1. Beyond Best Practices: How Seattle Symphony Redefined Campaign Readiness
Jane Hargraft, Vice President of Development, Seattle Symphony
Craig Hightower, Vice President & Director Western Region, Campbell & Company

2. Chronology
Benaroya Hall Opening $120 million project, $56 million in private support
st Century Fund $100 million endowment initiative
Extraordinary Funding Campaign Structural deficit
2008 $100 million endowment campaign
2013 $100 million major campaign – $40M capitalization/$60M endowment

3. No Feasibility Study Why? 2008 data still available
Solved problems identified – low community trust in leadership, inward facing reputation
Engaged same company and same consultant that had worked on BH campaign and on feasibility study
No choice – it didn’t really matter what the study said, we needed to do this anyway

4. Our Strategy CAMPAIGN PREPARATION CASE FOR SUPPORT INTERNAL
PREPAREDNESS
DONOR ENGAGEMENT
LEADERSHIP

5. Case for Support
CAMPAIGN
PREPARATION
CASE FOR SUPPORT

6. Comprehensive Needs Assessment
Capitalization
Investment Capital
Operational Needs
Reserves & Endowment

7. Bucketing Exercise

8. Board Visioning Session
Why does Seattle need an innovative orchestra?
Capturing and building on the Symphony’s new momentum
Preserving what we have vs. pushing into new territory?
What will the Symphony look like after this campaign?
What’s the right balance between traditional and innovative?

9. Deviation: Case developed by staff leadership
Very clear, very concise
Understood challenges and path forward
BUT
Volunteer Planning committee not doing real work
Supportive but not wildly enthusiastic at all levels

10. Campaign Theme

11. Internal Preparedness
CAMPAIGN
PREPARATION
INTERNAL
PREPAREDNESS

12. Predictive Modeling Uses SSO’s data
“Look Like”
Identifies Prospects
Determines “Ask” amounts
Major Giving Likelihood Score (1-1000)
Prospect (501 – 1000)
Suspect (500 and below)
Target Gift Range
Annual Giving Potential
Useful for Upgrades

13. Capacity Analysis Best Wealth Indicator Prospects $5,000,000 18
$2,500,000 9
$1,000,000 47
$500,000 39
$250,000 80
$100,000
425
TOTAL
618

14. Gap Analysis $100 Million Campaign
Level
Gifts Needed
Prospects Needed
Prospects Identified
Gap (+/-)
$ 20,000,000 1 3 2
(1)
10,000,000 6
5,000,000 10 4
2,500,000 12 9
(3)
1,000,000 30 47 17
500,000 15 45 39
(6)
250,000 20 60 80
100,000
141
425
284
TOTAL
100
300
618
318

15. Prospects Under Management

16. Top Prospects Unmanaged
Rating
Prospects Managed
Future Prospects Managed
$1 million+ 8% 1%
$100,000+
21%
Less than $100,000
34%
28%
Total
100%

17. Rebalance Portfolios Portfolio Breakdown
Qualification 20%
Cultivation 40%
Solicitation 20%
Stewardship 20%
Create “Donor Relations Portfolio”
Personalized but automated outreach
Those unlikely to give at higher levels
Those not yet ready to be assigned to major gift staff

18. Cultivation / Solicitation Metrics
Suggested Goal
Qualification Visits
5-10 per month
Strategy Memos Created
30 per year
Cultivation “Moves”
10-15 per month
Stewardship Visits
Written Proposals
5-10 per year
Personal Solicitations
20% of portfolio
Donor Upgrade Rate (Annual Fund)
10-20% of portfolio

19. Major Gift Audit
Staffing: historic understaffing and staffing with incorrect skills
Systems:
Lack of logical, systematic and consistent approach to fundraising from individuals (at all levels);
Lack of documentation of policies and procedures;
Lack of analysis of successful and failing programs/techniques;
Lack of integration and promotion within marketing of concerts
Environmental:
Aging and/or decreasing subscriber base – but increasing flexis;
Lack of depth on the board in fundraising/underutilization of board members who are good at fundraising;

20. Major Gift Audit Implementation
72 total recommendations, 108 actions
Scoring System to prioritize each recommendation
0 = do not do
1 = low priority, could wait
2 = medium, do within 6 months
3 = do immediately
We did them all!

21. Donor Engagement
CAMPAIGN
PREPARATION
DONOR ENGAGEMENT

22. Pre-Concert Briefings
Host provides personal testimonial
Host describes purpose of meeting (provide feedback)
Welcome & Introduction
Simon Woods SSO’s plans for the future
Review of campaign case
Campaign Presentation
MGO and Musician guides discussion
Personal feedback forms provided for participants
Group Discussion

23. House parties, Jeffersonian dinner
Last two years of campaign, major donors to host parties (20 people)
Jeffersonian Dinners (14 people)
Parties are for the initiated - already inside the tent $50-250K donations
Jeffersonian dinners – new wealth in Seattle – Civic Good case

24. Opportunity still abounds
3 ½ years in – just fully staffed
Processes and procedures in place
Qualification pipeline established with metrics and deliverables
Engaged volunteers organized around campaign themes

25. Building the Plane While Flying It
CAMPAIGN
PREPARATION
LEADERSHIP

26. Board Approval: 4 Months into Planning
Five-Year Campaign
Lead by Campaign Steering Committee
Cash & Planned Gifts
Annual Campaign runs separately
Some funding included in capital campaign
Working Goal $100 million (First $10 million gift secured)
Re-evaluate in months
Determine mix of planned vs. cash/pledge
Final goal set before “Going Public”

27. Things tick along nicely Sept ‘13 – Sept’15

28. And then 2 years and $40M in…
It’s evident that we don’t have the right
Administrative structures
Metrics for staff performance
Policies and procedures
Number of Personnel
Actual Personnel
.....Major Gift Audit

29. Board Campaign Task Force
Board retreat in Jan 2016
Evident that campaign had stalled
Low interest/knowledge by board
Campaign Cabinet disengaged
Sub-committee of the Campaign Cabinet established to:
Help secure 100 % participation from SSO Boards
Help raise $10 million in cash/cash pledges for the campaign by 2/28/2017

30. Solicitor Dashboard

31. Solicitor Dashboard
Step report

32. Solicitor Dashboard
Portfolio report

33. Where we are today - $74.1M

34. Looking it another way December 2015 March 2017
December 2015
March 2017
SSO Board Participation
30% (14/47)
77% (40/51)
Cash and Cash Pledges
$19.0M
$27.6M
Planned Gifts
$37.0M
$46.5M
Campaign Total
$56.0M
$74.1M

35. Lesson Learned You can fly the plane while building it
Invest in staff and processes up front
Engage volunteer leadership and spread out
Understand your cash needs
Don’t be afraid to course correct
Listen to your counsel – that’s why you have them!

36. Questions?