Name That Campaign
North Charles Street Design Organization
CURRENTS magazine has covered the topic of campaign names several times over the years. Developed by the author of those articles, Bernice Thieblot, and the team at NCSDO, this interactive tool helps you select components that could lead to the perfect name for your campaign. Even if none of these combinations work for your unique campaign, the tool provides inspiration for campaign name brainstorming sessions. Play Name That Campaign!

Capital Campaigns
Robert Pierpont for the School of Philanthropy at Indiana University
Article This article, pre-course reading for the School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, provides an overview of capital campaign planning. Topics include campaign types and characteristics, pre-campaign planning, the feasibility/pre-campaign planning study, gift range charts/tables, campaign leadership and management, sequential solicitation, campaign phases, and testing readiness for a campaign.

Capital Campaigns from A to Z: Pre-Campaign Planning
Carrie Levenson-Wahl
Conference Presentation This presentation identifies stages in campaign planning such as having a strategic plan, identifying campaign leaders, developing the case for support, determining a budget and conducting a feasibility study.

Campaigns: University of California, Irvine - Gold Medal
Best Practice In 2005, the University of California, Irvine engaged in a comprehensive university-wide strategic planning process. The goal of the process was to create a “road map” that would ultimately enable UC Irvine to join the ranks of the top one percent of universities nationwide by the year 2015. Through the planning process, it became apparent that, in order to reach the goals set forth in the campus strategic plan, UC Irvine would require an estimated $1 billion in additional funding resources over the next 10 years.

Closing Remarks: Blue Sky Thinking
CURRENTS Article Fundraising campaigns conjure dreams of impressive new facilities, new educational attainments, and other lofty goals. Guilford President Kent John Chabotar says, by all means, consider high-reaching ideas and set ambitious goals--just ensure that they are supported by sound strategic planning. Chabotar shares some of Guilford's approaches leading to success.

First Seating
CURRENTS Article Despite the news of multimillion dollar and even billion dollar campaigns, many public institutions are just now planning their first-ever capital campaign. They face challenges such as lack of fundraising experience and resources, underdeveloped major and planning giving programs, and more. Author Bruce Matthews discusses real-world case studies illustrating approaches that proved to overcome these challenges.

On Board
CURRENTS Article Before you launch a major campaign, you need to ensure that your institution's board is capable, proactive, and motivated to support campaign goals. The author, a campaign strategist, describes how board members' commitment at a college and two independent schools made a huge difference in achieving fundraising goals. The boards' participation also helped connect the institutions with their alumni and the community.

No Leaf Unturned
CURRENTS Article Research consultants helped the advancement team at University of Wisconsin-Superior think of their development efforts as a small business and showed them how to grow it, even with limited staff and resources.

Extraordinary Success
CURRENTS Article This article considers how Berea College exceeded its campaign goal by staying focused on qualities that are unique to Berea.

Name that Campaign III
CURRENTS Article Bernice Thieblot, founder and president of North Charles Street Design Organization, has updated one of CURRENTS' most requested articles, "Name That Campaign." For the third time in 25 years, Thieblot has compiled a three-column list of verbs, adjectives, and nouns campus leaders frequently combine to create campaign names.

Up, Up, & Away
CURRENTS Article These steps can help ensure success for a mega-campaign: 1) Anchor the campaign in the institution's strategic plan. 2) Use such tools as feasibility studies, benchmarking, or focus groups to determine how well constituents will buy into a mega-campaign. 3) Make sure staff, the campus CEO, board members, volunteers, and past donors all understand their roles. 4) Create a fund-raising plan. 5) Keep the momentum going. 6) Use donor recognition to show each dollar counts. 7) Turn to primary constituents for the bulk of your support. 8) Look for pragmatic solutions to specific problems. 9) Use the campaign's success to improve the development office's reputation.

Making a List and Checking It Twice?
CURRENTS Article The process of determining campaign priorities should be rooted in the institution's overall strategic planning. Priorities should reflect input from internal and external constituencies, including the president and board, the larger campus community, and donors. Good priorities are ambitious and bold, are grounded in the institution's mission and history, outshine the dollar goal, culminate in visible results, and transform the institution. Includes case studies from University of Toronto and Pingry School.