1. Internal Campaign Planning
Tim Weidmann
In 2006 as VP for Development, I drove the process of
campaign planning for Loyola Medical Center. It was
particularly valuable, because neither the campus nor the
Board had been through a campaign before.

2. Process
1. Define campus leaders with CEO
2. Invite them to be on campaign planning group
3. Ascertain campus needs with price tags
4. Brief Board on planning process
5. Refine needs with focus on campaign goal
6. Get buy-in on needs and goal
7. Bring goal and gift opportunities to Board for
approval

3. Define campus leaders, and
invite them to plan campaign
• This usually takes a couple of months
• The CEO needs to focus on the importance of
this activity, especially if the campus has not
done a campaign in the past
• This is NOT the time to slight any true campus
leader
• Those invited need to feel the gravity of their
task

4. Ascertain campus needs
with price tags
• It is possible to generate $2 billion in needs for
a $300 million campaign
• Each leader defines and costs the needs in
her/his area
• Some needs will overlap
• Some needs will be for next campaign
• Diplomacy important at this point

5. Brief Board on planning process
• The campus Board needs to know the
campaign is being planned
• A simple report to the Board should describe
how the planning group was chosen and what
their initial results are
– i.e. that we have $2 billion in needs but are
refining this down to hopefully $300 million
• Board may at this point ask for more
involvement or not

6. Refine needs with focus
on campaign goal
• Team thinking takes precedence at this point
• The positive and practical feedback from the
Board helps drive the process steadily
• Triaging of needs is key
– What needs do we HAVE to fill to not lose quality?
– What needs should we NOT fill?
– What’s in the middle and how do we choose?

7. Get buy-in on needs and goal
• Fundraisers must calculate how much they
believe the campaign can raise
– That practical fact helps drive the compromises
• Expect surprises, such as compromises where
you would not have guessed or letting go of
absolute needs; and also hold-outs you would
not have guessed
• Group should feel that needs and goal was a
team effort

8. Bring goal and gift opportunities to
Board for approval
• Board may need to spend a retreat day
deliberating on the work that’s gone into
campaign planning
• They need to see how much practical thinking
and “wrestling” has gone into campaign
– How the campaign’s gift opportunities will bring
the institution to the next level
– How the goal is achievable

9. Conclusion
• Campaign planning can be run by the
Development Office or the Strategic Planning
Office
• A good campaign planning process will take
about a year
• This presentation speaks about internal campaign
planning
– External campaign planning involves recruiting
campaign chairs and volunteers, defining
prospects, and building gift pyramids