Get the guide: 7 rules for fundraising campaign success — and when you should break them

If you’ve ever been involved with a capital or comprehensive campaign, you probably know some of the best practices that guide organizations to success. Build a strong case for support. Identify your top donors and find out what motivates them. Secure leadership gifts early. Make a plan and stick with it.

These guidelines exist for good reason — in fact, we regularly recommend them to our clients. By following them, organizations have secured transformational gifts and realized their most significant aspirations. More often than not, they work.

However, campaigns are rarely one-size-fits-all.

Sometimes, the best way forward is to toss the rulebook aside and do what’s best for your organization.

In our latest guide, we break down seven of the most common campaign strategies, including why they work and when you might want to consider a different approach.

Take the 80/20 rule. As fundraisers, we’ve learned to focus our limited time and resources on a small group of committed, high-capacity donors who are the most likely to make transformational gifts.

But not every organization has a high-wealth donor base to round out that top tier of giving. In that case, your gift pyramid might look more like a diamond.

In our guide, we also look at why you shouldn’t rush to take your campaign public, why a fancy brochure isn’t always the best approach for your case, and why wealth screening can’t tell you everything you need to know about your donors.

A campaign is a major undertaking—even when everything goes perfectly by the book.

If you’re preparing for a campaign, grab our guide to learn which rules to follow, when to adapt them, and how to find the approach that’s right for your organization.

And if you could use some extra support along the way, we’re here to help.