All About Capital Campaigns: Nonprofits, Fundraising, Major Gifts, Toolkit

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, campaign experts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt discuss why it matters that your board chair, executive director, and development director are the real power team for your campaign and they share some thoughts about how to get them working together well.

Capital campaigns are not well suited for raising money for endowment. The most successful endowment fundraising is done through concentrated work on planned giving. That being said, most campaigns include a component of endowment. Amy and Andrea will unpack this complicated idea in this episode.

Stories change how people think, feel, and choose to act, and the science behind that process has direct implications for fundraising success.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein welcomes Cherian Koshy, vice president at Kindsight and a leading voice on the neuroscience of generosity, to explore how brain science explains donor behavior in major gifts and capital campaigns.

Drawing from his new book Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision Making, Cherian shares research from hundreds of peer reviewed studies that explain how donors experience stories, make identity based decisions, and move from emotional connection to meaningful action. This conversation connects neuroscience with practical fundraising strategy, offering insight that campaign leaders, development staff, and board members can apply right away.

The discussion opens with storytelling and brain chemistry. Cherian explains how narrative creates neural coupling, a process where the listener experiences the story at a physical and emotional level. This shared experience shapes understanding, memory, and motivation. Fundraisers learn why stories shape donor choices and how thoughtful language and narrative arcs influence how supporters experience a mission.

The conversation then shifts to major and leadership gifts within capital campaigns. Cherian explains what happens in a donor’s brain when considering a significant commitment. Rather than focusing on affordability, donors connect gifts to identity, values, nostalgia, and legacy. Amy and Cherian discuss how campaigns succeed when messaging reflects who donors see themselves becoming and how the project expresses that identity through impact rather than square footage.

Decision friction and generosity decay form another core theme. Cherian outlines how delays, long processes, and complex steps slow generous intent. When emotional connection and action drift apart, motivation fades. Examples from campaign follow up, pledge processes, and online giving show how timing and simplicity keep donors engaged when enthusiasm runs high.

The episode also examines campaign thermometers and the goal gradient effect. Cherian explains why campaigns gain momentum near the finish line and why the quiet phase plays a central role in building confidence and participation. Amy connects this science to proven capital campaign strategy, reinforcing the value of early leadership gifts, phased solicitation, and disciplined sequencing.

Throughout the episode, listeners gain language, frameworks, and research grounded insight that explains why proven campaign practices work. This conversation equips fundraisers with science backed clarity that strengthens storytelling, major gift conversations, and campaign structure while building trust with donors, boards, and leadership teams.

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

The moment a major gift falls through, a construction issue pops up, or a key leader steps away can feel like a turning point. Yet these situations often reveal how much control organizations actually have during a capital campaign.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt explore the practical actions nonprofit leaders can take when campaigns encounter real-world bumps; from project delays to leadership changes and unexpected donor situations.

Campaigns unfold over long periods of time, which means surprises are almost guaranteed. Amy and Andrea outline the four most common categories of challenges: project complications, staff transitions, board disruptions, and donor or gift issues. They share stories from campaigns where discoveries during construction altered entire timelines, where board members created friction just as solicitations were ramping up, and where donor misunderstandings required recalibration of expectations. You’ll hear how organizations found footing again, often with stronger clarity and focus than before.

A key theme in this conversation centers on defining success. Instead of locking success to a specific number, Amy and Andrea encourage leaders to look at whether the project itself moved forward in meaningful ways. They describe campaigns that raised less than the initial working goal but still transformed services for the community, and others where early enthusiasm pushed the goal higher. Their message: success reflects the full picture of outcomes, strategy, and impact, not a rigid starting figure.

The episode also introduces the two core levers every organization controls: the working goal and the timeline. By using a flexible goal during the quiet phase, campaign leaders maintain room to adjust based on donor feedback, project changes, or unexpected opportunities. Likewise, timeline extensions can be used effectively when genuine prospects remain. Amy and Andrea explain why extensions only make sense when the prospect list supports additional solicitations, and how leaders can recognize the moment when calling the campaign complete is the most strategic move.

