Understanding the Campaign Domain Environment
Apra and the BOK Campaign Domain Committee recognize that organizational environments, reporting structures and
individual roles and responsibilities may vary widely among the nonprofit community. The diversity of our community
and continued evolution of the prospect development profession provides both challenges and opportunities for
members to contribute to the success and growth of their organizations. Please bear this in mind as you utilize the
Campaign Domain of the Apra Body of Knowledge.
Level I:
- Comprehend and differentiate the various types of campaigns (i.e., capital, comprehensive, major gift,
special initiative).
- Show understanding of the standard campaign phases and typical work done in each through participation.
Projects undertaken at various campaign stages may include:
- Pre: Participate in wealth screening and analytics projects and activities to identify and qualify
prospect pool.
- Silent/Nucleus/Private: Provide research support for lead gift solicitation(s) and volunteer leadership
identification and recruitment.
- Public: Support major gift cultivation and solicitation through responsive research, portfolio review,
and activity tracking.
- Post: Contribute to analysis of unfunded priorities, participate in process analysis and improvement and
support prospecting for special fundraising initiatives.
- Describe the key aspects of counting policies, including cash, pledges, recognition credit, reach-backs,
estate and deferred gifts, etc.
- Garner knowledge about the organization's campaign history, including the type of campaign, dollars raised
and priorities that differentiate each.
Level II:
- Assess prospect development campaign resources, identify needs and negotiate for campaign budget as
warranted.
- Develop and allocate the campaign budget as relevant to research, relationship management and/or analytics
functions, including staffing and resource (i.e., screening, modeling, overlays, research tools)
requirements.
- Implement necessary program development or enhancements, structural modifications, hires and resource
acquisitions according to the outlined budget planning process.
- Lead prospect development efforts and strategies aligned with campaign phases:
- Pre: Select wealth screening provider and guide analytics either through outsourcing or in-sourced
project coordination.
- Silent/Nucleus: Actively guide strategy for lead gift prospect identification and profiling, conduct
prospecting and evaluation of volunteer leadership.
- Public: Spearhead portfolio optimization and performance analysis. Contribute data-informed guidance to
support broad-based engagement and communication tactics.
- Post: Lead evaluation of prospect development process, structure and output. Develop prospecting plans
for special fundraising initiatives for potential bridging between campaigns. Archive prospect
development contribution to the campaign.
- Develop and/or manage prospect management and assignment protocols (see the Relationship Management Domain)
Level I:
- Describe fundraising campaign planning methodologies.
- Differentiate key phases and elements of the institution's campaign plan.
- Explain the role of prospect development in meeting key deliverables and associated timeframes.
- Develop the interviewee profile used and summarize donor and prospect characteristics, background, giving
and engagement histories, etc., to support feasibility interviews.
- Examine past and current donor and prospect interests and compare to proposed campaign priorities and
initiatives.
- Contribute questions for use in the feasibility interviews.
Level II:
- Develop structure, key elements and timeline for the campaign plan with support of the leadership team.
- Assess strategy for engaging in feasibility study for the campaign, including historical and peer
benchmarking.
- Conduct environmental scan and campaign trend research to build a knowledge base of the competitive campaign
environment in the institution's region as well as national trends regarding naming thresholds, peer
benchmarks and national and regional philanthropic giving trends.
- Design and implement the methodology for the selection of potential candidates and the strategic approach
for engaging them in feasibility interviews.
- Formulate various goal setting scenarios and potential strategies, which incorporate complex financial
analyses and forecasting methodologies. Partner with the Finance team, Campaign Director or other
stakeholders to deliver report tools.
- Construct or modify interview questions with the consultant or Campaign Director.
- Incorporate information gathered from interviews into campaign cultivation strategies with assigned gift
officers and input into the constituent database.
Level I:
- Demonstrate the ability to interpret the organizational gift table/campaign pyramid.
- Monitor progress against goals for key campaign priorities and objectives.
- Review gift table/campaign pyramid, prospect metrics and create and implement prospect identification
strategies that support the gift table or organizational forecast methodologies.
Level II:
- Develop gift tables and campaign pyramids, experimenting with a variety of methods, approaches and tactics
to discern the best approach for the organization.
