Bob Shallit, in his column today, wrote about the significant donation received by the capital campaign for the Sacramento Society for the Blind building fund, and it reminded me of the great impact a well-run capital campaign can have on the health and growth of a nonprofit organization.
A central aspect of our call for local leaders to form a Joint Power Authority to govern the Parkway is the further suggestion for the JPA to form a nonprofit organization for supplemental fund raising, and a key part of this would be a capital campaign to build a fund to provide the kind of enhancements so desperately needed by the Parkway—such as a pedestrian-dedicated trail to relieve the current trail of its burden of trying to support bikers and walkers.
A capital campaign, run by a capital campaign professional—usually called fund raising counsel—is the major way a local organization can move to the kind of sustainability that will ensure their work remains viable for many generations.
An excerpt from the Shallit column.
“The Sacramento Society for the Blind has obtained financial support from a very high-profile donor: Financial titan Charles Schwab.
“Schwab, a Sacramento-area native, recently heard about the society's drive to raise $5 million for a new headquarters in downtown Sacramento and offered to personally match up to $100,000 in donated funds.
"Now if people contribute, they know (their money) will be immediately doubled," says Heather Frank, the group's executive director.
“The organization has already raised $3.7 million to buy and renovate the building at 13th and S streets. New framing and sheetrock in the 20,000-square-foot building is completed.
“Frank says she's hopeful the Schwab gift will provide the momentum to finish construction.
“How soon will the capital campaign wrap up?
"That's the $1.3 million question," says Frank, who's hopeful the organization can move from its cramped quarters in Curtis Park "within a year."
