When thinking about the concept of legacy, wills and estates generally come to mind. Historically, a person's legacy was the sum total of his or her lifetime achievements, usually recognized posthumously. Picture a dusty office, a few grieving relatives and an attorney reading from an ancient document, and you'll get the idea.
In contemporary fundraising, however, a legacy is an
exciting, forward-reaching concept. Through strategic, energetic fundraising campaigns, donors can create a meaningful personal legacy, while supporting and enhancing an institution they deeply value.
Two Faces of Fundraising
At EHL Consulting, we encourage our client organizations to consider fundraising on two basic levels:
- present and near future
- long-term
The first level is easy to understand. Organizations mount capital and endowment campaigns to meet their more tangible, anticipated needs. We renovate and build buildings.We endow a chair of learning or a specific program to ensure that our institutions can provide important services or activities.
The second level may not be as obvious: less focused on the immediate future, but more far-reaching and fulfilling. The very process of conducting a winning campaign calls for
fundamental, often transformational, changes in institutions.
Successful campaigns require thoughtful development of new leaders and leadership structures. Board members must expand their frame of reference and embrace a vision for the future of their agency. Volunteers must be educated about their critical roles in achieving a broad vision and then trained to complete assignments. Computer systems and software frequently have to be upgraded to track givers, assign fundraising tasks, acknowledge contributions and handle the myriad details connected to state-of-the-art donor management.
All the while, your membership should be consistently informed and welcomed into your organization's vision. Let them know how their support can
impact the community, both in the short and long term. Underscore the value of planning and providing resources for the future. Emphasize the intrinsic value of a gift that lives on. In other words,
invite your stakeholders to embrace the institution through every stage of its growth, evolution and development.
The Never-Ending Ask
In today's colleges and universities, fundraising campaigns go on...and on...and on. As one campaign ends, another initiative begins. While most non-profits cannot sustain that level of activity, more and more recognize the value of capital and endowment programs to create permanence and solidify their role in the community.
Does major gift/large-goal campaigning impact annual giving? Definitely. And our clients' experiences show that the result is positive. Why? Because donors will offer ongoing support for an institution whose mission they esteem. First and foremost, it's about passion -- for a cause, for a vision, for improving an institution and a community.
The result...enabling and insuring a brighter future.
Creating a legacy!
