Is a feasibility study really needed for a nonprofit capital campaign? (part of the Q&A series)

Is a feasibility study really needed for a nonprofit capital campaign? (part of the Q&A series)

By Tom Wilson Major Gifts Guru

Great question. Thanks to Ann in California for submitting it.

Here’s why it is important to do a feasibility study before a campaign.

First, most fundraising consultants have stopped using the language “feasibility” and are using some variation of “philanthropic market research.”

Feasibility is really a leadership question. If you have a critical need and must move forward, then you should have a campaign. Instead, think of the study process, the interviews, and leadership briefings (participative focus groups) with your best donors as part of a philanthropic market research process with the goal of listening to your donors to help develop a realistic plan for your campaign.

• How big should the goal be?
• What projects resonate with donors?
• Who are champions for each project?
• What staff and infrastructure investments will be needed to win the campaign?
• How long should the campaign be?
• Are there are enough volunteers to insure success?
• What training do the volunteers need? The staff? The management team?

If it takes six (6) calls to secure a major gift, using the philanthropic market study process motivates donors to attend a leadership briefing and then participate in a personal interview. This means your organization can complete two steps very quickly. The data gathered during these two interactions are like gold during the campaign. We use both occasions to recruit volunteer leadership.

This article is part of the Q&A series. To read the other articles in the series, please click the links below:

• Is a feasibility study really needed for a nonprofit capital campaign? (section 2, part of the Q&A series)
• Is a feasibility study really needed for a nonprofit capital campaign? (Section 3, part of the Q&A series)

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