Author: Bill Rowley

The Core Problem (Ignorance + Urgency) In my experience, two forces drive most premature capital campaigns: 1) Misunderstanding2) Urgency Let’s start with misunderstanding. Many boards think: “We already fundraise… how different can this be?” Very. A capital campaign funds what your operating budget can’t. Which means: → New strategy→ New donor expectations→ New systems→ New…

A nonprofit leader asked me a simple question recently: “Why do organizations start capital campaigns too soon?” It’s a great question. Especially in small towns and rural communities… …where excitement builds fast …and announcements hit the newspaper even faster. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most organizations don’t start too soon because they’re reckless. They start too…