In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Andrea Kihlstedt talks with Rob Riley, President of the Northern Forest Center, about how his organization raised $35 million through a unique blend of philanthropy and impact investing.

Spanning 30 million acres across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, the Northern Forest Center set out to revitalize rural communities while protecting the largest continuous forest east of the Mississippi. Rob shares how the organization structured its first capital campaign to combine traditional fundraising with investment opportunities tied to real estate redevelopment, housing, and community revitalization projects.

Listeners will learn how the Northern Forest Center:

• Balanced philanthropic gifts with investment capital to strengthen local economies and fund conservation initiatives
• Overcame challenges tied to multi-state fundraising and community-based giving
• Built a fundraising team that grew from two staff members to five while tripling the organization’s budget
• Designed campaigns that engaged both donors and investors, with 75% of participants contributing in both ways
• Used feasibility studies, case statements, and clear messaging to gain support for complex projects
• Celebrated milestones with community events that inspired reinvestment and long-term engagement

Rob also highlights the role of volunteer leadership, the lessons learned from structuring matches and incentives, and the importance of celebrating success to keep momentum alive. From board development to donor cultivation, this conversation offers insights into what it takes to raise transformational capital for large-scale, place-based initiatives.

Whether you are leading a nonprofit campaign, exploring impact investing, or looking for creative approaches to engage donors across regions, this episode offers practical takeaways and inspiring strategies.

To ensure your campaign ends in a celebration, download our free Capital Campaign Step-by-Step Guide & Checklist. This intuitive guide breaks down each step of your campaign, and the timeline allows you to visualize your whole campaign, from start to finish!

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein welcomes Capital Campaign Pro’s Director of Engagement, Steven Shattuck, to explore how nonprofit organizations can approach artificial intelligence with confidence, strategy, and purpose. Whether you’re skeptical of AI or eager to experiment, this conversation unpacks what it means to use AI responsibly while staying focused on relationships and results.

Steven, author of Robots Make Bad Fundraisers, shares his perspective on how AI fits into modern nonprofit work: not as a replacement for the human element, but as a set of tools that can improve efficiency and free up time for the work that truly matters.

Topics Covered in This Episode:

• How to assess your organization’s needs before adopting any AI tools
• Why nonprofits often lag in tech adoption, and how to overcome those barriers
• The importance of having an internal “tech champion” to evaluate and experiment with new tools
• Real-world examples of AI helping with campaign planning, meeting prep, donor communication, and volunteer training
• Why Capital Campaign Pro developed Andie, an AI tool trained specifically for capital campaign strategy, and how clients are using it to save hours of time each week
• Practical safety reminders when using AI tools, including data privacy best practices
• What tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and others are good at (and when to use each)

Throughout the conversation, Amy and Steven emphasize that AI should never replace the strategic thinking and relationship-building at the heart of fundraising. Instead, it should support the work of nonprofit leaders, making it faster to draft documents, generate ideas, and prepare for donor interactions. From customizing gift agreements to training new staff or board members, AI is already making a difference for organizations of all sizes.

Notable Highlights:

• “Donors give to outcomes—not organizations. AI can help us communicate those outcomes more clearly and more efficiently.”
• “You don’t need to jump on every new tech trend, but ignoring AI altogether could cost you valuable time and energy.”
• “The first step is to check what you already have. Your CRM or other tools may already offer AI-powered features.”
• “Our clients aren’t replacing advisors with AI—they’re using AI between meetings to move faster and make better decisions.”

Steven also reflects on the current moment in nonprofit tech: AI isn’t a passing trend. It’s a shift in how we work.

Key Takeaways for Nonprofit Leaders:

• Start with your goals. Choose tools based on your actual pain points, not the latest trend
• Look for low-risk opportunities to experiment, like creating first drafts of agendas or donor letters
• Assign someone - staff, volunteer, or board member - to lead your internal AI exploration
• Train tools with trusted data and frameworks to get relevant, high-quality responses
• Be mindful of privacy, especially when using free public AI tools
• Collaborate with consultants and vendors who are tech-forward and actively integrating new tools

Whether you’re running a $60 million campaign or just beginning to think about how to modernize your systems, this episode offers approachable, practical ideas to help you get started (or go deeper) with AI in your organization.

