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All About Capital Campaigns: Nonprofits, Fundraising, Major Gifts, ToolkitAuthor: Capital Campaign Pro
All About Capital Campaigns is your weekly source for nonprofit fundraising advice. Each week hosts Andrea Kihlstedt and Amy Eisenstein, co-founders of Capital Campaign Pro (capitalcampaignpro.com) and special guests, provide practical tips about raising more money for your nonprofit organization. Topics include capital campaigns, feasibility studies, working with your board, donors, major gifts, volunteers, and more. This is a great resource for nonprofit Executive Directors/CEOs, Development Directors, Board Members, or others looking to learn about nonprofit fundraising. Language: en Genres: Business, Non-Profit Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Fundraising Metric Every Nonprofit Leader Should Know
Episode 13
Tuesday, 27 October, 2026
A simple question can reveal whether an organization is ready to plan for a major campaign: How much does it raise from philanthropy each year?In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt discuss why nonprofit leaders need to know their organization’s annual fundraising numbers, where that information comes from, and how to build a steady habit of reviewing it. They explain how a clear picture of current fundraising can inform capital campaign planning and help leaders feel more prepared to talk with donors about significant gifts.You don’t need an elaborate dashboard or a sophisticated major gifts program to get started. You do need a reliable baseline: how much came in last year, which sources contributed, and whether this year’s fundraising is on track. Amy and Andrea suggest working with the people who manage your books or donor records, then setting a recurring monthly meeting to review the same measures consistently.Looking at the numbers month after month can feel uncomfortable, especially when a month or two goes poorly. But regular review helps leaders see longer-term trends, work through challenges together, and ask for help when needed. A capital campaign can bring structure, strategy, and training to major gift fundraising, but it cannot magically repair an ongoing operating deficit. Stronger awareness of your current fundraising gives your organization a more grounded starting point.Whether you’re an executive director, development director, board chair, or campaign volunteer, this episode offers a practical first step: know what your organization raises, how it raises it, and how the results are changing over time.Follow @CapitalCampaignPro for more conversations and practical guidance on capital campaign fundraising.Episode chapters00:00 The question every nonprofit leader should be able to answer01:54 Why leaders avoid looking closely at fundraising05:04 How annual fundraising connects to campaign planning06:42 You don’t need a major gifts program to run a campaign09:11 Establishing a baseline and reviewing it monthly10:38 Why consistent measures help reveal trends12:34 When a campaign can’t solve an operating deficit14:00 Building a clear, simple system for tracking fundraising
