Taking a Capital Campaign Public: Ideas for Kick-Off Events
Launching a capital campaign to fund a major project or building for your nonprofit is an exciting endeavor, and one of the most anticipated parts of the campaign is the kick-off event. This event takes place when you’ve already put in the work to plan your capital campaign, connect with key stakeholders, solicit major gifts, and secure the majority of your funding. Now it’s time to announce your campaign to the public.
Your kick-off event is a crucial part of your campaign, so you need an event that engages your community and sets the stage for a successful public phase. If you need inspiration, we’ll explore these ideas for fun kick-off events:
- Groundbreaking Ceremony
- Themed Gala
- Family Picnic
- Virtual Kick-Off Celebration
- Tips for Planning Your Campaign Kick-Off Event
Even if you have a small staff or you’ve never launched a capital campaign before, you can tackle these kick-off events with the right resources and determination. Let’s dive in so you can start planning!
Groundbreaking Ceremony
If you’re fundraising to construct or renovate a building, you might structure your fundraising plan so that you’ll be ready to break ground on construction by the time of your kick-off event. A groundbreaking ceremony is a fun event where you can invite supporters, staff, major donors, and the press to celebrate your campaign’s initial progress while opening it up to the wider community.
To make a groundbreaking ceremony possible, you need to:
- Set a fundraising goal to ensure you can cover initial building costs. Capital campaigns are made up of a planning phase, a quiet phase, and a public phase—your kick-off event takes place in between the quiet and public phases. To make sure you’re ready to break ground on your building at the kick-off event, calculate how much funding you need for initial building costs and set a quiet phase revenue goal that covers that. Additionally, make sure that you have enough funds that you can actually use at kick-off, rather than having some donations that are tied up in pledges.
- Budget enough time to reach your goal before planning the kick-off event. As you create a timeline and calendar for your capital campaign, ensure that you give yourself enough time to raise the majority of the funds before planning the groundbreaking ceremony. Take into account your fundraising team’s capacity and revenue goal to determine how long you may need for your quiet phase. Quiet phase timelines vary, but they often take multiple years.
- Cement construction plans early. To construct or renovate a building, your organization needs to contact an architect early on and determine the logistics before you begin fundraising. Get renderings, cost estimates, and timelines from the construction crew so you have the full picture of the process. Cementing these plans early is especially important if you plan to break ground on the building at your kick-off event!
At your groundbreaking ceremony, announce the campaign’s purpose and goals to the public and let them know how they can support the project. This is also a great opportunity to recognize the major donors who made this initial construction possible. Just make sure to ask if they want to be publicly recognized ahead of time and respect their wishes.
Themed Gala
Nonprofits with larger budgets may want to host an upscale gala event to kick off their campaign. You can plan a traditional gala or give it a twist by choosing a theme that aligns with your capital campaign.
For instance, if you’re raising funds for a major environmental project, you might decide to host a garden-themed gala. Rent out space in a botanical garden, create a menu that highlights local produce, and auction off items like botanical garden memberships and elaborate flower arrangements.
At any type of gala, you can include the following activities:
- A live or silent auction
- Speeches about your organization and the campaign’s goals
- Live entertainment
- Presentation of awards or honors
- Relevant guest speakers
Make sure to schedule these activities thoughtfully and keep the focus on your capital campaign. OneCause recommends that you avoid any overlap between activities designed to generate revenue, like a silent auction and a raffle.
To help you stay within your budget for this large event, reach out to businesses that your organization or your board members have relationships with to find sponsors. You can ask corporate sponsors to donate auction items, catering, and even venue space.
Family Picnic
Will your capital campaign support local children or families in some way? Bring the community together for a family-oriented picnic to kick off your public campaign. For example, if you’re raising funds to rebuild your local park or playground, you could host the event at the park and show everyone how you plan to improve it with the funds you raise.
To host a family picnic, you’ll need:
- Food and drinks
- Tables and seating (or picnic blankets)
- Event volunteers to help you set up and clean up
- Activities for the kids
At the picnic, take the time to talk with donors and community members about the importance of your campaign and the difference it will make for local families. The casual atmosphere this type of event offers makes it a great opportunity to personally connect with supporters and build relationships.
Virtual Kick-Off Celebration
If you don’t have room in your budget to host an elaborate in-person kick-off event, consider hosting a virtual celebration instead. Virtual kick-off events can save your nonprofit time and money and allow more supporters to attend, no matter where they are.
At your virtual celebration, prepare a speech or presentation about the purpose and goals of your capital campaign, and leave time for questions. Consider having a keynote speaker discuss a topic related to your mission, recognizing select major donors for their contributions, or giving a virtual tour of the facility you plan to build.
Virtual events offer plenty of opportunities for fun activities, too. Use an online auction platform to include a silent auction or raffle in the celebration, or ask a local musician to put on a virtual concert for part of the event.
Tips for Planning Your Campaign Kick-Off Event
No matter which type of event you decide to host for your capital campaign kick-off, you can use these event planning tips to stay on track for success:
- Wait to host your kick-off event until you’ve raised enough initial funding. Donorly’s capital campaign guide recommends waiting to kick off the public phase until you’ve raised 50-70% of your fundraising goal from major donors in your quiet phase.
- Choose an event idea that will resonate with your audience. Use past donor engagement data to determine which types of events your donors typically attend and enjoy most.
- Get creative, but keep the focus on your campaign. The event idea you move forward with should feel relevant to both your capital campaign and your nonprofit’s overall mission.
Finally, remember to plan out your marketing strategy well in advance. Marketing your kick-off event thoughtfully and widely is crucial for starting your campaign’s public phase on the right foot.
Kicking off a capital campaign can feel like a daunting task, but any nonprofit can pull off a successful kick-off event with thorough planning. Your campaign kick-off should be a celebration, so don’t forget to enjoy this pivotal moment for your organization and your community!