Listeners gain insight into how campaigns can evolve, why most campaigns eventually adjust their plans, and how confidence grows when leaders recognize that these shifts are normal. Amy and Andrea close with a discussion about aspirational goals; goals that stretch an organization toward the full potential of its donor community. They emphasize that reaching slightly below a bold stretch goal often produces a far more powerful outcome than aiming safely from the start.

This episode offers a grounded perspective, seasoned guidance, and encouraging examples to help nonprofit leaders stay steady and strategic through the full arc of a campaign. Anyone planning or managing a capital campaign will walk away with a stronger sense of how to respond when circumstances shift and how to maintain momentum through uncertainty.

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!

Some long-held assumptions about feasibility studies can slow an organization’s progress long before a campaign begins. Many teams believe they should polish every detail, finalize every plan, and prepare elaborate materials before speaking with their largest supporters. But when you pause to look closely, those assumptions create missed opportunities and weaker campaign momentum.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Andrea Kihlstedt and Capital Campaign Pro’s Vice President and Chief Happiness Officer, Sarah Plimpton, take a close look at five common myths surrounding feasibility studies and shed light on a more effective approach: the Guided Feasibility Study Model. Drawing from years of collective experience and more than one hundred guided studies, they share why early donor conversations strengthen your case, sharpen your direction, and build the kind of relationships that fuel successful campaigns.

Andrea explains how her early career conducting traditional studies revealed a key flaw. Consultants were often the first people to speak with major donors about a project, even though they were not the ones who knew the organization’s plans with the same depth and nuance. When donors asked questions about the vision, program details, or the reasoning behind the project, the consultant could only speak to what they had been told. That disconnect revealed the need for a new structure—one that placed executive directors, board chairs, and other leaders directly in front of donors while still benefiting from consultant expertise behind the scenes.

Sarah then walks through the first myth: the belief that everything must be polished before meeting with donors. She describes how donors respond with enthusiasm when they are invited to help shape ideas during the early planning stage. Instead of feeling like they are being presented with a finished product, donors feel trusted. They ask better questions, offer insight leaders may not have considered, and place greater value on the project because they helped strengthen it.

Andrea and Sarah then address the idea that leaders do not have enough time for this level of involvement. They share stories of executive directors who initially felt overwhelmed yet soon realized that these donor conversations were the most important work they could be doing. When leaders reorganize their priorities, delegate less essential tasks, and commit to these meetings, the entire campaign gains clarity.

Next, they take on the myth that feasibility studies slow things down. In practice, Andrea and Sarah have seen the opposite. The guided model leads to early relationship-building, clearer messaging, and, on occasion, early commitments. Leaders walk into the quiet phase with stronger groundwork already in place because cultivation has been happening throughout the study.

Finally, they explain why consultant involvement still matters even when leaders conduct the interviews. Consultants train interviewers, shape the right questions, help teams gather useful information, and interpret feedback so the organization can produce a meaningful report for its board. Without this support, leaders may struggle to make sense of what they hear or overlook important themes.

The episode closes with a shared observation: leaders consistently find these conversations enjoyable. Many say they wish the study could continue because the discussions feel energizing and deeply connected to their mission. Andrea notes that this shift often strengthens fundraising long after the campaign is complete.

If your organization is preparing for a major project or exploring the first steps of campaign planning, this episode offers guidance that will help you build stronger relationships and clearer direction from the start.

For more feasibility study guidance, be sure to download our free Ultimate Guide to Capital Campaign Feasibility Studies.

Curiosity about who your earliest campaign leaders could be often sparks surprising discoveries and opens paths to support you may not have recognized.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt explore how organizations can identify and engage the select group of donors who provide the earliest and most significant gifts in a campaign. Their conversation offers clear, practical guidance for anyone preparing to launch a major fundraising effort or reassessing their current prospect pool.

Amy and Andrea begin by breaking down a truth that catches many organizations off guard: more than half of your campaign goal will come from twenty or fewer donors. They explain why this pattern is consistent across campaigns of all sizes and why even small or midsize organizations should expect the same dynamic. What often surprises leaders is realizing they may already know several people who could step into those roles once the right project is presented to them.

