Capital campaigns turn ambitious projects into shared commitments from individuals, foundations, government agencies, and businesses. Grants can play a major role in that mix.
Capital Campaign Pro’s annual benchmark study confirms how frequently grants contribute to these campaigns. Among the campaigns studied, 91.3% received at least one foundation grant and 53.1% received at least one government grant. A rare handful of campaigns even raise a majority of campaign funds through grants.
For nonprofits hoping to weave grants into their campaign, here are seven steps to make it happen.
1. Define the outcomes that funders care about and evaluate.
Grant applications that speak to funders’ priorities will always have a better chance of success than those that speak in vague terms.
Explain what will change for the people or community you serve once the project is complete. Avoid discussing the facility you will build or the equipment you will buy, and focus instead on what that building or equipment will do for your community. For example, a renovated arts center might increase access to classes, or a new clinic might shorten patient travel time.
Turn each outcome into a statement naming the population, expected change, and time frame. Pair each outcome with an indicator and data source your organization can report on. Clear outcomes help funders understand exactly how their grant award will make a tangible difference.
A well-written outcome statement is also a strong grant search query.The population you name, the change you promise, and the region you serve results in a curated list of aligned grants fine-tuned to your priorities. Save the search and it runs in the background, surfacing new opportunities across the months a capital campaign takes to close.
2. Turn one project into several fundable packages.
Rather than positioning your funding needs as a lump sum for your campaign, share a detailed campaign budget that outlines how you will spend the grant on various parts of your campaign. Break the project down into individual fundable packages tied to outcomes, such as accessibility improvements or capacity-building (e.g., program expansion, specialized staff training, etc.).
Each package should correspond to an approved budget line and a clear result. Show its cost, purpose, and place within the full project. This gives funders something concrete to support. In addition to tangible components, report less visible costs, such as:
- Design
- Permits
- Temporary relocation
- Furnishings
- Staff preparation
Keep an internal allocation table showing which grant applications are attached to each expense. This protects against double-counting and helps staff redirect a proposal when one package becomes fully funded.
3. Seek funding for what the project makes possible.
A funder may care about your campaign’s outcomes while its guidelines exclude funding construction projects.
Keep capital and program costs clearly separated. Show how each request supports a defined phase of the work and connects to a campaign outcome. A new arts center may need teaching artists and expanded classes, or a new clinic may need patient outreach and staff training.
In addition to campaign funding, seek out grants to support operating costs for the first year or two after the project opens. Grants that support this period can help your program start delivering the results promised in the campaign case. This approach can expand the prospect pool beyond funders that advertise capital support.
4. Put grant prospects on the campaign calendar.
Grant deadlines should sit beside campaign milestones, donor meetings, board decisions, and project dates. Start with the anticipated opening date or project completion date, then work backward through award decisions, application deadlines, required registrations, letters of support, and internal review.
Log every step in a grant’s application process as tasks with a defined deadline in your tracker to make sure no strong-fit opportunities fall through the cracks.
Government opportunities may also require registrations, public approvals, environmental reviews, or partner agreements. Place those steps on the calendar early, since several may depend on people outside the development office.
Map grants to the quiet and public phases of the campaign. Early awards can build confidence and demonstrate outside support during the quiet phase, while later requests during the public phase can help close a funding gap or support a defined project component. The best placement depends on the funder’s rules and your existing relationship.
5. Include grant funders in the feasibility study.
Include selected foundation representatives or government funding contacts in the feasibility study interview pool. Their perspective can show how the case, goal, and timing resonate with institutional funders.
Choose participants whose interests align with the project and who know your organization. Ask open questions about your campaign’s:
- Case for support: “Are our intended objectives clear and compelling?” “Would you feel motivated to give if you were given this campaign pitch?”
- Outcomes: “Do our project outcomes align with your organization’s philanthropic goals?” “What outcomes would you expect to see from a project like yours?”
- Funder interest: “Would your organization be interested in supporting a campaign like this?” “Are there other funders in your network who you could see supporting our campaign?”
Frame the conversation as research, with any funding request coming later. Even for questions related to funder interest, emphasize that you are not soliciting funding but considering your nonprofit’s readiness.
Grantmakers’ feedback may reveal issues related to eligibility, missing costs, matching requirements, or a stronger presentation of the community need. The interview can also surface a funder’s preferred role. One may want to support an early planning expense, while another may respond to a matching opportunity after leadership commitments are secured.
6. Write from the campaign case.
Use your case for support as the source for your grant application’s proposal narrative. Storing your core narrative and past applications in one workspace lets you keep the description, need, outcomes, budget, and schedule consistent across requests while tailoring each one to the funder's priorities and format.
Show how the requested grant fits within the larger capital campaign. Name the portion it would fund, the total project cost, the amount raised to date, and other committed or pending sources when the application asks for them. Review every application for alignment with the grantmaker’s goals, budget, attachments, and campaign records. The funder should see one coherent project from every angle.
7. Use each grant to create leverage.
Sequence your grant applications so one commitment strengthens the next. An early award may demonstrate outside confidence, satisfy part of a match, or give another prospect a component to complete.
Payment terms matter. A reimbursement grant meets a different funding need than an award paid at the start. Match conditions and spending deadlines should shape your grant calendar and project schedule.
Confirm the funder’s communication preferences before announcing the award or using its name in campaign materials. Recognition can then reinforce the relationship while honoring the terms of the grant. With the funders’ approval, once an award is public, share it with prospective supporters, mention it in later proposals when relevant, and inform the funder about campaign milestones. The grant provides funding, credibility, and an opportunity for stewardship.
Grants work best when the funders’ requirements align with your campaign’s strategy, story, budget, and calendar. Start early, bring funders into the right conversations, and look beyond construction costs to the outcomes the project will produce. Give each prospect a clear role, then use every commitment to strengthen the next. That approach creates a more coordinated campaign and a stronger case for every request!
