The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s capital campaign was a well-choreographed project that breathed new life into the organization’s fundraising plan

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

Between 1998 and 2000, the development team worked with a consultant to put together a case statement, establish a steering committee and begin to identify, with the help of board members, potential major donors. In summer 2000, the actual “quiet” stage of the campaign began, focusing mainly on face-to-face meetings with hand-picked individuals. The goal: seven-figure leadership gifts. Among the earliest gifts was a $15 million donation by board member Joan Weill and her husband, Sandy, who co-chaired the campaign with his wife.