Capital Campaign Consulting ServicesThe full-service firm that carries your campaign from first feasibility call to final pledge.
Catapult is the only national firm that plans your capital campaign from the earliest quiet-phase strategy through a professionally staffed public-phase calling program, wrapping every campaign in one accountable partner instead of three vendors.
Planning: Feasibility Study & Case Development
Every strong campaign starts with an honest read of the field. We interview board members, staff, and top prospects to pressure-test the goal, then help you write the case statement, build the campaign budget, and assemble the gift table.
- Feasibility or planning study to confirm the campaign dollar goal
- Case statement, budget, and project prioritization
- Recruitment of a Campaign Chair and Steering Committee
- Development assessment of current staffing and systems
Campaign Planning
With the feasibility findings confirmed, we turn strategy into an execution-ready blueprint. Over a focused 3-6 month runway, we prioritize prospect data, finalize campaign materials, and build the committee structure the quiet phase will run on.
- Prospect data review and prioritization
- Drafting and finalizing campaign materials and collateral
- Recruiting and training the Campaign Committee
- Building the detailed campaign timeline, budget, and gift table
Quiet Phase: Major Gift Solicitation
Over a typical 24-36 month runway, we work alongside your Campaign Chair and Steering Committee to identify and solicit major gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations, securing the majority of the campaign goal before the public announcement.
Campaign Connect: Public or Community Phase
Catapult is the industry leader in this phase: the only firm that treats public-phase calling as a campaign discipline, not an afterthought. We reach your core constituencies (alumni, parents, grateful patients, members, subscribers) to raise 10-20% of the goal while dramatically expanding your donor base.
- Experienced, client-trained Engagement Officers who bond prospects to the mission
- Database managers using prospect research to set personalized ask amounts
- Staff writers preparing solicitation emails, letters, and calling scripts
Why Hire Campaign Counsel
What a capital campaign consultant actually does for you.
Most organizations run a capital campaign only once every several years. Your staff are experts in your mission, not in sequencing dozens of major gift asks against a gift chart while construction costs move underneath them. A capital campaign consultant brings the pattern recognition that only comes from running campaigns every year: which goals a donor base can carry, which prospects are ready to be asked, and what to do when a lead gift falls through.
Catapult’s capital campaign consulting covers the work that decides whether a campaign succeeds. We test the goal through confidential feasibility interviews, write the case for support, build the gift chart from your real prospect data, recruit and train your Campaign Chair and Steering Committee, and coach every solicitation before a volunteer sits down with a donor. Then, unlike firms that stop at the quiet phase, we staff the public phase ourselves with trained Engagement Officers, so the campaign finishes with the same team that planned it.
Typical Campaign Timeline
How long a capital campaign takes, phase by phase.
| Phase | Typical length | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility study | About 3 months of interviews, report within 4 weeks | Confidential interviews test the goal, the case, and leadership support. |
| Campaign planning | 3-6 months | Prospect prioritization, campaign materials, committee recruitment and training. |
| Quiet phase | 24-36 months | Leadership and major gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations. |
| Public phase (Campaign Connect) | Sized to your constituency | Professionally staffed calling to alumni, members, patients, and community donors, raising 10-20% of the goal. |
| Stewardship | Ongoing | Pledge fulfillment, donor recognition, and moving campaign donors into annual and legacy giving. |
Campaign Results
Capital campaigns Catapult has helped finish.
- Ronald McDonald House Charities South Texas: $5 million to more than $25 million
Catapult joined with just over $5 million committed and added major gift capacity, committee accountability, and solicitation coaching. The campaign passed its $25 million public goal, funding a new House that grows from 25 to 45 rooms.
- The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada: a stalled campaign finished at $10 million
Catapult ran the study that had never been done, rebuilt the gift chart as costs pushed the goal from $6 million to $10 million, and helped the campaign finish fully funded, including a $1.25 million endowment.
Choosing a Firm
How to choose a capital campaign consulting firm.
Proposals from campaign counsel can look alike on paper. These questions separate them quickly:
- Who will actually attend our committee meetings? Ask for the named senior counsel, not the pitch team.
- How many feasibility interviews are included, and who conducts them? A thin study produces a goal built on optimism.
- How is the fee structured? Look for a retainer or project fee. Walk away from percentage or commission pricing.
- Who runs the public phase? If the answer is “a separate vendor,” you are hiring two or three firms, not one.
- How will we see progress? Expect regular written reporting against the gift chart that your board can read.
- Can we speak with a client whose campaign you finished? References from completed campaigns tell you more than any proposal.
For more on fees and what they should buy, read how much a capital campaign consultant costs.
Starting at the beginning? The study is phase one, and it has a page of its own: how our feasibility study works, what it delivers, and what it costs.
What Clients Say
“Catapult Fundraising was an invaluable partner to Benevilla throughout our Assisted Living and Memory Care Community feasibility study and campaign readiness process. From the very beginning, their team brought expertise, enthusiasm, and genuine care for our mission. They took the time to truly understand Benevilla and our vision for this next chapter of our organization, while providing thoughtful guidance and practical support at every step.”
