WASHINGTON (AFP eWire – Feb. 2, 2004) – When considering a capital or endowment campaign, a major undertaking for most organizations, there are two things that need to be done in order to determine the likely success of a campaign: an internal assessment of the organization’s readiness and an external assessment of the willingness and ability of the organization’s constituency to support the campaign. This week, I will focus on the internal assessment aspect. Next week, I will discuss the external aspect.

The planning study, sometimes referred to as a feasibility study, is the most common way to determine both internal and external readiness for a major project. Today, most firms use the term “planning study” because the goal is not just to determine the feasibility of doing the project, but to help the organization develop a plan that will strengthen their organization overall while preparing to launch a major campaign.

Often, the project is going to be done, whether funded through a campaign or not, so the feasibility of the project is not the question. Another reason why many prefer the term “planning study” is so that the process is not confused with the architectural feasibility study.


Internal Readiness
If the nonprofit has never done a capital campaign before, a full development audit is recommended before doing the external assessment. Even if the agency is “seasoned” in campaigning, a full development audit can still be beneficial. Internal readiness should always be considered first, before testing the campaign with the public. Sometimes a full-blown audit is not needed, or time will not allow for this process. However, the internal readiness still needs to be considered in the planning study. Some key internal readiness questions are: