Question Category: Capital Campaigns
Question
Can you have a capital campaign to renovate leased property?
Answer
The short answer to your question is, yes. The key to such a campaign is developing your case for support in such a way that donors can clearly see that their investment in your new building will have lasting effects and truly make it possible for you to offer additional programs and services.
So BEE suggests that the first thing you do is to write the case statement for the campaign. This document will hopefully answer questions prospective donors might have about the lease, operating expenses etc. Within the case, you need to address the length and other terms of the lease, what value your organization will receive for the building at the end of the lease, how much money you will save by building on the lease property vs. buying property and building on it and how this cost savings will enable you to provide even more programs/services, etc. In other words, you need to show that you have explored other options, that this is the best option, that it makes sense for the long-term and that it will expand your services in a significant way.
There are several guides in the "How To" section of the FundraisingINFO.com site about capital campaigns and writing the case statement. The second step after articulating your case should be to get 100% participation from your board members. You will need to be able to say to any and all potential donors that every one of your board members has made a significant financial investment in the campaign. This will help bring validity to the case and the idea of building on leased property.
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