Resources Mentioned:

• Capital Campaign Pro’s online toolkit and Andie, the AI assistant
• Steven’s book: Robots Make Bad Fundraisers
• AI tools discussed: ChatGPT, Claude by Anthropic, Perplexity

• Free blog articles, webinars, and tools available at capitalcampaignpro.com

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt explain why a gift range chart is one of the most essential planning tools for any successful capital campaign. They break down what a gift range chart is, how to create one, and why it can guide your campaign from start to finish.

You’ll hear why setting the right top gift amount is critical, how your donor base size influences the chart’s shape, and what percentage of your total goal should come from your largest gifts. Andrea and Amy share practical examples showing how different organizations—such as a large, well-known nonprofit versus a smaller, more specialized group—might structure their charts for the best results.

The conversation covers:

• How to determine your campaign goal before building your chart
• Why the top gift often needs to be 20–35% of your total goal
• The relationship between donor base size and gift distribution
• Common mistakes, like underestimating top gift size and overestimating small gift totals
• How to use a gift range chart calculator to test different scenarios
• Why this tool is a guide, not a formula, and still requires your judgment
• How to identify potential lead donors based on past giving history
• What to do if your donor base can’t support your original goal
• The role of feasibility studies in confirming gift potential

Listeners will also learn why large gifts almost always come from people already connected to the organization—and why it’s rare to receive a transformational gift from someone with no prior giving history. Amy and Andrea discuss how to set aspirational yet achievable targets, and how to adjust your campaign plan if early research shows that your original goal may be out of reach.

By the end of the episode, you’ll understand how a thoughtfully constructed gift range chart can help you anticipate challenges, guide donor cultivation, and keep your campaign on track from start to finish.

Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Capital Campaign Pro Gift Range Chart Calculator

For more free capital campaign resources, visit https://capitalcampaignpro.com/campaign-resources.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Andrea Kihlstedt sits down with Graeme Watt, co-owner of Anthem Creative, to explore how nonprofit leaders can sharpen their storytelling to strengthen donor engagement and drive campaign results.

Graeme shares his journey from founding a grassroots youth nonprofit in his living room to leading large-scale digital storytelling efforts with organizations like World Vision. His experience on both sides of the nonprofit spectrum (nimble startup and global giant) gives him a rare lens into what makes storytelling resonate across channels and audiences.

The episode introduces the concept of “anthem stories”: compelling narratives that distill the essence of a nonprofit’s mission, vision, and values through the lived experience of a single person or community. Graeme breaks down how these stories can move beyond abstract mission statements to become powerful tools for donor acquisition, cultivation, and stewardship.

Key Highlights Include:

• Why the phrase “whoever tells the best story wins” matters more than ever in a competitive fundraising environment
• The difference between mission statements that glaze over eyes and stories that make people lean in
• How to identify your organization’s anthem stories, and why you should train your entire team to do the same
• Strategies for building a story identification system that draws on frontline staff without overwhelming them
• How stories can be used face-to-face by gift officers and board members, or repurposed into long-form content for donor events

Why the best campaigns don’t just raise money for buildings or equipment—they tell deeper stories about impact and transformation

What AI may mean for nonprofit storytelling, and why human emotion, authenticity, and connection remain irreplaceable

Graeme also discusses how capital campaigns present a unique opportunity to wrap bold, inspiring stories around organizational moments. Whether you're raising funds for a new facility, celebrating an anniversary, or preparing for a major initiative, understanding and communicating the "bigger story" behind your campaign can make all the difference.

He and Andrea examine practical examples, including how a $600,000 septic system became part of a $2.8 million storytelling-driven campaign, and reflect on the common hesitation nonprofits feel about telling their own stories. They explore why even experienced fundraising professionals can find it challenging to gather and share stories, and how to shift that mindset by embedding storytelling into organizational culture.