Vice President of Donor Relations, Benevilla
“Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Texas has had the pleasure of working with Catapult Fundraising on our $20 million dollar capital campaign, and the results have been truly transformative for our organization and the families we serve.
When we began working with Catapult, our fundraising goal was $15 million. The Catapult team brought unparalleled energy, insight, and strategy to our campaign. They took the time to understand our mission, tailored their approach to our unique challenges, and engaged our donor base with genuine care. Their hands-on guidance helped us connect deeply with our supporters and coached our Capital Campaign committee members to make the ask.”
CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities South Texas
“Anthony Alonso and the Catapult Fundraising team were brought in at a critical time to help us address a capital campaign that was not meeting its potential. Through their professionalism, strategic insight, tireless work ethic, and exceptional fundraising expertise, they helped turn the campaign around and position it for success. Their partnership has made a meaningful difference in our ability to advance the mission of The Salvation Army. I am deeply grateful for their commitment, leadership, and the outstanding results they delivered.”
Salvation Army
“Thank you for the outstanding presentation you delivered to our board today! It certainly raised the level of awareness and engagement from these wonderful folks. You guys are an all star team!”
Executive Director, Jobs for Nevada Grads
Donor Behavior by Sector
The phases are the same. The donors are not.
Alumni, congregants, patients, and community donors behave differently in a capital campaign, and the differences are large enough to change the goal, the gift chart, and the timetable. These pages set out what Catapult has seen in each sector, drawn from our own feasibility studies and calling programs.
Common Questions
Capital campaign consulting FAQs
- What does a capital campaign consultant do?
- A capital campaign consultant tests whether the goal is realistic, builds the plan and gift chart to reach it, recruits and trains campaign leadership, and coaches staff and volunteers through major gift solicitations. Catapult also staffs the public phase with trained Engagement Officers, so one firm is accountable from the feasibility study to the final pledge.
- When should a nonprofit hire a capital campaign consultant?
- Ideally before a goal is announced or a building budget is locked. Bringing in counsel at the feasibility stage lets you test the goal with your top prospects while there is still time to adjust it. Catapult also joins campaigns already underway, including stalled ones, where the work starts with an honest look at the gift chart and the remaining prospect pool.
- How are capital campaign consultants paid?
- Reputable firms, including Catapult, work on a fixed monthly retainer for a defined term or a project fee for a defined deliverable such as a study. Avoid any consultant paid a percentage of dollars raised; the Association of Fundraising Professionals Code of Ethical Standards prohibits percentage-based compensation.
- Does Catapult work with organizations outside Nevada?
- Yes. Catapult is a national capital campaign consulting firm headquartered in Henderson, Nevada, with offices in New Jersey and Texas. We run campaigns for schools, universities, churches, hospitals, and human services organizations across the country.
- What is a nonprofit capital campaign?
- A capital campaign is a structured, time-bound fundraising effort to raise a specific dollar goal, typically for a building project, endowment, or major program. Catapult runs campaigns through five phases: Feasibility Study, Campaign Planning, Quiet Phase, Campaign Connect (public phase), and stewardship.
- How long does a capital campaign quiet phase take?
- The quiet phase, when major gifts are solicited from individuals, foundations, and corporations, typically runs 24-36 months before public-phase calling begins.
- What happens during the Campaign Planning phase?
- Campaign Planning is the second phase of a Catapult capital campaign, typically lasting 3-6 months. It includes prospect data prioritization, drafting and finalizing campaign materials and collateral, and recruiting and training the Campaign Committee, among other preparation tasks, before the quiet phase begins.
- What is the difference between a capital campaign and an annual fund?
- A capital campaign is a time-bound effort to raise a specific dollar goal for a building project, endowment, or major program, typically running several years through feasibility, quiet, and public phases. An annual fund is an ongoing yearly appeal to unrestricted operating support. Many organizations run both simultaneously, and Catapult coordinates the two so they reinforce rather than compete with each other.
- How much does it cost to hire a capital campaign consultant?
- Capital campaign consulting fees vary based on campaign goal, timeline, and scope of services, from feasibility study alone through full quiet-phase and public-phase management. A well-run feasibility study runs $50,000-$75,000, cost varies. Catapult provides a customized proposal after an initial conversation about your organization's goals and readiness.
Related Reading
Capital campaign reading before you commit to a goal.
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Your Donor File Has No $1M Prospects. Now What?
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Why People Give: Trust, Connection, and the Moment to Act
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Why a Feasibility Study Matters Before a Capital Campaign
Read the articleQuestions we answer in full
- How do you choose a capital campaign consulting firm?
- How do you plan and run a capital campaign? The five phases, step by step
- What is the quiet phase of a capital campaign, and when should you announce publicly?
- What is a capital campaign feasibility study, and who should conduct one?
- How much does a capital campaign consultant cost, and what does a consultant actually do?
- How do I know if my nonprofit is ready for a capital campaign?
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