Preparing for a major gifts campaign involves, among other things, assembling and inspiring the best possible team, but it also involves making sure that team is fully prepared for the challenge ahead, whether the team is enlisted solely for the campaign or is a regular part of the organization.
During the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ annual conference, consultant Maria Elena Noriega and Leticia Beceril of Worldfund Mexico said that getting a team ready for the task ahead requires, first and foremost, being sure the team members know the organization’s mission, vision and work.
That is all well and good, but there is more at play than just knowledge, as important as it is, they added. Once that crucial element is in place, however, leaders need to ask themselves the following questions about the team, and they need to be able to answer those questions clearly and definitively:
- How does the team feel about the organization’s mission?
- Are team members aware of the organization’s programs and what the organization’s work means to the community?
- Which aspects of the organization’s program do team members believe are the greatest strengths?
- Do team members believe that a major gift will make a difference?
