Arreva Blog

I have been a volunteer on at least eight capital campaigns over the past 25 years. On some I was a working co-chair; on several I was an “honorary” co-chair; on some I was part of the campaign cabinet. I have been to countless cocktail receptions, dinners, briefings. I have squired many a prospect around on site visits. I have participated in myriad meetings with potential and actual donors.  I have vetted hundreds of names on prospect lists.

Most of these campaigns were successful in reaching their goal. One was not. Some were lots of fun. Some were frustrating.  All came with the rewards of helping secure major gifts for an important cause, being part of a hard-working team, and, perhaps most rewarding, watching other donors light up at the idea of making a major commitment to something they love.

Capital campaigns typically follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of the money comes from the top 20% of the donors. This means that the key to success for your capital campaign is securing those major gifts that fill in the top tiers in your gift range chart. These major gift donors are those who believe in your cause and your ability to make a difference, have the capacity to make a large gift, and have a connection to someone within your organization.

Fundraising with major donors is largely achieved through personal relationships and conversations between the donor, a volunteer, and the leadership team. Below are some helpful steps to securing large donations through capital campaign fundraising.

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Americans spend over 7.8 hours volunteering their time at a variety of nonprofits. That adds up to an estimated value of $184 billion dollars! Volunteers are an important cornerstone to many nonprofits and proper volunteer management is critical to a successful volunteer program.

The men and women that donate their time through volunteering can have a big impact on your organization’s success and bottom line. Because of their importance to nonprofits, proper volunteer management is important for a number of reasons listed here.

Let’s get proactive about volunteer burnout

Approximately 100 million people volunteer for nonprofits each year. In fact, volunteers are responsible for bringing in upwards of $150 billion annually. They’re also invaluable assets that allow you to expand customer service and community outreach while simultaneously reducing the cost of services and making them more widely available.

Maybe you’ve never had to plan a major fundraising event before and recruit volunteers, and now you’re wondering where to start, or maybe you’re just looking for a little inspiration to streamline your existing volunteer program. Even if you’re a volunteer management veteran, you might find some of the following recommendations helpful to up your fundraising game. Whatever the case, the following are four steps to successfully recruit and retain the right volunteers for your charity.