2. AGENDA
• Thoughts on Campaign Communications
• 10 Steps To Guide Your Approach
• Self-rating
• Summary and Q & A
3. CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
Characteristics of successful campaign communications:
• Clear and Compelling Campaign
A Compelling Vision
Clear goals
Articulated priorities
• Integrated Communications
With annual fund
With alumni relations/membership
with stewardship
With other parts of the institution (central communications)
• Audience focused
Donor centric
Data and evidence-based
• Building the pipeline for the next campaign
4. • Compelling campaign communications start with a compelling vision and
philanthropic priorities
• It is never too early to start planning
• No two institutions are exactly alike
• Campaign communications must be designed for the institution’s
constituents
• Strategy first. Creative last
• A great idea that cannot be funded or staffed is not a great idea
• There are no silver bullets.Campaign communications are successful when
100 little things are done correctly.
• Print or Digital? Yes.
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
6. DIAGNOSTIC FOR CAMPAIGN
COMMUNICATIONS
1. Strategic Plan
2. Campaign Priorities
3. A Shared Vision for the Campaign
4. A Philanthropic Argument
5. Understanding Your Audience
6. Targeted Outreach
7. Resource Review
8. Communications Audit
9. Annual Communications Planning and Coordination
10. Metrics and Measurement
8. STEP1:STRATEGIC PLAN
Your institution has a strategic plan that has a well-articulated vision and a set of
institutional priorities.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Strongly
Agree
9. STRATEGIC PLAN: IDEAS AND ISSUES
• Fundraising campaigns are most coherent and effective when they are
conducted in support of an institutional strategic plan
• In the best case,you have a solid strategic plan that has been developed with
input from key stakeholders and has the support of the board.
• In some cases,a strategic plan just isn’t possible. In these cases,you need at
least a clear vision for the institution and a set of institutional priorities
• Fundraising campaigns are a means to an end. They provide the resources to
accomplish something.
• As communicators our goal is define what it is the institution is trying to
accomplish with the funds. This is the philanthropic argument at its most
basic
10. STEP2: CAMPAIGNPRIORITIES
Your institution has conducted a philanthropic goal setting process
and has defined specific philanthropic priorities.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Strongly
Agree
11. CAMPAIGNPRIORITIES: IDEAS AND ISSUES
• As communicators (and as part of development) our role is not to determine
the philanthropic priorities for the organization
• Our role is to take the priorities and create a compelling narrative or
framework to which donors will respond
• In the best cases,the philanthropic priorities tie directly to the strategic plan
and have clear,explainable dollar goals associated with each one
• Not all priorities are created equal. We must remember the old saying –“your
crisis is not my problem.” The institutional needs and donor interests seldom
align as well as leadership would like.
• Our goal is to help the institution find a way to match its needs with the
interests of its donors
12. STEP3:ASHAREDVISIONFORTHECAMPAIGN
Your institution has a clear sense of why it needs a campaign and what it hopes to
accomplish with the resources generated by the campaign.
(Aspirations/Goals/Mission/Vision)
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Strongly
Agree
13. ASHAREDVISIONFORTHECAMPAIGN: IDEAS AND ISSUES
To have effective campaign communications,it will help to have a compelling
vision and philanthropic priorities.
The best communications will not compensate for lack of clarity or uninspiring
philanthropic needs.
If you are lacking a shared vision:
• Consider a process to gain consensus on key messaging elements – vision,
mission,reason for a campaign – before beginning to write a case statement
• In the worst case,use the writing of the case as a process to gain this
consensus – but understand it will be a long and arduous road
14. STEP4: APHILANTHROPIC ARGUMENT
You can clearly state why your institution needs philanthropic support
and why it needs it now.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Strongly
Agree
15. APHILANTHROPIC ARGUMENT: IDEAS AND ISSUES
You will need to answer several questions to have an effective philanthropic
argument. These include:
• What is it that our institution does better than anyone else or in a unique
way?
• Why do we need philanthropic support? What are we trying to accomplish?
• Why do we need support now? What opportunity will we miss if we don’t
raise this money?
• How will the world be different if we are successful in raising this support?
