What To Do When Traditional Campaign Strategies Aren't Effective
Success Story: The Hospice of South Texas
How do you decide who to hire to manage your capital campaign? Do you need a “full-service” firm or is an “of-counsel” consultant sufficient? Is it worth the risk to spend the money needed to hire an outside fundraising firm; will they raise enough money to justify the expense? These were just a few of the concerns facing a hospice in rural Texas as they decided to embark on their first capital campaign.
The Situation:
The Hospice of South Texas (HoST) was originally created in 1985 to provide services within a 35-mile radius of Victoria, TX. The desire for hospice services quickly spread, and in 1989 they were able to expand to cover an eleven-county area. The hospice serves patients with a wide variety of end-stage conditions, as well as providing counseling and education programs. They decided to test community support for a new inpatient facility. With no other inpatient facilities in the area, there was a substantial need for the additional support and services hospice could provide, as long as their capital campaign was successful.
While this would be the first campaign for the hospice, many members of the board had been involved in other fundraisers within the community that had dragged on too long and eventually lost steam. In addition, most of the board members were strictly volunteers. They didn’t have the deep pockets and personal connections to make large-figure asks. For them, receiving a “no” when asking for funding would feel like a personal rejection, and it was not something they were looking forward to. With these concerns in mind, the board decided to hire Convergent Nonprofit Solutions to manage their first capital campaign.
Funding Goals:
Secure the funding needed to build a 20,000 sq ft, 12-bed inpatient facility
Increase community awareness of the hospice and its services
Raise campaign funds without impacting other annual funding initiatives
The Challenges:
Traditional funder evaluations approach did not work within the community.
Difficult to identify and reach potential funders due to the size of the service area.
Already had multiple annual fundraising events that we did not want to negatively impact.
The Convergent Approach:
The Hospice of South Texas is located in a rural community, and many members of the board were concerned about whether or not bringing in an outside consulting firm to manage their capital campaign was the best route. Would they justify the expense – would we recover the amount spent by hiring consultants? How would members of their community respond to an outsider requesting large pledge amounts? Would our process be effective for them?
While many aspects of our traditional campaign approach were effective, others had to be adapted to meet the communities’ unique challenges. For instance, due to the large service area, the campaign had a twelve-person leadership team. Unusually large for many campaigns, here it allowed members of the leadership team to focus on identifying a prospect pool and coordinate efforts in a more manageable area. We also used this localized approach when educating the community about the expansion plans. Instead of having a few large community events, smaller, more intimate gatherings were planned. This was a more effective way to garner interest and support for the campaign throughout the rural community.
Another “traditional” campaign activity that we quickly realized would not work on this campaign was the evaluation process. Typically, Convergent’s campaign director works with the leadership committee to determine the correct pledge amount to request at each solicitation. We quickly realized that in this case, we were able to secure larger pledges for HoST by NOT asking for a specific amount, instead providing potential funders with a list of suggested pledge amounts, naming opportunities, etc., as well as giving them insights on what others had already committed. By customizing and adapting our approach to better fit the communities’ needs, we were able to reach the campaign’s initial funding goal on schedule.
The Results:
In just twelve months, the campaign secured over $4,150,000 in pledges; enough to break ground and maintain their desired construction schedule. None of the organization’s other funding initiatives, such as a 5k/10k run, BBQ Cook-off, and Lassoing Loving Care, a roping event, were negatively impacted by campaign efforts. The campaign helped to increase awareness within the community of the services provided by hospices and the need to have quality end-of-life care available. The local medical community, in particular, developed an increased interest in the new facility. The Hospice of South Texas team has been able to capitalize on the groundwork laid during the initial phase of the campaign to continue raising funds. As of March 2017, they had secured a total of $9.2 million in pledges, surpassing their $8.5 million stretch goal and allowing them to move into their new building debt-free!
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Raised
$4,150,000
“Our board was concerned about having a drawn-out campaign. Convergent’s focused energy laid the groundwork for a clear, fast-paced campaign. They set the stage for ongoing contributions, and because of that work, we reached our full campaign goal. 80% of the pledges we’ve received were directly attributable to Convergent’s work. Bringing Convergent in was absolutely the right thing to do.”
Terry Robinson, Former Executive Director, Hospice of South Texas
Testimonials
Andrew Keenan
“The fact that Convergent could make the ask was huge. Working with our director and joining solicitations made me a better fundraiser – that was the right formula for us. Moving forward I feel much more confident in making asks and telling our story, and that is going to make us more sustainable in the long run.”
Andrew Keenan, Executive Director Callanwolde Fine Arts Center | Atlanta, GA
Lisa Zaken
“In the span of six short months, our Board went from being nervous about the initial campaign investment to being ecstatic with the attainment of our goal, and our subsequent stretch goal! Convergent can do it like no other. Their system is rigorous and extremely effective. We have nothing but great things to say about this organization!”
Lisa Zaken, President & CEO Leadership Gwinnett | Duluth, GA
Dion Davis
“The strategy and support offered by Convergent helped our Board expand its vision for the Foundation, which in turn helped to refocus and redefine our organization's impact in our community. The methodology behind their capital campaign process not only helps to raise more money in the immediate, but it also builds best practices for long-term investor relations and lays groundwork for the success of future funding initiatives.”
Dion Davis, Former Executive Director Jekyll Island Foundation | Jekyll Island, GA
Robin Mauck
“Working with Convergent has been a pleasure all the way around. Their approach is customized to your organization and their expertise is unmatched in the field. The Convergent team immersed themselves in our process, culture, and goals to provide exceptional value during our campaign. They truly walk alongside you every step of the way!”
Robin Mauck, Executive Director Obria Medical Clinics Gwinnett | Lawrenceville, GA
Aimee Hall
“I loved working with Convergent. I never could have done what Convergent did. If you want to run a successful campaign, you need to bring in that expertise. Thanks to their help, our capital campaign really took us to the next level within our community.”
Aimee Hall, Executive Director Safe Homes Domestic Violence Center | Augusta, GA
Phillip Aldridge
“I wanted to thank everyone from the Convergent team who assisted in our campaign. Of the varying ways the campaign’s success may be measured, I count it a blessing that we achieved what we did. Not just the funds committed but the contacts made, the level of exposure reached, and ultimately, what the funds and exposure mean in terms of how many more we now serve as a result. My thanks is in recognition and appreciation for Convergent serving as our fundraising counsel and for the patience and professionalism demonstrated throughout the campaign. You were a godsend for Valley Healthcare!”
Phillip Aldridge, Board Chair Valley Healthcare System | Colombus, GA
Jeff Taylor
“Early in our campaign feasibility study it became apparent that we lacked the Asking Rights necessary to conduct a capital campaign. As a result, Convergent’s knowledgeable consultants prepared an extensive plan of action that is a road map for growing our awareness and philanthropy. A successful capital campaign will be possible in the near future. Their entrepreneurial approach will definitely get you where you want to go.”
Jeff Taylor, CEO MedCura Health, formerly Oakhurst Medical Center | Stone Mountain, GA
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