Customer Reviews

Conducting a Successful Capital Campaign: The New, Revised and Expanded Edition of the Leading Guide to Planning and Implementing a Capital Campaign

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although there is useful information in this book, I found it disappointing compared with the recommendations that I read.

Part 1, which is about 200 pages, is the text of the book and covers planning and implementing your campaign. Part 2 which is about 300 pages is a collection of about 35 sample documents.

I found the text, which included chapters by other authors, rambling and verbose, giving lists of functions and lists of alternatives without reaching conclusions. I skimmed this part and found little worth reading carefully. (In contrast, I just read Tony Poderis concise and excellent "Its A Great Day to Fundraise" from cover to cover.) The author attempts an academic approach, with unhelpful citations. Examples of somewhat useful items were an outline of a case statement and examples of gift charts.

Particularly weak was a chapter entitled "Technology in Fundraising" which claimed that it was about the single most important support factor in fundraising. We learn that we need a broad team to select this technology; that we need to attend user groups of the system we are considering; that we need to meet current users; that we need to test the system at our site; that the system should be easy to support; that to install the system we need leadership, time, funding, involvement, communication, expertise, testing, training, defined reports, standards, process, etc.; and on and on and on with more generalities. We are NOT told what it is reasonable to expect such a system to do, what features have proved useful, or any other specific information that someone who had actually used such a system might provided.

The sample documents, which were largely from an Indiana University campaign, struck me as examples that I would not want to follow, although I found some useful items.

In the short time I've had this book, I've used it extensivly to plan a forthcoming $25 million campaign in a college within a university. After 15 years of experience in major gift fund raising, I've finally found the book that includes ALMOST everything we need to launch a very successful effort. I deeply appreciate Mr. Dove's efforts to update his work and provide this useful guide.

I had a copy of the first edition of this excellent book but when I enbarked on a new Capital Campaign I bought the new edition. It is a book which anyone - experience and otherwise - must have if you have to venture into capital campaigning.

Even if you been there and done that, it is excellent as a check to see if you're on track.

The updated version has looked at Capital Campaigns in the light of the changing world of philanthrophy.

In Australia, our Capital Camapigns may not be as large as some in USA but never the less are run in just the same way.

A must have reference and the best one out there as far as I'm concerned.

Kent Dove's book is the bible for how to do capital fund raising. I have been asked as a development officer and consultant to do it other ways, and his is the ONLY way that works. I'm buying the updated book with joy that it has been published.

This book provides the fundamental outline to a successful Capital Campaign. It is not a how-to and will clearly state that a seasoned professional consultant should still be considered a vital part of any effort. But, short of that, any Board of Directors should have this book as a guide to understanding the depth of their own responsibilities, how to manage a consultant, the seriousness of the effort and planning ongoing giving programs. I did not give it a 5 only because it does not spell out oversite structures for committees. William

I have been fundraising for over 8 years, primarily for higher education, and have run 3 successful campaigns, so I thought I knew nearly everything about doing it. This book, however, brought new insights, advice, suggestions and examples on how to do it better.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who is serious about fundraising. I have put it on my recommended reading list for my current office.