To wrap up, Graeme offers two key takeaways:

1. Create a story identification strategy that equips your team to recognize and collect meaningful stories.
2. Be bold. Don't settle for safe, forgettable content. Take creative risks that cut through the noise and connect with the right donors.

Whether you're deep into a campaign or just starting to explore how storytelling fits into your fundraising strategy, this episode offers thoughtful insight, practical steps, and inspiring encouragement to help you turn your stories into tools for impact.

For more about Graeme’s work, visit AnthemCreative.ca.

To access free resources on capital campaigns, including guides and tools mentioned in the episode, visit capitalcampaignpro.com/resources.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt unpack a deceptively simple question: what counts toward your campaign goal?

Getting this wrong can damage your credibility, confuse your board and donors, and throw off your reports. The good news? A clear set of campaign policies established early on can prevent most of the trouble. But clarity is not always easy.

Amy and Andrea walk through some of the most common questions organizations face when deciding what to count:

• Should annual fund dollars be included in the campaign total?
• What about planned gifts that might not mature for decades?
• How should you treat in-kind donations like construction materials, technology, or donated property?
• What happens when the development office and the finance department count gifts differently?

Using real-world stories and candid advice, they explore the consequences of unclear counting rules and the benefits of getting your team on the same page before the campaign is underway. You'll hear how one organization solved a million-dollar deficit thanks to a bequest made 70 years earlier, and how another spent more time than they’d like to admit trying to offload a donor’s beloved collection of heavy metal figurines.

The episode also covers how to handle situations where accounting and fundraising standards don’t align. You might need two sets of reports: one for your auditors and one for your campaign committee. That tension is normal, but it needs to be addressed openly with your team—especially your finance colleagues.

If you're planning a campaign or even thinking about one, this conversation will help you ask smarter questions now so you can avoid bigger problems later. And if you're not sure where to start, the Capital Campaign Pro Toolkit includes sample policies and discussion guides to help you think through these decisions.

To ensure your campaign ends in a celebration, download our free Capital Campaign Step-by-Step Guide & Checklist. This intuitive guide breaks down each step of your campaign, and the timeline allows you to visualize your whole campaign, from start to finish!

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, host Amy Eisenstein is joined by nationally recognized nonprofit consultant Christal Cherry, known to many as “The Board Pro,” to talk about one of the biggest challenges for nonprofit leaders: how to find and keep the right board members.

With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Christal has helped hundreds of organizations rethink board service by focusing on purpose, inclusion, and long-term commitment. In this candid conversation, Christal shares practical, experience-based strategies for board recruitment, onboarding, and engagement that go far beyond the usual advice about fundraising potential or "big pockets."

This episode has answers if you’ve ever wondered:

• What makes someone the “right” board member for your organization?
• Why lived experience and community representation are just as valuable as fundraising capacity?
• How to plan ahead so your board reflects your future, not just your present?
• What a diverse and inclusive board culture looks like in real life?
• How to remove unengaged board members and make space for fresh energy?

Amy and Christal explore how to build a board matrix based on your actual needs and values rather than a generic template. They talk about how to assess skill gaps, governance expertise, and lived experience. You’ll hear why recruiting "another Kevin" is often a mistake and why the best question to ask is, "Who is missing?"

Christal also shares smart strategies for organizations with limited staff or budget, including:

• How to use LinkedIn and other tools to identify strong candidates
• A “roll and scroll” phone exercise to activate your board’s networks
• Low-cost ways to build an inclusive board culture, like DEI calendars, peer mentors, and shared meals
• The importance of onboarding that goes beyond a binder or slide deck

You’ll also learn how to keep board members engaged between meetings. Christal shares examples of “board bites,” or mini-trainings on governance or fundraising, and ideas to connect board members to programs and events in a hands-on way.

Finally, the conversation turns to culture. It’s not enough to invite diverse candidates if your boardroom dynamics, expectations, or meeting times haven’t changed. Christal explains what it means to prepare your organization for inclusion, including how to rethink time commitments, accessibility, and the unspoken norms that might be keeping new voices out.

