Successful Library
Capital Campaigns
American Library AssociationAnnual Conference - Chicago
Presented By Metropolitan Groupwww.metgroup.com/libraries
June, 2005
© Metropolitan Group
The Fundamentals
• Planning• Sustainable Fundraising• Leadership• Case Development• Identification and Qualification
Process• Cultivation• Gifts and Stewardship
Planning
• Project planning includesfundraising
• Feasibility– Project size– Programs– Collections– Endowment
• Long-term donor baseFinancial goal and donor base goal
Sustainable Fundraising
• Build donor base as a goal• Case for the long-term• Ongoing communication with
donors and prospects• Foster a development culture
Leadership Recruitment and
Involvement
• Staff engagement/ownership• IQ session with board/staff to ID
champions• Recruit hosts and area campaign
committees• Leaders from communities of
interest and cultural/ethniccommunities
Case Development
• Fundraising success flows from soundstrategic plans.
• We must describe how our librarychanges lives.
• What will be the impacts of thiscampaign?
• Capital fundraising is storytelling!
Prospect Identification and
Qualification
• Cardholder list–screening• Friends/past campaign donors• IQ sessions with board, volunteers
and staff• Outreach to interest groups and list
trades• Lures for major donors/self-
identification• In-kind/bid process• The usual suspects & national funders• Staff and retirees
Cultivation
• Obtaining information, gauginginterest and providing involvement
• Cultivation is a process of discovery, atime to ask questions and to listen
• Learning about the prospect’s needs• Infusing them with our enthusiasm
and passion• Inspiring them with our commitment
Cultivation Events
• Establish a standing calendar of events(tours, author dinners, hosted events).
• Offer variety of times for regular dinnersand 1-2 breakfasts and luncheons
• Highlight major campaign areas toattract specific audience segments
• Assure follow-up system is in place andinclude in host description– Table assignments– Debrief session/follow up
Recognition and Naming
• Recognition of the public in stand-alonelocation / entryway
• ID all naming opportunities spaces andtangibles
• Incorporate branding of fundraising entity• Installation of donor recognition as
cultivation• Separate donor recognition levels from
fund use• Invite donors to library programs of
interest•“Every gift counts”– leverage gifts in
public recognition and publicity
Campaign Capacity and
Structural Considerations
• Library directors and staff should beinvolved in cultivation/asks
• Libraries are uniquely positioned forplanned giving– build in endowmentand sustainability strategies
• Challenge gifts work - the campaignneeds a “leadership” challenge and an“every donor” challenge
• Establish clear policy that private donorsare above and beyond public funds
• Make the library’s fundraising entity the“preferred repository”
Capacity and Structural
Considerations continued
• Train and allocate staff for consistent andcomplete database management
• Make necessary changes in librarystructure, charter and plans to create afundraising “event-conducive” space
• Create protocols to assure and track: giftacceptance, thank you ladder, pledgefulfillment, post campaign gift close andstewardship
Questions and Discussion
Metropolitan Group
Agency Profile
• Library services:- Capital campaigns
- Endowment campaigns
- Program and annual funds
- Summer reading programcampaigns
- Public funding initiatives
- Brand communication plans
- Strategic planning
Metropolitan Group
Agency Profile
• Library clients– City and county libraries
– State libraries
– Research libraries
– Archives and special collections
– Friends organizations
– Library foundations
– Library associations
Strategic CommunicationResource Development
Organizational DevelopmentIntercultural and Cross-Cultural Communication
Portland, OR • Washington, DC
Chicago, IL (fall 2005)
www.metgroup.com
Mission : Metropolitan Group crafts strategic and creativeservices to help social purpose organizations create a just
and sustainable world.