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SPOtLiGht
Capital campaigns take dedication, planning for nonpro ts
By Andrew KitchenmAn
While nonprofi t organizations rely
on annual fundraising to operate,
signifi cant expansions often
depend on the more specialized and timeconsuming
process of capital campaigns.
Nonprofi ts increasingly have turned
to multiyear, multimillion-dollar campaigns
in recent years to address their longterm
capital needs. Several New Jersey organizations
recently shared strategies they
deployed in successful campaigns, with
much of the focus on successful planning
and donor relationships.
Centenary College, in Hackettstown,
spent years planning the four-year, $50
million campaign it completed in 2010.
The central goal was the construction of
a campus center that would serve as a cultural
hub for northwestern New Jersey.
“Leading into this campaign, it was
leapfrogging on what we saw as the suc-
cess of our fi rst campaign, which ended in
2001,” said Kathleen Ward, vice president
for strategic advancement.
The planning that went into the Centenary
campaign is central to all successful
capital-building efforts, according to fundraising
experts.
This planning component can be as
important as the execution of the campaign,
according to Victoria M. Bixel,
president of Nutley-based fundraising con-
sulting fi rm Semple Bixel Associates.
The planning begins with a feasibility
study to determine “whether the campaign
has the potential to reach its goal,
has the volunteer leadership to make it a
success and has a compelling case for support
— meaning, the project is compelling
enough for people to give to,” Bixel said.
During this stage, an organization
must take a step back and have a good
> See cAmPAiGn on page 17
Strategy pays
o for Princeton
medical center
By Andrew KitchenmAn
Princeton HealthCare System Foundation
is in the middle of a fi ve
year-campaign to raise $150 million
for the new University Medical Center
at Princeton.
However, that goal has grown as the
organization reached its original $115 million
benchmark well ahead of time.
Joseph Stampe, vice president of
development, said the hospital drew on
strategies that were fi rst honed in higher
education, focusing on individuals who
have a connection
with the in-
stitution, “have
capacity to give
and also have a
strong inclination
to give.”
Stampe said
they used the
“fi ve I’s” in fundraising:identifying
prospects,
informing and
interesting them
in the project,
involving them,
and seeking their
investment.”
The system
has a staff
member who is
Fundraising
strategies
Princeton Health-
Care System
Foundation used
the “fi ve I’s” in
fundraising:
■ Identifying
prospects
■ Informing
■ Interesting
■ Involving
■ Investment
trained in researching whether potential
donors have the money to give, drawing
on public sources like property values
and corporate records.
Once prospects were identifi ed, the
hospital asked them to support goals connected
to their interests.
As the campaign proceeded, Princeton
drew on its experience of an early
1990s campaign that funded a hospital
expansion, as well as a wellspring of community
support.
“We have one of the most amazing
projects to raise funds for in the new hospital,”
Stampe said.
E-mail to: akitchenman@njbiz.com
16 March 7, 2011 ◆ njbiz www.njbiz.com