It’s no secret that running a capital campaign is a tremendous amount of work. It’s a large-scale project that requires all hands on deck and wholehearted investment from your team to be successful.

However, with the need to maintain momentum and energy for the campaign for an extended period of time (research shows the average capital campaign can take over three years to complete), it can be tricky to keep your entire team engaged and excited about the process. In some cases, your team members may even start to experience burnout.

The good news is that with a few expert tips on your side, you can take the necessary steps to support your team throughout the capital campaign experience, from the beginning of the campaign through to a successful finish.

1. Prioritize clear communication.

Capital campaigns involve complex tasks and high stakes. Clear communication ensures that your team members understand their roles and responsibilities in the campaign and can work together effectively.

Plus, by keeping your team in the loop about how the campaign is going, you also keep them invested in seeing it through to the end.

Here are some tips for communicating with your team members during your campaign:

  • Provide regular updates and meetings: Meet as a team weekly or biweekly to discuss the campaign’s progress, work through challenges, and pivot your strategy as needed. If important updates happen between meetings, promptly send out emails to keep everyone aware of what is going on.
  • Define communication channels: Determine which communication channels should be used for different types of messages. For example, you might have your team use Slack or a group text message to send out short updates or deadline reminders, reserving email for more formal communication like sharing deliverables for approval or scheduling meetings.
  • Use collaborative tools: Centralize and collaborate on campaign tasks by using project management software or a document-sharing tool. For example, you may want to have multiple team members work on your case for support draft ahead of your campaign feasibility study. This can be done easily on with a tool like Google Docs.
  • Encourage feedback: Communication should never be a one-way street. Let your team members know you welcome their feedback and input on different aspects of your campaign strategy. For instance, someone who has a long history of volunteering with other organizations may have great ideas for how to recruit more volunteers for your campaign.

Communication is the foundation of great teamwork. As soon as your campaign gets underway, ensure you’re taking the time to keep your team members in the loop. This way, you’ll minimize misunderstandings, foster a collaborative environment, and reach your goals quickly.

2. Provide adequate training.

It takes confidence to see a capital campaign through to completion. It’s highly likely this will be the first time you and/or your team work on a project of this magnitude.

One way to empower your team to confidently complete campaign tasks is to provide them with the right training to do their jobs effectively. Here are examples of what you might offer:

  • Fundraising solicitation training: Use role-playing scenarios to teach team members how to ask for donations in in-person solicitations and how to pave the way for lasting donor relationships.
  • Board training: Your board members will play an integral part in the campaign. Don’t neglect them when it comes to training! The roles, responsibilities, and expectations of board members during capital campaigns are common topics of many trainings.
  • Software and technology training: Ensure that all team members are proficient in any software that will be used during the campaign. This might include your CRM, project management tools, and more.
  • Communication and marketing training: Public relations is a big part of capital campaigns. Train your team in public speaking and writing appeals, all with a focus on staying true to the core campaign message outlined in your case for support.

Your trainings can take a variety of forms. For example, you might host an in-person workshop to discuss how to solicit major gifts and direct team members to an online course to learn about campaign marketing best practices. Use what you know about your team to select the best forms of training for them.

Also ensure that you provide documentation or reference materials about all of the new skills your team is learning. This way, if someone has a question or needs a refresher on best practices, they have a resource to turn to.

3. Celebrate and reward achievements.

Though you’ll be excited to reach the finish line of your capital campaign, your team has a long way to go before it gets there. Why not boost morale and build a sense of mutual support among your team members by celebrating their achievements along the way?

There are several ways to celebrate all that your team members are accomplishing, both big and small. Here are a few ideas to try:

  • Organize team get-togethers like lunches, dinners, or happy hours to celebrate major milestones.
  • Publicly recognize team members who go above and beyond using newsletters, social media, or your blog.
  • Privately recognize those who prefer quieter forms of thanks using thank-you notes or eCards.
  • When certain goals are met, give rewards like gift certificates, merchandise branded to your organization, or (for bigger accomplishments) things like extra time off.

There are dozens of ways you can celebrate and award your team members’ achievements. The important thing to remember is that whatever strategies you choose, your efforts should always resonate with the people being recognized. This will help them feel seen and valued, and encourage them to continue working hard to reach the next campaign milestone.

4. Encourage a healthy work-life balance.

Your team will face several ups and downs during your capital campaign. Help your team members remain energetic, motivated, and committed through the demands of the campaign by encouraging them to have a healthy work-life balance.

Here are a few ways to do so:

  • Offer flexible work arrangements: Allow team members to work when is best for their focus or to work from home. Of course, this won’t always be possible, especially when you need your full team present for something like a fundraising event outside of the workday.
  • Encourage time off: Your employees are entitled to sick and vacation time as part of their compensation packages. Assure them that leave is meant to be used and remind them that taking breaks is essential for recharging and reconnecting with family and friends.
  • Monitor workloads: With all the moving parts of a capital campaign, team members can easily get overwhelmed. Keep an eye on each individual’s workload and have regular check-in meetings to ensure that everyone’s responsibilities are manageable.
  • Support a healthy office environment: Encourage your team members to take care of themselves physically and mentally. Consider stocking your break room with healthy beverages and snacks, setting up standing desks and walking pads, or even offering the occasional group exercise class.
  • Establish guidelines for communication outside typical work hours: Technology can sometimes blur the line between employees’ professional and personal lives. Let employees know when they’re expected to respond to both internal and external communications and be clear about when they should disconnect so that they can maintain healthy boundaries.

Achieving a great work-life balance is often easier said than done. Make sure to maintain an open dialogue with your employees so that you know how best to support them in their efforts to achieve great things at work and have happy and fulfilling personal lives.

Capital campaigns are marathons rather than sprints, and your entire organization will run the race together as a team. Ensure that you’re prepared to support your employees throughout the capital campaign experience by implementing the tips above. This will set you up for success with the campaign as well as future projects!