Whether you’re preparing for a capital campaign, growing your board, or trying to strengthen governance, this episode is full of advice you can put to work right away.

Topics covered:

• Defining the right board member for your unique mission
• Common board recruitment mistakes and how to avoid them
• How to balance fundraising with lived experience
• Building a skills-based board matrix
• Onboarding new members in meaningful ways
• Creating a culture of belonging with limited resources
• Removing inactive or unengaged board members

Learn more about Christal Cherry at www.theboardpro.com, including tools and resources for recruitment and engagement

For more board engagement tips, be sure to download our free Board Member’s Guide to Capital Campaign Fundraising. It answers the questions board members most frequently ask, or wish they could ask.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt break down a true story about a $2.5 million gift — and how it started with a donor who originally gave just $1,000 a year.

Andrea shares a firsthand account from one of her coaching clients who transformed a modest corporate gift into a major, multi-year commitment. What made it happen? A mix of persistence, timing, courage, and a smart, hands-on approach to donor engagement.

You’ll hear:

• How an early annual donor (who once asked to stop being emailed!) became a seven-figure campaign sponsor
• What changed when a new leader stepped into the decision-making role
• Why inviting a company’s entire marketing team to visit the organization in person made all the difference
• How having the courage to ask for more can lead to transformative gifts
• Why “we don’t have major donors” often just means “we’ve never made the case”

This episode is packed with practical takeaways for campaign leaders who are wondering how to move donors from modest support to leadership-level giving. Andrea and Amy reflect on the real work that happens behind the scenes, including building relationships over time, watching for leadership changes, and creating moments that spark genuine enthusiasm.

They also emphasize that even if your organization doesn't have a science center or museum to show off, you can still craft meaningful ways for donors to feel connected and invested in your mission. Whether it’s a tour, a hands-on experience, or a story told with heart, engagement can be your strongest strategy.

If you’re heading into a campaign and wondering how to inspire your donors to step up in a big way, this episode shows how it happens—not through luck, but through strategy and care.

To explore how Capital Campaign Pro can support your next campaign, visit capitalcampaignpro.com. And if this episode got you thinking, share it with your team or fellow fundraisers. You never know who might need to hear it!

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Andrea Kihlstedt sits down with Cindy Mewhinney, Director of Advancement at the Shaw Festival, and Richard Quinn, Senior Advisor with Capital Campaign Pro, for a behind-the-scenes look at the Shaw Festival’s bold and inspiring $150 million capital campaign: All.Together.Now.

Cindy and Richard unpack how a campaign that began with a simple plan to rebuild the Royal George Theatre transformed into a movement built around creativity, community, and long-term impact. From the acquisition of a new property for artist housing to the launch of the Burton Center for Lifelong Creativity, the campaign expanded in vision, scope, and ambition—all while keeping donors, volunteers, and board members engaged and energized.

Listen as they share:

• How the campaign grew from a $50 million project to a $150 million campaign
• Why legacy gifts became a central pillar of their strategy—and how those conversations started
• What role “long-shot” prospects played in some of their largest and most surprising gifts
• How board alignment and volunteer leadership fueled momentum from the quiet phase through the public launch
• Why patience, flexibility, and trust in leadership were essential as the campaign evolved
• The unique way they’re using this campaign to spotlight “real human connection” through theater and community

You’ll also hear the value of combining capital and planned giving conversations, and how early feasibility testing helped reshape the entire direction of the campaign.

Whether you're just getting started or already deep into planning, this episode offers practical takeaways and strategic insight from a campaign that redefined what’s possible.

For free resources and support for your own capital campaign, visit capitalcampaignpro.com.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, co-founders Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt explore one of the most pressing and often overlooked issues in campaign planning: staffing. Whether you’re leading a small shop or part of a more established development office, running a capital campaign on top of your existing workload presents real challenges—and demands smart staffing decisions.

