Boulder nonprofit Special Transit is about $150,000 away from reaching an ambitious capital campaign goal of $11.4 million to fund a new facility. This from an organization that started the campaign three years ago with a modest major gifts program, a fundraising staff of two, and a looming economic recession!
The new building will double the size of Special Transit’s current facility from 18,000 to 36,000 square feet, enabling them to fulfill their mission to promote independence and self-sufficiency for people with limited mobility for years to come.
How did they do it? Front Range Source interviewed Mary Cobb, Director of Development and Communications, to find out. Here’s how she summarized their “secrets to campaign success”:
A solid organizational plan. Special Transit crafted a very structured growth scenario that clearly defined what their facility needs would be in the future.
Determined and optimistic leadership. Campaign chair, Jon Kottke, was a relentless optimist, using his personality, contacts, and confidence to lead the team and attract donations.
A creative combination of government, foundation and individual contributions. In 2007, Special Transit was awarded a one-time state award of $5.25 in the form of a challenge grant. This was a critical point in the campaign as it confirmed the viability of the project, but also put the pressure on Special Transit to match the challenge.
Organizational commitment. Before asking for any philanthropic contributions, Special Transit made their own commitment of $1 million from a special reserve fund, which signaled their own belief in the importance of the facility.
Hefty lead gifts and support from their nearest and dearest. The Special Transit Board of Directors made a cumulative leadership gift of $115,000, followed by $500,000 from the Daniels Fund. While they did attract some new donors, the bulk of leadership and major gifts were from their existing and closest supporters.
Best practices. Mary and her team trusted in the successes of past campaigns at other organizations and followed a very traditional structure. They had a capital campaign steering committee that knew it was brought on to raise money. They pursued a giving pyramid that started with lead gifts, moved to major gifts, and eventually worked its way down to a general gifts phase.
Help when they needed it. Special Transit called in consultants on an ad hoc basis for various phases of the project, including facility planning, fundraising feasibility, and initial campaign implementation.
Strong staff support. Mary says that although they were understaffed, the team was consistent, stayed on top of details, and focused on getting the job done.
Good communications. At every level, Mary’s background as a communications expert ensured that everybody involved with the campaign knew what was going on and what was expected of them.
Now, Special Transit is thinking about how to transition the successes of the campaign to their ongoing fundraising operation. We look forward to hearing more about this from Mary in the months ahead.
CONGRATULATIONS, SPECIAL TRANSIT!!!
