Building a Case for Support

"Institutions do these campaigns to try and increase their capacity and not just raise money to build a dorm," Matthews says.

Comprehensive campaigns can take anywhere from three to seven years, he adds. The first 18 to 24 months of the campaign is the non-public leadership gift phase, often referred to as the quiet phase. But before even embarking on a comprehensive campaign, institutions should formulate their case for support. Getting the involvement of external constituents in forming the case for the campaign is imperative.