Chapter Leadership Brief 2.13.2019

By Craig Shelley, CFRE, Chapter Treasurer & Managing Director, Orr Group

• Their campaign is built on a big idea.  To attract big money, we can never simply articulate to a donor we want to do more of the same.  It is tempting to think that’s what we want or need, but even if essentially, we want our organization to continue to do the same thing, we want the money because we want something in the world to be transformed.  Telling that story and capturing the imagination of donors is imperative and The Shed has done it impressively.  Consistently it is described as new, unlike anything we’ve seen before and transformative for the New York City cultural scene.  I’m actually not even sure what it is but I know it’s those things.
   
• Their campaign has dynamic leadership.  Names like Dan Doctoroff, Jonathan Tisch, Frank McCourt, Diane von Furstenberg populate The Shed’s board list.  A virtual dream team if ever there was one assembled for New York City fundraising.  And even better they are mixed in with new names that while perhaps not as recognizable represent the next generation of New York City wealth and philanthropy.  The leadership of an organization and its campaign communicates the market and sets the tone.  The Shed set a very big tone.
   
• Access to leadership level gifts.  See above.  For a campaign to succeed you need access to prospects with the ability and affinity to make a gift (or gifts) that total 10-20% of the campaign total.  With the aforementioned board and the people these board members can access, this is a campaign built on access to such individuals.