A Bold Leap: How a Capital Campaign Transformed a Beloved Childcare Center

Ossining Children’s Center has been a cornerstone of the Westchester community for 130 years. But their 2016-2021 capital campaign proved to be a moment of transformation, from building a state-of-the-art childcare facility to redefining OCC’s identity and its future.

OCC’s fundraising goal was unlike any campaign the nonprofit had pursued before. Setting out to raise $17.8 million was a significant leap for an organization that, at the time, had an operating budget of $2 million.

“When early architectural sketches revealed the likely costs, people said, ‘We can’t do this,’” said Shawn Cribari, OCC’s director of development, during a recent webinar hosted by the Heller Fundraising Group. “They thought we were nuts, that we had delusions of grandeur.”

In fact, the co-presidents of OCC’s board resigned early in the planning process because they felt the campaign was out of step with the center’s place in the community.

A first step forward

With the strategic advice of the Heller Fundraising Group, however, OCC found a path forward—one that started with finding a site and securing critical support from lead donors.

“Our executive director sat down with a major donor couple—she was on our board—and said ‘This piece of property is available and it’s going to cost us $2 million, which we don’t have,’” Shawn said. “And if we’re going to raise $17 million, we need a lead gift from you of at least $6 million on top of the property.”

The couple agreed to purchase the property and committed to an additional $5.8 million.

From there, OCC’s momentum quickly followed. Two other lead donors gave an additional $3 million, giving the center a total of $10.8 million before the Heller Fundraising Group even began its feasibility study.

Avoiding setbacks

Still, challenges loomed. During the campaign, OCC weathered the deaths of several key donors and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which required the center to rapidly adapt its model of preschool instruction and drove up construction costs. The Heller Fundraising Group guided Shawn and her team through every step.

“This campaign was a perfect example of why you don’t set a campaign strategy at the beginning and then just press play,” says Peter Heller, founder of the Heller Group. “This campaign was constantly recalibrating. There were a lot of moving pieces that we had to constantly rethink. It’s scary and challenging, but it's also one of the things that can be exciting about a campaign.”

A renewed vision

What emerged by the campaign’s end wasn’t just a new building—though the new facility is beautiful and thoughtfully designed. OCC ultimately raised $18.57 million from 275 donors. Their new center expanded their capacity for infant care and brought their infant care, preschool and after-school care all under one roof. OCC was also able to grow its enrollment from 148 to 222 children while continuing its mission to keep childcare affordable for all families.

“This building is a symbol,” said Kate Jaeger-Thomas, consulting services director for the Heller Fundraising Group. “It’s a symbol of what’s possible when a community comes together, when a board stretches outside of its comfort zone, and when a campaign becomes more than a financial goal—when it becomes a catalyst for identity, confidence and growth of an organization in the community.”

The shift has continued well past the conclusion of the campaign. To this day, Shawn said, OCC has a new recognition of its value in the community.

“I used to say we suffered from poor institutional self-esteem,” she said. “And part of that was our run-down buildings. Now we see ourselves as an important leader in the community when it comes to children and families.

“I try to tell people what’s really important is what’s going on inside. Our staff are so loving and attentive and each child’s individual needs are cared for, but some people couldn’t see that in our old buildings. Now we have a package that's worthy of our product.”

Watch what happened

Peter, Kate, and Shawn reflected on OCC’s unexpected twists and celebrated wins during a recent webinar, hosted by the Heller Fundraising Group. Watch the webinar (or read our case study) to see what other lessons OCC learned along the way, as well as the strategies they’re still using today.

If your organization is considering a campaign, schedule a free strategy session to learn how the Heller Fundraising Group can help you develop a plan that works—no matter what comes your way.