A nonprofit capital campaign and its donor room
A capital campaign raises gifts for a building, endowment or major program, not investments, so donors receive acknowledgments, not securities. Give board members and major donors a private room with the case for support, project budget, pledge agreements and naming opportunities, and record each pledge and acknowledgment.
- $250Contribution size that needs a written acknowledgment to substantiate a deduction (IRS)
- $75Quid pro quo payments above this need a disclosure statement (IRS)
Folder index
- 01 Case for support Campaign story, goals, impact.
- 02 Project plan Budget, timeline, architect plans or program design.
- 03 Feasibility study Study findings, board and leadership only.
- 04 Gift table Gifts needed by level, naming opportunities.
- 05 Pledge agreements Template and executed pledges, per donor.
- 06 Naming rights Naming policy and agreements.
- 07 Financials and governance Audited statements, Form 990, board list, policies.
How this raise works
Capital campaigns usually start with a feasibility or planning study, then a quiet phase in which the board and a small group of major donors are asked for leadership gifts, often a large share of the goal. The public phase follows once the goal looks safe. Gifts are often pledged over several years.
Major donors and foundations do their own review. They read the case for support, the project budget and timeline, architect plans for a building, audited financials, the Form 990 and governance documents. Larger gifts come with pledge agreements and sometimes naming rights agreements with conditions.
Tax rules set what the organization must send donors. A written acknowledgment is required to substantiate a contribution of $250 or more, and a disclosure statement is required for a quid pro quo payment over $75. If the project also uses bonds or a loan, that financing is separate and has its own disclosure rules.
Best data rooms for this raise
The 16 rooms re-ranked with this raise's weights. Cost of a raise carries the most weight here.
- Investor tracking 21%
- Permission control 14%
- Raise workflow 17%
- Investor onboarding 23%
- Cost of a raise 24%
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Folder index for the room
A starting index for this raise. Number the folders so the order survives exports and investors can cite them in questions.
- 01 Case for supportCampaign story, goals, impact.
- 02 Project planBudget, timeline, architect plans or program design.
- 03 Feasibility studyStudy findings, board and leadership only.
- 04 Gift tableGifts needed by level, naming opportunities.
- 05 Pledge agreementsTemplate and executed pledges, per donor.
- 06 Naming rightsNaming policy and agreements.
- 07 Financials and governanceAudited statements, Form 990, board list, policies.
- 08 Gift acceptance policyRules for stock, real estate and other non-cash gifts.
- 09 AcknowledgmentsGift receipts and acknowledgment letters by donor.
- 10 Campaign reportsProgress updates for the board and campaign cabinet.
Features this raise needs
| Feature | Why | Ellty | iDeals | SecureDocs | Box | Ansarada | Datasite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDA e-sign step | Confidentiality terms an investor must accept in the room before folder one appears. | ||||||
| Investor activity log | A per-investor record of opens, pages and minutes, which tells the IR team who is in diligence and who stalled. | ||||||
| Native mobile app | An installed app for phones and tablets, on top of reading in the mobile browser. | ||||||
| Dynamic watermarks | Stamps the reader and a timestamp over every page, so a PPM that leaks carries its source with it. |
Setting up the room
- 01
Prepare the case
Write the case for support and project budget before the quiet phase starts.
- 02
Open a leadership room
Give the board and campaign cabinet access to the feasibility study and gift table.
- 03
Invite donors individually
Grant each major donor or foundation access to the folders relevant to its gift.
- 04
Sign pledges electronically
Use e-signature for pledge and naming agreements and store executed copies per donor.
- 05
Send acknowledgments on time
Track receipts for gifts of $250 or more and quid pro quo disclosures over $75.
Common mistakes
- Going public before leadership gifts are secured.
- Naming agreements with no terms on what happens if the building changes.
- Missing written acknowledgments for large gifts.
- Describing gifts as investments or promising returns.
Calculators for this raise
Or take the four-question quiz and check the raise checklist.
Questions and answers
What is a capital campaign?
A time-limited nonprofit fundraising effort for a major project, such as a building, endowment or program, usually with a quiet phase for leadership gifts and a public phase.
Are capital campaign gifts securities?
No. Charitable gifts give donors no financial return. Any bond or loan used for the project is a separate financing.
What do major donors want to see?
The case for support, project budget and timeline, audited financials, the Form 990, governance documents and how gifts will be recognized.