The Monthly Leap - February 2026
Hi there!
If you’re in Wisconsin like we are, you know we had a stretch of freezing cold weather. I write this from my office where I’m literally wearing slippers, sipping on a steaming hot cup of coffee (that will likely be cold by the time I finish it), and am still looking at my Christmas tree in the corner. Should I take it down? Yes. Am I going to? Not yet… Whatever it takes to get through this winter, right?
Now to get to the good stuff… Keep reading to find out:
What's on Rikki’s mind: Start thinking about a campaign before it’s urgent
Tip of the month: Do it well, don’t do it all
What's coming up
I hope this post is a little spot of joy in your month!
Rikki
What's on Rikki’s mind?
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how organizations decide they’re “ready” for a capital campaign.
Often, we hear from nonprofits right at the moment when everything feels urgent. A building opportunity suddenly comes up, or a big need appears seemingly overnight. But even in those “out of nowhere” situations, organizations have usually been thinking about a campaign for much longer. Because the truth is, campaigns usually begin much sooner than people think.
So much of what makes a capital campaign successful happens before you ever start asking for big gifts… and it certainly starts before you put out a press release saying you need to raise a lot of money!
You need clarity around your vision. There’s probably work to be done to get your board and leadership moving in the same direction. Most organizations need to spend some time strengthening donor relationships before they can make a larger ask. Your fundraising systems likely need attention.
While it can feel daunting, that work is necessary, not just because it will make the campaign itself more successful. This foundational work protects relationships, builds confidence, saves you time in the long-run, and strengthens your fundraising long after the campaign is finished.
I wish more organizations felt comfortable raising their hand and asking for help earlier so they didn’t feel so overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done to meet their fundraising goals. That’s why this month you’ll see us talking a lot about capital campaigns. Not to pressure anyone toward one, but to slow the process down, demystify it, and help organizations make intentional decisions about what comes next.
(And if you’re one of the organizations that doesn’t even know where to start, don’t hesitate to reach out! I love helping you think through these early parts of the campaign so you don’t feel so alone and overwhelmed with all that’s to come.)
Tip of the month
During our office hours on donor retention and stewardship in January, I found myself saying Do it well, don’t do it all multiple times. That’s why I’d encourage you to do one small thing really, really well this month.
For example, choose just one donor relationship to look at more closely. Ask yourself:
How well do they understand our mission and vision?
Do they feel like partners in our work?
Do I know enough about them to know what they're passionate about?
Then take the next small step, like sharing a meaningful update or having a curiosity-driven conversation, to strengthen that relationship.
If you have time, choose another donor and do the same. But don’t try to do it all at once! Strong donor relationships are the foundation of every fundraising effort, not just capital campaigns. And those relationships take time. By taking strategic and intentional action, one donor at a time, you’re setting the stage for future opportunities.
What's coming up?
If you’re looking for high-quality training and workshops to gain a foundation understanding of nonprofit management, it’s worth checking out what your local technical college offers! Rikki is coordinating the Nonprofit Leadership Institute at Mid-State Technical College again this spring, with classes kicking off Thursday, February 12 and meeting every other week until the end of May. She’s also presenting one of the modules for the Nonprofit Management Institute offered by Northcentral Technical College. We’re all lucky to have these great resources in our communities.
We’re also partnering up with our friend Jill Kurszewski of The First Cup and Siebert Lutheran Foundation to present an online workshop on February 5 that helps organizations articulate their mission and vision through strategic storytelling.
If you’re looking for more guidance about what we mean by capital campaign readiness, join us for our next office hours session on February 26 at 9:00am! We’ll walk through what readiness means at every step of the campaign and help you think through what your organization might need to do to kick off a successful campaign. This session won’t be recorded, so you can feel free to ask all of your burning questions in real time!