by Barbara Barron | Posted January 7th, 2026 | Subscribe to this newsletter
In 2018, I was approached by a little preschool, well-loved by families and deeply respected as a leader in early childhood education.
Their problem was that they had outgrown their space and had a dream of expanding to allow more children to experience their outstanding program. After a lengthy search, they found an ideal new location but would need to raise significant funds to complete a renovation that would convert that space into the right environment. They needed to launch a capital campaign, but they had no development staff and a Board of dedicated but inexperienced volunteers.
How would you launch a capital campaign when you have no development staff and a group of eager, yet inexperienced volunteers?
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Here’s what I did, in order:
- I began by conducting an appraisal of their program. This allowed me to identify what they were doing well (plenty) and what they needed to get in place so they could consider engaging in a capital campaign. (A lot!)
- Once we established some good practices internally, we developed a campaign theme and a strategy for the leadership phase of the campaign.
- I trained many of the members of the Board in the art of the ask and supported them in their early, nervous solicitations.
- I served as wing woman to the Executive Director who did the lion’s share of the solicitations. For most of those early donors, this was the single largest gift they’d ever made. It was exhilarating.
- We created beautiful campaign materials to support the work and strengthen their brand including a series of heartfelt newsletters to keep early supporters aware of our progress, to share sneak peaks into the renovation, and to express ongoing gratitude for their faith and support.
Year two, we moved steadily outward from the center, as one does in campaigns, engaging with more families.
- All the while, I managed the campaign and ran the weekly (yes, weekly) campaign steering committee meetings, trouble-shooting and supporting the highs and inevitable lows until the campaign was successfully completed.
The result: an audacious goal met and a larger, more vibrant school community created, operating in a beautiful, mission-aligned learning space. Only one family did not participate.
Today, they have a development professional on staff. As a result of their efforts, they have expanded their fundraising capacity to engage families and raise more money to support and advance their inspiring mission.
What do you think? Did we tackle this school’s particular issue the same way?
Curious to hear your thoughts, and how this resonates with you.
Barbara Barron
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BARBARA BARRON is one of the most respected and highly sought-after independent advancement professionals in the country, having worked with dozens of schools in every corner of the United States.
She has raised over $20 million for schools where she served as the Director of Development. Barbara is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and presenter who currently advises dozens of schools in various capacities. She is considered a thought leader in the world of advancement, with her writing widely shared by professionals in development offices worldwide.
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