16. LARGE PRIVATE RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
THE CHALLENGE
The university recently
completed a
campaign which
exceeded goal. Many
alumni wonder why
more fundraising is
needed. Other
stakeholders
questioned the need
for academic
investment, particularly
in the research
enterprise. In addition,
we were working under
a very compressed
timeframe.
THE PROJECT
GG+A was asked to
develop a messaging
platform, leadership
briefing for potential
lead donors, and a
communications plan
for a capital
campaign that is
being planned.
THE APPROACH
We leveraged the
University’s strategic
plan and campaign
priorities, which were
quite thorough.
Through deep listening
sessions with key
stakeholders, including
academic leadership,
we surfaced themes
which we weaved into
a campaign
positioning and
messaging platform.
OUTCOMES
The University is moving
forward rapidly with
campaign planning.
The materials we
developed helped us
quickly write a
leadership briefing
which is gathering
strong feedback in the
field. We are
completing a
communications plan
which will inform multi-
year planning cycles.
CLIENTCASESTUDY
17. STEP5: UNDERSTANDINGYOURAUDIENCE
Your institution has conducted quantitative and/or qualitative market research
in the last 18-24 months to better understand your constituents,
including donors and development prospects.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Strongly
Agree
18. UNDERSTANDINGYOURAUDIENCE: IDEAS AND ISSUES
• The one with data wins! Research data takes opinion out of the conversation
• You should spend the year before the campaign laying the foundation for the
campaign through communications
• You can use constituent research to understand what your constituents think
and identify the issues you want to address through communications
• What issues do you need to address before launching a large campaign?
Athletics scandal? Financial weakness? Recovering from a tumultuous CEO or
President?
• “Research”can be a form of cultivation and engagement
• Ask for feedback on everything you do
• And be sure to react and respond to the feedback you get
19. STEP6: TARGETED OUTREACH
Your institution has developed an audience segmentation that it uses for
outreach and fundraising.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Strongly
Agree
20. TARGETED OUTREACH: IDEAS AND ISSUES
• Most Advancement or Development operations are approaching their
audiences as three broad categories of constituents
• Major gift donors and prospects
• Annual gift donors / members (for cultural organizations)
• Non-donors
• Alumni
• Grateful patients
• Friends
• Parents
• Most teams in Advancement focus on one audience. There is no coordination
of effort or shared goals for constituents across the department.
• Communications teams outside of campaign likely spend the majority of
their time communicating to annual gift and non donors
• In a campaign,the inverse should be true. This requires a shift from
communicating to many to communicating to few
• Adopting an audience segmentation for the campaign can help to ensure
that the appropriate resources and efforts are applied to the right audiences
21. TARGETED OUTREACH: IDEAS AND ISSUES (CONTINUED)
• An effective segmentation will allow for clear,measurable goals to be
identified for each segment. Each part of the organization can then align its
strategies and tactics to affecting these goals. Example:
• Non donor = increase engagement,make a gift
• Inconsistent donor = become a consistent donor
• Communications strategies and tactics will vary by segment with the more
valuable segments receiving more customized communications
• High value segments receive more face-to-face communications,materials
and messages are personalized,and communications are more frequent. The
campaign will be important in the messaging.
• Low value segments receive less communications,materials are less
personalized,and communications are less frequent. The campaign is less
prominent in the messaging.
26. STEP7:RESOURCEREVIEW
Your institution has the right organizational structure, and talent at each key
position,to effectively plan,implement and continuously improve a capital
campaign communications program.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Strongly
Agree
27. RESOURCEREVIEW: IDEAS AND ISSUES
• Looking at resource deployment is an important task,especially when
campaign planning is at the beginning stages
• Some questions to ask in a pre-campaign stage:
• What resources do I need and when will I need them?
• Do I have all the skills in house that I need?
• What should I do in house and what should I outsource?
• What kind of budget will I need and when will I need it?
• Resource reviews can also be helpful mid-campaign,when the institution
anticipates ramping up communications activities for a public phase
• Resource reviews work best with top management support, transparency
and candor in communications,and with wide input from stakeholders,
especially internal clients for communications
• We have found benchmarking vs. selected peer institutions to be a
particularly good approach. The data that is surfaced yields insights in a
non-political and transparent manner.
