Capital campaigns: How (& when) to run one

According to research, 94% of organizations consider their capital campaigns successful. And, on average, nonprofits raise $8.9M in a capital campaign—proof of just how powerful this fundraising approach can be.

That said, not every nonprofit is ready to launch one. To help you determine whether a capital campaign is the next right step, we’ll walk you through how to assess your organization’s readiness (with a free checklist) and what to do if you’re ready to move forward.

Let’s dive in!

Key takeaways 

• Assess readiness before committing 🤔 Capital campaigns work best when leadership is aligned, major donors are already engaged, and your organization has the capacity to manage a multi-year effort.
• Validate your goal with a feasibility study 🤓 Testing donor appetite early helps you set a realistic target, timeline, and strategy, and avoid launching a campaign that stalls or strains donor trust.
• Plan for major gifts first 💡 Most successful capital campaigns secure 50–70% of their goal during the quiet phase, driven primarily by major donors.
• Follow a phased approach ✅ Capital campaigns unfold over planning, quiet, public, and wrap-up phases, each building momentum for the next.
• Prepare your systems and team early 🛠️ You’ll need the ability to track pledges, manage restricted funds, and steward donors consistently over time.
• Use tools that simplify operations 🧈 Platforms like Givebutter help you organize donors, track pledges, and manage your campaign communications, so your team can focus on relationships, not logistics.

What is a capital campaign?

A capital campaign is a focused, time-limited fundraising effort undertaken by nonprofit organizations to raise a significant amount of money for a specific purpose. Typically, a multi-year fundraising effort, capital campaigns are used to fund major projects or initiatives, not everyday operating or program costs. 

For example, you might launch a capital campaign if:

• Your fire department is raising money for a new truck
• Your community center is replacing its roof
• Your hospital is constructing a children's wing

Capital campaign checklist for nonprofits

While capital campaigns can be invaluable for raising substantial funds, success relies on the right leadership and donor capacity, not just a compelling need. Here are the key elements to assess before launching a capital campaign.

Leadership & governance readiness 👥

• 100% board participation in giving, at personally meaningful levels
• Board members prepared to make personal asks and open doors to major donor prospects
• Board members willing to commit 2–3 years to campaign leadership and cultivation activities

💡 Why this matters: Your board is essential for building credibility with other major donors, boosting donations, and championing your campaign. 

Donor capacity & relationships 🤝

• A pipeline of major donor prospects 
• Strong relationships with key donors built over multiple years, not months
• Lead gift prospect identified (ideally 10–20% of your total goal)
• A track record of successful major gift asks that proves your team can close larger commitments
• Access to respected local figures who can open doors and make introductions

💡 Why this matters: Campaigns often stall or fail when organizations launch before cultivating deep donor relationships. Capital campaign readiness hinges on donor capacity, not organizational need alone.

Staff & operational capacity 🛠️

• Dedicated development staff (or significant capacity among existing staff) to manage a campaign
• Software for tracking pledges, multi-year commitments, and donor communications
• Donor database that can handle campaign complexity (segmentation, reporting)
• Financial systems ready to manage restricted funds, capital reserves, and campaign accounting

💡 Why this matters: Capital campaigns require consistent, personalized stewardship. Before launching, ensure your team and systems can handle that level of engagement.

More to explore

Understand how multi-year pledge agreements work →

 Case for support & strategic clarity 📣

• Compelling, donor-focused case that connects capital needs to mission impact
• Strategic plan that justifies the investment (not just "we've outgrown our space")
• A clear answer to "why now?" that resonates with donors' sense of urgency
• Realistic budget and timeline for the project, reviewed by professionals
• Community support and demand for what you're building or expanding

💡 Why this matters: Capital campaign success depends on your ability to convey urgency and compel supporters to give now. 

Dive deeper

Build a strong nonprofit business plan before launching →

When you need a feasibility study

Think of a feasibility study as a focus group for your campaign. It typically includes a survey sent to your supporters or interviews with stakeholders, such as donors, community leaders, or board members.

Feasibility studies help you determine a realistic financial goal, capital campaign timeline, and donor appetite with the goal of making your campaign as successful as possible.

It’s important to note that while conducting a feasibility study can be beneficial for all different kinds of campaigns, they’re especially valuable for first-time campaigns and large or ambitious fundraising goals. They can help you avoid failed capital campaigns, which can hurt both morale and reputation.

