The NonProfit Times - October 1, 2008 - (Page 17)

SPECIAL REPORT The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia developed a virtual tour of the under-construction facility to give donors an idea of what they’d be funding. BY CLAUDIA ZORN I n its 11th year of an $88-million capital campaign that has so far raised $71 million, Please Touch Museum, the children’s museum of Philadelphia, lays claim to “where learning is child’s play,” but their capital campaign to support a new site didn’t start out as easily as Silly Putty picks up images off newspaper. Big Bucks For Capital Campaigns Making the case and beating the odds Outgrowing its space for the third time since its 1976 founding, the museum launched a capital campaign in 1997 for a new site on the city’s waterfront.That’s when the problems started. The developer pulled out a few years into the campaign.Without having secured a new site, the museum had to put the campaign on hold.Then, once back on track with a new site, it seemed the deal was off when a corporate donor no longer had a naming opportunity because of landmark status restrictions concerning the new site. A few conversations later, the museum convinced the donor to allow the museum to keep the funds already paid toward the pledge and add its name to the list of corporate sponsors. “Pure transparency is essential. Our relationship with donors saved us from losing pledges,” said Kelly Resinger, the museum’s vice president of development. “We were very transparent with our donors with regular communication. Even the developer sent letters to donors and prospects,” Resinger said.“Because we communicated so well, we had raised $40 million at the five-year mark.” Despite tough economic times, nonprofits are still raising big bucks for capital campaigns.The tactics vary from a virtual video tour of a historic architectural landmark being converted to a popular children’s museum to a creative case statement that uses metaphoric images to convey the potential impact of stem cell research for a biomedical research institution. “It’s hard to point to one strategy or tactic and say that’s what brought in these dollars,” said Roger Sametz, president of Sametz Blackstone Associates, a Boston-based, brand-focused communication practice that provides strategy and integrated communications for capital campaigns.“People will give $50 in response to something that lands on their kitchen table but not $50,000.” To get to that level of commitment, explained Sametz, organizations need a deep connection with donors and prospects at both the personal and institutional levels to convince them that their organization is the best investment through which they can realize a shared vision. In the case of the Please Touch Museum, the campaign continued in a new direction with the selection of Memorial Hall, originally constructed to be the Art Gallery of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and first home to the renowned Philadelphia Museum of Art. The organization signed an 80-year lease on the National Historic LandSpecial Report, page 18 mark in 2005. OCTOBER 1, 2008 THE NONPROFIT TIMES www.nptimes.com 17 http://www.nptimes.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The NonProfit Times - October 1, 2008

The NonProfit Times - October 1, 2008 Near Miss & Direct Hit Donor Intent The Focus Of Suit North Dakota AG Investigating The Grant Institute Contents Who...When...Where...How...What? Calendar Kumbaya Tying The Knot Filing Changes Philanthropy Caucus Big Bucks For Capital Campaigns 5 Things NOT To Do In A Capital Campaign Acquisition: Staying The Course ServiceNation Summit Fundraising Guide NPT Jobs Resource Directory

The NonProfit Times - October 1, 2008

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