28. STEP8:COMMUNICATIONSDISCOVERY/AUDIT
Your institution has an inventory of the communications channels and vehicles it
is using currently and has reviewed them for their ability to support campaign
communications.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Strongly
Agree
29. COMMUNICATIONSDISCOVERY/AUDIT: IDEAS AND ISSUES
• An inventory of all available channels and vehicles is important because they
will be important for delivering campaign content and messages.
• The discovery / audit process by definition has somewhat of a subjective
nature,especially when assessing communications outputs such as creative
• We intentionally balance that with an objective assessment of inputs and
outcomes
• For inputs,we delve into organizational plans and processes regarding
communications
• For outcomes,we work with clients to review how they are measuring
actions that audiences take as a result of communications treatments
• A discovery / audit provides clients the opportunity to step back, assess their
communications streams,and make proactive decisions about what to
continue and what to change
30. PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
THE CHALLENGE
The University has just
finished a campaign.
Advancement
Communications is
understaffed and lacking
key skills.
In a highly decentralized
environment,
Advancement wants to
build relationships with
the units and sees
communications as a
means to do this.
The VP wants an
organizational plan and a
road map for building
one of the best
communications
programs in the country.
THE PROJECT
GG+A was asked to
conduct an
Advancement
communications
organizational review,
a communications
audit, and develop a
marketing dashboard
THE APPROACH
Extensive interviews with
the communications
team and stakeholders
across campus to assess
culture, politics, skills, and
resources with the team
gathering all
communications
activities and providing
an inventory and an
assessment of inputs,
outputs and outcomes.
A benchmark study of
selected peer institutions.
An identification of key
metrics and measures
that the VP and staff
should track on a
systematic basis.
OUTCOMES
University is considering a
recommendation to
reorganize its
communications group,
using the GG+A findings
and benchmark as a
road map.
University anticipates
reorganizing processes as
well to better align with
best practices and with
marketing
communications metrics.
CLIENTCASESTUDY
32. ANNUALCOMMUNICATIONSPLANNINGAND
COORDINATION: ISSUES AND IDEAS
• There are two levels of complexity to communications planning – within
development/advancement and across the organization
• Within Development/Advancement,best practice is for each team to have
defined goals in the campaign. It cannot be development’s campaign alone.
• The Communications team can help by conducting coordinated
communications planning
• Don’t expect other parts of the institution to understand the role they should
play in the campaign. We need to tell them.
• Consider creating an institution wide campaign communications working
group that meets on a regular basis. Consider having the development
communications lead and the central institutional communications lead act
as co-chairs and conveners.
33. STEP10: METRICSANDMEASUREMENTS
You have put into place a plan to measure the effectiveness of campaign
communications
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Neutral
Strongly
Agree
34. METRICSANDMEASUREMENT: IDEAS AND ISSUES
• Many organizations are able to measure outputs – letters mailed,magazines
produced, stories written.
• The web and social media have allowed us to measure some results – page
views,visitors, friends,etc. Digital communications have raised expectations
about measuring results overall.
• In the best cases, you will be able to establish and track metrics that measure
outcomes of your communications such as awareness,engagement,and
giving,not just the outputs
• 2013 letter from Bill Gates to nonprofits:“Why Measurement Matters”
• The techniques of measurement are more widely available and at lower costs
in the digital era
• Metrics are difficult in the culture and information systems of nonprofits. The
skills and discipline of measurement remain rare.
• Even taking steps towards understanding and implementing the discipline of
measurement can help gain credibility with trustees and donors
35. WHAT IS YOUR CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
EFFECTIVENESS SCORE?
Add up the scores you assigned yourself based on the 10 steps:
• 0-9 You may not be ready for a campaign
• 10-19 Expect a turbulent ride
• 20-29 There’s room for improvement
• 30-39 We see potential for success
• 40-45 Hands on the rudder,smooth sailing ahead
• 46-50 At the head of the class
36. Bill O’Leary
Senior Vice President and Managing Director
for Strategic Communications
202.341.3992
woleary@grenzglier.com
Ed Sevilla
Vice President for Advancement
Communications
781.856.3700
esevilla@grenzglier.com
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
