens when organizations face urgent needs, limited systems, and boards that care deeply about the mission yet cannot carry the bulk of fundraising activity. Andy shares the story of a tiny, lay led synagogue with a modest annual budget that raised over $775,000 across a multi year capital effort, even after part of the building was condemned. The campaign relied on a handful of committed leaders, strong belief in the mission, and steady persistence rather than a large or wealthy board. The conversation then shifts to a very different setting, a member owned food cooperative that raised more than $2 million to relocate and expand. The board focused on complex business negotiations while a volunteer campaign committee led community fundraising. Through a blend of gifts, community loans, fiscal sponsorship, and impact investing, supporters gave generously and stayed deeply engaged in the future of the co op. Throughout the episode, Andrea and Andy connect these stories back to core capital campaign principles that apply across sectors and organizational structures. They discuss why people give, what truly motivates participation, and how engagement and investment reinforce one another over time. They also address why tax deductions and legal status rarely drive generosity, how urgency sharpens focus, and why campaigns can build confidence and momentum even in organizations that feel under resourced. This episode is especially relevant for nonprofit leaders, board members, consultants, and community organizers who worry their organization is too small, too new, or too informal for a capital campaign. It offers reassurance, perspective, and practical insight into what matters most when asking people to invest in something they care about. If you work with grassroots organizations, faith communities, cooperatives, or nonprofits with lean staffing and limited systems, this conversation will expand how you think about capital campaigns and what is truly possible when commitment runs deep. For more free capital campaign resources, visit https://capitalcampaignpro.com/campaign-resources.

    35 min
  5. Is There Ever a Bad Time to Run a Capital Campaign?

    JAN 6

    Is There Ever a Bad Time to Run a Capital Campaign?

    There is always someone in the room who believes the timing is wrong, the moment feels uncertain, and waiting sounds safer than moving forward. In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt tackle one of the most common objections heard in boardrooms and leadership meetings: the belief that now is a bad time to raise money. Drawing from a real dinner conversation and decades of campaign experience, they unpack why this concern surfaces year after year and why it continues to stall bold plans. Amy and Andrea explore how uncertainty shapes donor behavior and how strong organizations respond when the climate feels unsettled. They share what they see across hundreds of campaigns during economic shifts, political tension, public health crises, and periods of social change. The conversation highlights a pattern that surprises many nonprofit leaders: organizations with a clear vision, strong leadership, and thoughtful donor relationships continue to raise significant gifts in every season. The episode walks through common fears voiced by board members and major donors, including anxiety about financial markets, concerns about personal security, and questions about generational giving. Amy responds with practical insight grounded in real campaign results, showing how donors continue to act generously when they feel connected to meaningful work and trusted leadership. Listeners will hear how instability often sharpens a case for support, motivating long time donors to lean in when public funding tightens or community needs grow. The discussion also addresses planned giving, stewardship, and the lasting impact of how donors feel after they make a gift. Andrea emphasizes how thoughtful follow up and personal connection influence future generosity far more than headlines or economic forecasts. The episode closes with a powerful reminder that capital campaigns unfold over years, not moments. Leaders who keep planning and stay in conversation with donors place their organizations in a stronger position when conditions shift again, as they always do. For anyone facing hesitation from a board, an executive director, or even their own internal doubts, this episode offers language, perspective, and confidence to keep moving forward. To ensure your campaign ends in a celebration, download our free Capital Campaign Step-by-Step Guide & Checklist. This intuitive guide breaks down each step of your campaign, and the timeline allows you to visualize your whole campaign, from start to finish!

    18 min
  6. How to Create a Behind the Scenes Power Team

    12/30/2025

    How to Create a Behind the Scenes Power Team

    In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt discuss why it matters that your board chair, executive director, and development director are the real power team for your campaign and they share some thoughts about how to get them working together well.

    13 min
  7. Can you Raise Money for Endowment Through a Campaign?

    12/23/2025

    Can you Raise Money for Endowment Through a Campaign?

    Capital campaigns are not well suited for raising money for endowment. The most successful endowment fundraising is done through concentrated work on planned giving. That being said, most campaigns include a component of endowment. Amy and Andrea will unpack this complicated idea in this episode.

    18 min
  8. How Neuroscience Shapes Donor Decisions in Capital Campaigns

    12/16/2025

    How Neuroscience Shapes Donor Decisions in Capital Campaigns

    Stories change how people think, feel, and choose to act, and the science behind that process has direct implications for fundraising success. In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein welcomes Cherian Koshy, vice president at Kindsight and a leading voice on the neuroscience of generosity, to explore how brain science explains donor behavior in major gifts and capital campaigns. Drawing from his new book Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision Making, Cherian shares research from hundreds of peer reviewed studies that explain how donors experience stories, make identity based decisions, and move from emotional connection to meaningful action. This conversation connects neuroscience with practical fundraising strategy, offering insight that campaign leaders, development staff, and board members can apply right away. The discussion opens with storytelling and brain chemistry. Cherian explains how narrative creates neural coupling, a process where the listener experiences the story at a physical and emotional level. This shared experience shapes understanding, memory, and motivation. Fundraisers learn why stories shape donor choices and how thoughtful language and narrative arcs influence how supporters experience a mission. The conversation then shifts to major and leadership gifts within capital campaigns. Cherian explains what happens in a donor’s brain when considering a significant commitment. Rather than focusing on affordability, donors connect gifts to identity, values, nostalgia, and legacy. Amy and Cherian discuss how campaigns succeed when messaging reflects who donors see themselves becoming and how the project expresses that identity through impact rather than square footage. Decision friction and generosity decay form another core theme. Cherian outlines how delays, long processes, and complex steps slow generous intent. When emotional connection and action drift apart, motivation fades. Examples from campaign follow up, pledge processes, and online giving show how timing and simplicity keep donors engaged when enthusiasm runs high. The episode also examines campaign thermometers and the goal gradient effect. Cherian explains why campaigns gain momentum near the finish line and why the quiet phase plays a central role in building confidence and participation. Amy connects this science to proven capital campaign strategy, reinforcing the value of early leadership gifts, phased solicitation, and disciplined sequencing. Throughout the episode, listeners gain language, frameworks, and research grounded insight that explains why proven campaign practices work. This conversation equips fundraisers with science backed clarity that strengthens storytelling, major gift conversations, and campaign structure while building trust with donors, boards, and leadership teams. For more free capital campaign resources, visit https://capitalcampaignpro.com/campaign-resources.

    40 min
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About

All About Capital Campaigns is your weekly source for nonprofit fundraising advice. Each week hosts Andrea Kihlstedt and Amy Eisenstein, co-founders of Capital Campaign Pro (capitalcampaignpro.com) and special guests, provide practical tips about raising more money for your nonprofit organization. Topics include capital campaigns, feasibility studies, working with your board, donors, major gifts, volunteers, and more. This is a great resource for nonprofit Executive Directors/CEOs, Development Directors, Board Members, or others looking to learn about nonprofit fundraising.

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