- Recommend gift table metrics and ratios that are appropriate for the organization type, campaign structure
and donor/prospect base.
- Design guidelines for monitoring progress against goals for key campaign priorities and implement strategies
as necessary to ensure objectives are met.
- Develop goals and strategies for prospect identification and qualification that align with the goals of the
campaign.
- Monitor campaign effectiveness and forecast future results. Make recommendations to adjust goals, timelines,
donor and gift segments and/or prospect ratios based on performance metrics and forecasting models.
Level I:
- Apply knowledge of various screening and rating methodologies (wealth screening, peer screening, feasibility
ratings, predictive modeling ratings, etc.) to assess the prospect pool and build prospect pipelines.
- Demonstrate awareness of campaign feasibility study findings as it relates to the campaign prospect
identification plan.
- Carry-out prospect identification projects as assigned. Identify possible new identification projects and
partner with manager/team to explore.
Level II:
- Create and manage a campaign prospect identification plan aligned to campaign priorities.
- Analyze and report on campaign prospect segments (including key/top prospects) and establish strategies to
feed pipeline.
- Demonstrate ability to assess research tools needed for a campaign (forms, policies/procedures, reports,
internal accountability measures, scores, ratings, etc.).
- Conceptualize, plan and execute a peer screening program in support of a campaign. Oversee data collection,
tracking and reporting on peer screening efforts.
- Assess various screening and rating vendors and manage vendor relationships and contracts.
- Design and implement systems to track key campaign metrics (campaign ratings and pyramids, interdisciplinary
campaigns, sub-campaigns).
- Demonstrate ability to conduct post-campaign analysis, including overall effectiveness of pipeline strategic
plan, prospect pool utilization and gap analysis.
- Manage campaign pipeline, including regular assessment of prospect opportunity realized and yet to be
realized, and recommendation strategies for movement of various pool segments.
- Identify and recommend core populations and geographies to be targeted during the course of the campaign
(pipeline).
Level I:
- Utilize knowledge of the organization's current campaign efforts to inform portfolio management efforts.
- Differentiate the portfolio management needs for all areas of development (major gift, annual gift, planned
giving, corporate and foundation relations, etc.).
- Describe the organizational prospect and portfolio management policy, processes and/or standards, portfolio
metrics and assignment protocols.
- Analyze prospect pool and optimize portfolios in support of campaign goals and priorities.
Level II:
- Apply knowledge of campaign goals to develop and direct portfolio management strategic plans.
- Establish, implement and champion policies, processes, projects and strategies that drive effective donor
solicitation and relationship development for the campaign.
- Establish expectations and protocols for prospect movement and review.
- Plan and implement processes for cleansing and optimizing portfolios.
Level I:
- Explain how campaign data is tracked and managed in the central donor database.
- Describe data acquisition and maintenance (screening, overlays, clean-ups, etc.).
- Demonstrate ability to locate campaign data from the central donor database.
- Support utilization and interpretation of campaign reports, including dashboards.
- Document projects for campaign summary.
Level II:
- Evaluate existing prospect management, research, data coding and other scoring systems, revising and
enhancing as appropriate to support campaign needs.
- Lead portfolio review and analytics in support of monetary goal setting at both the organizational (overall)
and sub-goal (area or priority-specific) levels.
- Design and implement tracking of and reporting on non-monetary goals (i.e., volunteer engagement,
testamentary expectancies, etc.).
- Design and produce campaign reports, including overall progress, progress on priorities and progress by
units/programs/departments.
- Report and provide analysis of key performance indicators (KPI), prospect management details and fundraiser
productivity.
- Develop and perform analytical strategies for maximizing campaign potential and performance return.
- Perform gap analysis highlighting untapped potential and funded/unfunded priorities.
- Create campaign summary (research, relationship management and analytics activities). Add to campaign
archive (advancement and/or organizational), documenting key activities and outcomes.
Level I:
- Identify and speak to the role and information needs of the Campaign Director and campaign counsel.
- Apply knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of each advancement/development function in affecting
campaign outcomes to inform prospect development activities:
- Executive fundraising leadership team.
