How an Art Museum's Planning Phase Poised Success in the Silent Phase
Impact:
The museum has implemented internal best practices based on our recommendations while cultivating a potential lead investor for a public 7-figure gift that will be leveraged to inspire, at a minimum, 5 additional 6-figure gifts, resulting in almost all of the needed campaign funds.
Summary of work:
Campaign Planning Assessment over 5-months to understand the vision and draft a Case for Support, interview constituents both new and familiar to the organization, and assess the development operation particularly around its ability to grow capacity through existing members.
Deliverables:
Comprehensive report of recommendations with campaign strategy for a multi-million dollar initiative centered around one lead supporter whose influence would inspire and motivate further giving; recommendations on how to leverage this support and what the allocation of funding should be based on constituent feedback; and ways in which the organization could grow its leadership and major gift donor base through existing members.
Our firm has completed and continues to offer this type of work for organizations across different sectors, including a mid-size art museum in New York State who had considered embarking on a campaign for years. The Executive Director was new to the role and area, offering them a fresh chance at testing constituencies' willingness to support an initiative and hearing their feedback on modern-day priorities for an evolving museum.
GPG held sessions with the Executive Director to hear his ideal plans and vision for the museum's next 3 to 5 years. We collaborated on the Case for Support, and requested information around historical donors to identify a list of prospective interviewees. The Executive Director took advantage of the chance to connect with each individual and business leader by asking for their participation in this process, connecting them to our firm to finalize a time for the discussion.
Early on, we realized that the Case must pivot to be more responsive to the feedback we gathered from key stakeholders, particularly the potential lead donor, which was information that emerged through the first round of discussions. We consulted with this key stakeholder in determining the remaining interviews, as to both cultivate the relationship while also learning whose opinions are influential and important to this donor. These interviews affirmed our inkling to build a campaign around one lead prospect and the information gathered helped our firm better inform the organization on what their constituents are yearning to see and experience, which became a part of the campaign recommendations.
The final report recommended ways in which the museum could leverage their existing membership program to grow capacity in leadership and major gifts; how the Executive Director could capitalize on his introduction to the community and organization to effect needed change by way of this campaign; and a detailed strategy and timeline on the engagement of the potential lead support with a gift range, recognition opportunities that could be well aligned based on interests, and ways in which the gift could be structured and celebrate to inspire more philanthropy.
This art museum, following the campaign planning interviews, was well poised to transition directly into the silent phase of the initiative for a $3M campaign.