In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with capital campaign expert Amy Eisenstein of Capital Campaign Pro to demystify one of the most ambitious and often misunderstood fundraising tools in a nonprofit’s playbook: the capital campaign.

Amy shares her journey from development director to co-founder of a firm that has guided hundreds of organizations through campaigns ranging from $3M to $150M. You’ll learn the key elements of a successful campaign, including when to launch, who should consider one, how to engage donors, and why feasibility studies aren’t about saying “no,” they’re about choosing the right path forward.

This episode includes practical advice, like:

Why your internal team shouldn’t carry a campaign alone
How feasibility studies help you plan, not pause
What stewardship looks like during a multi-year fundraising effort
How technology can reduce burnout and elevate donor engagement
Why donor joy and fundraisers’ happiness habits matter in long campaigns

Links from the episode:

Listen to the All About Capital Campaigns podcast
Learn more about Capital Campaign Pro

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

EP 61: Energized Fundraising: Happiness Habits for Long-Haul Success with Amy Eisenstein