Learn more

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How to start a capital campaign: 5 key phases

Capital campaigns are most successful when approached with intention and patience. Rather than following a rigid checklist, they unfold in distinct phases, each with a clear purpose that builds momentum for the next.

Below, we’ll walk through how successful capital campaigns typically progress, and what to focus on at each stage to set yourself up for long-term success.

Planning phase (3–6 months) 

Before you ask anyone for a dollar, you need a solid strategic plan and careful preparation. This phase ensures everything is aligned pre-launch.

• Assemble your team members 🤝 Gather key stakeholders early to assign roles and build shared ownership of the campaign. Your team will guide early decisions and help you develop a case for support.
  
• Establish campaign goal and timeline 🗓️ Define a specific fundraising target and deadline to distinguish your capital campaign from a regular fundraiser. Finalize these figures by setting a budget, outlining fundraising costs, and planning for potential setbacks. Size your campaign to align with your donor base and case strength.
  
• Set up your systems ⚒️ Determine what tools you’ll need to track pledges, accept donations, steward donors, and remain compliant (think automatic donation receipts).‍
• Develop your capital campaign communications plan 📣 Create communications materials to promote your campaign, such as brochures, videos, and social media graphics. Be sure to customize your donation page to match the branding of your other marketing assets.

Dive deeper

Prepare for the long haul with a nonprofit strategic plan →

Quiet phase (12–18 months)

Most solicitations take place during the quiet phase of a capital campaign. This is when organizations typically aim to secure 50–70% of their fundraising goal through major gifts. 

To do that, focus on the following:

• Calculate your fundraising need 💸 Develop a donation range chart and estimate how many major gifts are required to reach your target.
  
• Reach out to major donors 👋 Use one-to-one communication channels, such as direct mail, personal phone calls, or emails, to make tailored appeals.
  
• Centralize your donor info 👥 This stage is when storing supporter information in a nonprofit CRM is essential. You can keep track of previous gifts, contact details, and personal notes—making outreach simpler and more efficient.

More to explore

Learn how to create a fundraising plan that sticks →

Kickoff phase (6–12 months)

The team is ready, campaign messaging is finalized, and major donations are underway. Now, it's time to take your campaign public and build momentum with a broader audience. 

At this stage, you’ll want to:

• Host a kickoff event 🥳 Depending on your campaign, consider hosting a launch event to generate buzz and help supporters feel connected to your cause.
  
• Begin one-to-many outreach 🤳 While one-to-one initiatives remain important, use one-to-many communication channels (like social media) for a broader reach. ‍
• Leverage peer giving 🤝 Implement peer-to-peer fundraising to add team-based goals and leaderboards, igniting some friendly competition in your campaign. Enable simple social sharing on your fundraising page so supporters can easily spread the word within their networks. ‍
• Share campaign updates and success stories 🌡️ Sustain momentum by sending progress updates to donors and highlighting milestones as you move closer to your goal.

Final push (3–6 months)

Now it's time to build urgency and rally supporters to help you cross the finish line. At this phase of your campaign, nonprofits should have clear messaging, momentum, and engagement.

• Deploy matching gifts 💰 Motivate those who haven’t given yet with the opportunity to double their impact through gift matching. 
  
• Make the gap visible 🔥 Share exactly how much funding remains and what those final dollars will support. The more specific you can get, the better!
  
• Mobilize your champions 💪 Ask board members, early donors, and campaign volunteers to make final appeals to their networks.
  
• Increase communication frequency 📱 Send weekly (or even daily) countdown updates as you approach your campaign deadline.
  
• Host a closing event or gathering 🎊 Bring supporters together to celebrate progress, say thank you, and encourage final contributions through in-person engagement.

Wrap-up phase (1–3 months)

The campaign's over, the confetti's been thrown, and now the focus shifts to expressing gratitude, demonstrating impact, and building long-term relationships.

In this phase, nonprofits should:

• Conclude fundraising activities ✅ Once you hit your goal (or get as close as you can), it's time to officially close the campaign and stop active solicitation.
  
• Celebrate campaign success 🙏 Send a thank-you message, share a final impact report, or host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to show donors what their generosity made possible.
  
• Begin donor stewardship programs 💛 After the campaign, continue to engage supporters with updates on project progress and intentional stewardship that goes beyond this one fundraising effort.