From there, the discussion turns to understanding donor potential. Many donors give modest amounts simply because they’ve never been invited to support a bold vision. That makes your largest annual donors (whether they give $5,000, $10,000, or $25,000) the most likely candidates to consider a six- or seven-figure gift when a compelling campaign arises. Amy and Andrea outline how to recognize early signals of capacity by observing patterns in a donor’s giving history across your organization and the wider community.

The episode then walks through a practical approach to assembling a strong list of leadership-level prospects. This includes reviewing your current donor data, speaking with board members, and using wealth insights to form an initial group of ten or more people who could consider gifts of $1 million or higher. Amy and Andrea also emphasize the importance of looking beyond your files to the broader philanthropic landscape around you. In many communities, a small group of generous individuals consistently support major projects across several institutions. Seeing those patterns helps you understand who might step forward for your campaign.

To support that effort, the hosts offer a simple field exercise: visit donor walls at nearby hospitals, theaters, libraries, and museums to observe which names appear repeatedly. Noticing these patterns sharpens your understanding of who cares deeply about your community and may be open to learning about your plans.

The conversation also addresses the preparation needed before a feasibility study. Amy explains how assembling a list of twenty to forty individuals capable of contributing gifts of $100,000 or more strengthens the study and improves the accuracy of your early projections. She offers guidance on how long list-building can take and why these early steps are key to an effective quiet phase later on.

A recurring theme throughout the episode is the value of curiosity. Andrea highlights the power of asking, “Who else should I be talking to?” This single question encourages donors, board members, and community leaders to open doors, make introductions, and broaden your audience. It also provides an easy way to circle back to earlier conversations and express genuine appreciation.

The episode closes with a welcome reminder: campaign fundraising is energizing when it is rooted in mission and authentic relationships. Following curiosity, learning about people, and building meaningful connections brings a sense of purpose to the work. That spirit is what leads to transformational support and lasting community impact.

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!

A core principle shapes the success of every capital campaign, and this conversation clarifies exactly how it works and why it matters.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, co-hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt talk with each other about the strategic order of solicitation and how top gifts drive momentum, confidence, and overall campaign performance.

Andrea explains why campaigns depend on gifts of varied sizes and how a thoughtful gift range chart helps leaders understand what it will take to reach a major goal. Amy expands on the Pareto principle and the 90/10 pattern that appears so frequently in campaign fundraising, reinforcing why the top group of donors must be approached early.

Together, they illustrate the concepts of top-down and inside-out solicitation (beginning with the largest donors and the most committed insiders) so the quiet phase can build meaningful early progress. They share examples of how organizations can get stuck when they start by asking everyone at once, including a story about an animal shelter that initially relied on broad direct mail outreach before learning how to focus on individual conversations with high-capacity supporters.

Listeners also hear how early board commitments strengthen the case for support, how confidence shapes donor response, and how a clear strategy influences staffing, timing, and long-term relationship building. Andrea and Amy outline the anxiety many teams feel when approaching top donors, and how a well-run feasibility study helps leaders prepare for these pivotal conversations.

By the end of the episode, you will understand the structure behind a successful quiet phase and how this approach sets the stage for a strong public launch and stronger fundraising overall.

To see if your organization is truly ready for a capital campaign, download this free Readiness Assessment. This guide will help you evaluate six aspects of your organization, including the board and your case for support.

If your capital campaign includes a construction or renovation project, there’s far more to think about than fundraising goals and donor lists. In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, host Andrea Kihlstedt sits down with Sanjeevanee Vidwans, an independent capital project management consultant, to unpack what it really takes to plan and manage a successful building project from the owner’s side.

Sanjeevanee, a civil engineer turned project management expert, explains the pivotal role of an owner’s representative — the person who helps nonprofit leaders, boards, and executive directors make informed decisions throughout complex construction projects. She shares how bringing in an owner’s rep early can help you assess potential sites, align budgets with design realities, and avoid expensive surprises down the line.