Amy and Andrea outline practical strategies for expanding your team in ways that support both short-term campaign success and long-term fundraising growth. They emphasize that campaigns are not just about raising money—they’re about strengthening your organization’s capacity, including your development infrastructure.

Listeners will learn:

• Why staffing up for a campaign is not optional, and why the better questions are when and how to do it
• How to involve your executive director more fully by freeing up their time through administrative support
• When to consider adding new positions like a campaign manager, major gifts officer, or dedicated support for annual giving
• How to use simple, self-assessment exercises to clarify staffing needs across executive leadership and development
• The value of outsourcing specific functions like grant writing, communications, and prospect research
• When to leverage virtual assistants to add flexibility without increasing overhead
• How campaign staffing requirements shift during the different phases—from quiet to public—and how to prepare for those changes
• How to frame campaign staffing as part of your campaign budget, and why board members should see it as a strategic investment rather than an expense

The conversation also covers the importance of campaign-specific expertise. Amy and Andrea explain why engaging consulting support early on is critical to help your team develop strategy, set priorities, and remain accountable throughout the campaign.

This episode is especially useful for executive directors, development leaders, and board members who want to understand what it truly takes to support a campaign effectively. It offers grounded advice on aligning capacity with goals so that your team can succeed without burning out.

Additional highlights include:

• Why staffing is a critical piece of campaign ROI
• A phased approach to hiring and outsourcing throughout the campaign timeline
• How to help your executive and development directors assess their workload and delegate strategically
• What campaign communications should include and how to manage them without overloading internal staff

If your organization is preparing for a capital campaign - or currently trying to keep one afloat without enough hands - this episode offers clear direction and valuable insights to help you structure your team for success.

Be sure to check out the Development Office Readiness Assessment, a free downloadable tool mentioned in the episode, available here and at capitalcampaignpro.com under the Resources tab.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein hosts a conversation with Stephanie Wilensky, Development Director at CooperRiis Healing Community, and Capital Campaign Pro Senior Advisor Xan Blake.

Together, they share a compelling story of how a small fundraising team kept momentum alive in the face of extraordinary circumstances, including a devastating hurricane that left the organization temporarily disconnected and without water.

Located in Western North Carolina, CooperRiis Healing Community launched a capital campaign focused on long-term sustainability through a $6 million endowment and 10 documented planned gifts. When Hurricane Helene struck mid-campaign, the team’s response was immediate and community-centered. Despite personal and professional disruptions, including severe property damage and the urgent need to care for residents, staff, and families, the organization chose to continue its campaign with renewed clarity.

Listeners will hear how:

• A guided feasibility study helped identify strong community support for an endowment-based campaign with no bricks-and-mortar component

• Stephanie, a first-time fundraiser, grew in confidence and skill through direct donor interviews and relationship-building

• CooperRiis used the crisis as a moment to deepen connections, reevaluate priorities, and reaffirm the need for sustainable funding

• Donor conversations during and after the hurricane became a springboard for further campaign success and renewed engagement

• Planned giving became a natural and meaningful part of campaign conversations, even for an organization new to the concept

Xan Blake offers a consultant’s perspective on the critical decisions that helped preserve campaign momentum and the importance of honoring both immediate needs and long-term goals. Stephanie reflects on the personal and organizational growth sparked by working through a campaign in the midst of disaster recovery.

Whether you're working in a small shop, planning an endowment campaign, or simply wondering if you can continue your campaign after a major disruption, this episode offers valuable insights, encouragement, and concrete examples of how determination, flexibility, and mission alignment can help you move forward.

Highlights include:

• How CooperRiis adapted campaign strategy in the aftermath of a natural disaster
• The value of building donor relationships through feasibility study interviews
• A practical approach to introducing and securing planned gifts
• Lessons in team collaboration and leadership under pressure
• Real-life proof that endowment campaigns without a building component can succeed

Tune in to learn how one team turned challenge into opportunity, and why long-term vision can withstand even the toughest storms.

For more tips on how your organization can maintain your resiliency during whatever challenging times lie ahead, download our free eBook Fundraising in Uncertain Times.