Watch our recent webinar on managing complex capital campaigns
In a recent webinar, Heller Fundraising Group CEO Kate Jaeger-Thomas made the case that there are three types of organizations that can benefit from an owner’s representative:
Organizations with complex projects that involve numerous stakeholders and a variety of funding sources
Nonprofits without the internal staffing capacity to manage a large-scale project
Those that don’t yet know the scope of their project—or what it even needs to be
But what is an owner’s representative? And how can they help your nonprofit organization navigate the complexities of planning and executing major capital projects?
For insights, Kate talked to Jonah Stern and James Neu of DBI Projects, an owner’s representation firm that specializes in project management and real estate advising.
The Heller Group and DBI Projects have collaborated on several capital projects and campaigns including two synagogues and a workforce development nonprofit in New York City. Kate, Jonah, and James discussed how each collaboration offers a look at how bringing in an owners’ representative and a fundraising consultant can set the stage for a transformational capital campaign.
For instance, the workforce development organization was already working with DBI Projects when the Heller Group was brought in for a campaign feasibility study. The nonprofit needed to rethink its headquarters, and all options were on the table from renovating their existing office to buying or leasing a new location. They had already spoken with real estate brokers and architects but needed a more comprehensive view of their options.
“First, we grounded them in what they have today,” James said during the webinar. “Then we talked about what the future looks like for the organization … and started assigning a space program. Then we translated that into a budget, schedule, and ultimately financials and funding, and thinking about how this could all come together. It opened up new pathways they hadn't considered.”
That research also allowed the Heller Group to begin testing more concrete ideas to gauge interest among potential donors.
“DBI’s work allowed us to take the project out of the hypothetical and say, ‘This is what will happen if we raise these dollars. This is the impact it will have,’” Kate said. We often help our clients articulate that vision and when there are so many variables at play, it’s understandably an overwhelming process.
“Your work tangibly brought to light what every scenario could make possible for them. We were then able to go to the donors and ask questions and get really good feedback about their appetite for that level of change. If we didn’t have that groundwork laid, that would have felt far more hypothetical.”
In their conversation, Kate, James and Jonah also talked about:
Identifying realistic funding sources and aligning them with your project timeline
Understanding the full costs of a capital project beyond construction
Common red flags and planning mistakes that can derail a project
The organizational capacity required to support a successful capital campaign and construction project
Check out the recording for the full discussion.