Listeners will learn how project feasibility studies differ from fundraising feasibility studies, what to expect when hiring architects and contractors, and how to keep scope, budget, and schedule aligned from concept to completion. The conversation bridges the gap between campaign planning and construction management, giving nonprofit leaders practical insights for steering multimillion-dollar projects with confidence.

Through real-world examples — including major academic and nonprofit facilities — Sanjeevanee reveals what makes collaboration between owners, architects, and construction managers truly work. She also discusses how even smaller organizations can benefit from owner’s rep guidance, ensuring every dollar raised is spent wisely.

Whether your organization is dreaming of a new arts center, school expansion, or community facility, this episode will help you understand how to manage your project’s moving parts, anticipate potential pitfalls, and build a team that shares your vision. Tune in to learn how preparation, communication, and the right expertise can turn your campaign’s construction goals into a reality.

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!

What happens when you say “yes” to something that feels just a bit bigger than what you’ve done before? In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, co-founder Amy Eisenstein takes the guest seat as Andrea Kihlstedt interviews her about stepping outside her comfort zone — preparing for and delivering a 35-minute keynote speech without notes in front of hundreds of peers. Amy shares how she built confidence through practice, coaching, and mastery — and how those same principles apply to fundraisers leading capital campaigns.

Listeners will discover how Amy’s experience parallels the journey nonprofit leaders take when launching their first campaign. From hiring a coach to working through self-doubt, Amy and Andrea connect lessons from public speaking to the art of donor solicitation. When fundraisers deeply understand their case and prepare thoroughly, they can let go of the script and build genuine, authentic relationships with donors.

Amy also reveals how one client turned an initial “no” into a $2 million lead gift through consistent communication and trust—proof that persistence, relationship-building, and thoughtful follow-up are essential habits for campaign success. The episode closes with a candid moment when Amy forgot her place mid-speech and turned vulnerability into connection—an example of how authenticity strengthens both speaking and fundraising.

Key takeaways include:

• Mastery through preparation: Why practice and coaching transform confidence and competence.

• Authentic connection: How knowing your material lets you focus on people, not notes.

• Daily donor engagement: How reaching out to one key prospect each day can dramatically improve results.

• Resilience and vulnerability: What to do when things don’t go perfectly—and how those moments build trust.

This conversation will inspire nonprofit professionals to stretch beyond their comfort zones, refine their skills, and embrace the mindset that confidence is built, not born. Whether you’re preparing for your next major gift conversation or simply trying to deepen your donor relationships, Amy and Andrea’s insights will help you approach your work with mastery and ease.

In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, hosts Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt explore how nonprofits can use video to connect with donors, share impact, and bring their campaign stories to life. They discuss why video has become such an essential communication tool, replacing traditional brochures and static materials, and how organizations can use it effectively throughout every phase of a campaign.

Amy and Andrea share practical examples and relatable stories — from quick, authentic clips captured on a phone to professionally produced campaign kickoff videos. They explain how both approaches can serve different purposes: short, informal clips to thank donors, show project progress, or highlight client success stories; and more polished productions to inspire confidence and showcase your organization’s vision.

Listeners will learn how to:

• Use video to present your case for support in ways that align with how donors consume information today
• Capture authentic, personal moments that strengthen relationships with donors
• Incorporate short, meaningful clips into campaign updates and social media
• Balance formal and informal video strategies depending on your campaign stage and audience
• Avoid common pitfalls — like showing long, unfocused videos or relying too heavily on slides during donor meetings

The conversation also highlights the accessibility of video creation, noting that most staff can produce compelling clips using simple tools like a smartphone and a selfie stick. For teams that need extra help, Amy and Andrea offer suggestions for outsourcing editing and production affordably, or engaging volunteers to support ongoing video work.

Through humor and real-world insights (including Andrea’s story about her cat jumping on her shoulder and Amy’s professional keynote video project), this episode demonstrates that video doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. What matters most is authenticity, brevity, and intentional storytelling that keeps your donors engaged and informed.

Whether your organization is just starting to experiment with video or ready to refine your approach, this conversation offers clear, actionable ideas for making

video an integral part of your campaign communications.

Tune in to learn how your nonprofit can use video to show progress, express gratitude, and inspire giving one clip at a time.

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