Campaign Support From Within

Assemble volunteer leaders (such as board members) and identify the top 100 to 150 people or institutions that are going to provide the money for the campaign, Raff says. Figure out who has the best relationships with these elite givers and then come up with "engagement strategies."

"You go through each person, you do background research to get a sense of their financial capability and you measure, if you will, how much affinity they currently have and need to have to maximize their gift. Then you embark on that engagement strategy with volunteers and staff," he explains.