Learn more

Level up your fundraising strategy with a few key tips →

5 real nonprofit capital campaign examples

Capital campaigns can feel abstract until you see how other nonprofits have approached them in the real world. The examples below show what’s possible when strong planning, clear storytelling, and the right tools come together.

Each campaign highlights a different path to success, along with a specific takeaway you can apply to your own capital campaign.

1. Father's Love ❤️

Father’s Love, a nonprofit focused on Christian community development and strategic partnerships, launched a matching grant campaign that surpassed its goal by 171%.

💸 Amount raised: $342K+‍

🏅 Why it worked: Father’s Love offered a match so supporters could double their impact, embedded a fundraising thermometer to build momentum, and included simple social sharing tools to make it easy for supporters to spread the word.

2. Compton’s Table 🌈

Compton’s Table, which supports queer and trans individuals, ran a capital campaign to purchase a building and secure a permanent home. The campaign surpassed its goal by 156%.

💸 Amount raised: $78K+

🏅 Why it worked: Compton’s Table used a donor wall to keep in touch with supporters, share updates, give shoutouts, and celebrate successes, ultimately building a community around their cause.

3. Basin Arts 🎨

Arts incubator Basin Arts is dedicated to supporting artists in developing sustainable creative practices. In their tenth year, this nonprofit needed to relocate to a new home, so they launched a capital campaign—one that resonated with supporters and brought in major funding.

💸 Amount raised: $26K+

🏅 Why it worked: Basin Arts embedded a compelling video that showcased their mission and behind-the-scenes work, offering donors clear transparency on how funds will be used.

4. Dorchester Paws 🐕

Dorchester Paws, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of animals in Dorchester County, South Carolina, launched a capital campaign to fund their move to a new facility. Their matching campaign, with an ambitious $100K goal, more than doubled its target.

💸 Amount raised: $216K+

🏅 Why it worked: Dorchester Paws gave supporters multiple, easy ways to donate, either by check or through their donation page (via Givebutter).

5. Colonial Beach Historical Society 🏠

The Colonial Beach Historical Society & Museum, which preserves and promotes the heritage of Colonial Beach and the surrounding Potomac River region, launched a capital campaign to raise $11K to complete critical repairs and restore its museum.

💸 Amount raised: $14K+

🏅 Why it worked: This nonprofit connected donation amounts directly to impact on their donation page ($50 helps purchase primer and paint, $100 restores window and door frames, etc.).

Launch your capital campaign with Givebutter

A strong capital campaign isn’t about moving fast—it’s about being ready. When leadership is aligned, donor capacity is tested, and each phase is approached with intention, capital campaigns can fund transformative projects that shape your organization’s future for years to come. If you’ve completed the readiness checklist, understand the phases, and know what success looks like at each stage, you’re well-positioned to move forward with confidence. 

When you’re ready to take the next step, Givebutter makes it easy to put your capital campaign plan into action. You can create a free fundraising page to share your story, track pledges and multi-year commitments in one place, manage donor relationships through a powerful CRM, and keep supporters engaged from the quiet phase to wrap-up. And thanks to the Givebutter Guarantee, you can use all of these core features for free, so more of what you raise goes directly toward your mission.

Create your free Givebutter account and take your capital campaign further, faster. 

FAQs about capital campaign project management 

How long does a capital campaign usually last?

Capital campaigns typically take years, not months, depending on the scope of the project. Smaller campaigns might wrap up in one to three years, while more intensive efforts can last four to five years.

How do you know if your nonprofit is ready for a capital campaign?

Your nonprofit may be ready for a capital campaign if you’ve completed a feasibility study, have a clearly defined project, can depend on strong leadership support, and have an engaged donor base with the capacity to give at higher levels.

Do I need a capital campaign consultant?

Smaller nonprofits or those new to running a capital campaign may benefit from working with a consultant. A capital campaign pro can help assess risk, refine strategy, project manage, and ultimately help you succeed.

Can grants replace a capital campaign for a major project?

Grants typically complement capital campaigns but rarely replace the need for donor-driven fundraising.  Many private foundations expect organizations to secure a significant portion of funding (often 50% or more) before committing major grant support, making them more late-stage contributors.

How much should be raised in the quiet phase of a capital campaign?

Most nonprofits aim to secure 50–70% of their fundraising goal during the quiet phase, primarily through major gifts.