- Principal gifts team.
- Major gifts/regional gift officer teams.
- Gift planning.
- Donor relations and stewardship.
- Marketing and communications.
- Event planning.
- Advancement Services.
- College, School, Faculty, Program and Unit gift officer teams.
- Employ knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of key institution stakeholders to inform prospect
development activities:
- Office of the President/Executive Office.
- Board of Trustees (or key fundraising board).
- Campaign Cabinet or Volunteer Board.
- Other Volunteer Committees.
- Chief Financial Officer.
- Other key organizational leadership.
- Office of the Provost (Higher Education only).
- College, School, Unit Deans/Directors, Chief of Staff and Curators.
- Demonstrate knowledge of which external partners and vendors could provide support to campaign planning
efforts (e.g., campaign feasibility, goals, planning, strategy, modeling and screening vendors).
Level II:
- Collaborate with the Chief Development Officer, Campaign Director and campaign counsel to:
- Adhere to campaign objectives and goals.
- Define campaign strategy, milestones and dates.
- Assess and refine the prospect pool.
- Build relationships with staff and colleagues (IT, Major Gifts, etc.) that foster the attainment of shared
campaign goals.
- Participate in or lead campaign or strategic planning working groups as needed, providing insight and data
regarding campaign pipeline and progress.
- Partner with the Chief Development Officer/Campaign Director to:
- Deliver executive campaign updates, planning and recommendations.
- Deliver Campaign Cabinet/Volunteer updates and key issue discussions.
- Provide campaign progress reports and coordination and execution of campaign activity to key
stakeholders (internal/external).
- Regularly seek feedback from leadership and gift officers on the efficacy and success of prospect
development processes, tools and strategies during the life of the campaign, making modifications and
adjustments as needed.
- Participate in pre-, mid- and post-campaign analyses with external counsel as needed.
Level I:
- Demonstrate knowledge of key constituent groups (internal and external) to be engaged during the course of
the campaign.
- Describe the roles and responsibilities of each key constituency in affecting campaign outcomes.
- Demonstrate knowledge of stewardship strategies on prospect engagement for campaign momentum and messaging
for volunteers.
- Understand the marketing and communications strategy for the campaign and opportunities for donor focus.
- Demonstrate knowledge of event strategies to make the case for the campaign and engage constituents.
- Participate in the identification of prospective campaign volunteers.
Level II:
- Partner with the Chief Development Officer/Campaign Director to provide report information for campaign
volunteer leadership and key issue discussions.
- Identify/recommend prospective campaign volunteers to support the campaign strategy.
- Prepare and/or participate in meetings/debriefings with key campaign volunteers, performing peer screenings,
network review and sector/market analyses as appropriate.
- Participate, as appropriate, in event strategies to engage strategic populations for campaign-related
events, setting and tracking against goals and targets.
- Create coding structure to track and analyze the effectiveness and outcomes of campaign marketing and
communications on target/key constituencies.
- Provide data insights for stewardship strategies to highlight campaign success and campaign progress for
donors, prospects, volunteers, faculty/staff and students.
- Assess the engagement and participation of and feedback from campaign volunteers.
- Participate in the development and tracking of donor-centric engagement, cultivation and stewardship
strategies.
Desired Behavioral Traits:
- Strong relationship builder and communicator.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Ability to manage and/or navigate complex plans and situations.
- Broad knowledge of fundraising operations and areas.
- Values and helps foster collaboration.
Further Reading
- "Achieving Excellence in Fundraising," 4th edition, by Eugene R. Tempel, Timothy L. Siler, Dwight F. Burlingame
(2016)
- "Prospect Research in Canada: An Essential Guide for Researchers and Fundraisers” by Tracey Church
and edited by Liz Rejman (2016)
Further Professional Development Opportunities
- Online offerings are available via Apra University's Campaigns subject
area.
- Find other ways to advance inteh Campaigns Domain through Apra's Education offerings as shown on the Education calendar.
- Apra's Annual Prospect Development Conference and Chapter Events can also help advance your knowledge of the
Campaigns Domain. More information can be found under the Events menu on Apra's home page.