The Campaign Coordinating Committee (CCC) served the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County community for over four decades by reviewing and scheduling large capital (and certain other) fundraising campaigns, ultimately managing the Capital Campaign Calendar to spread out the major fundraising campaigns benefitting Forsyth County nonprofits.
To assess its impact, current members of the CCC began a process in 2020 to learn more from local nonprofits and donors through interviews and an online survey. The results confirmed that the CCC has created a sense of order and cadence to such large campaigns over the years, but that the Calendar does not have the same level of impact that it did in earlier times, given changes in both funding and fundraising. An additional concern was that the CCC’s work and principal focus engaged only a small percentage of local nonprofit organizations, therefore risking inequitable access to philanthropic dollars.
Based on these findings, the members of the CCC decided to close out the committee and its work as of March 2021.
Read the full CCC statement (March 1, 2021)
Why did Campaign Coordinating Committee (CCC) make this decision?
After an extensive evaluation that included engaging a consultant to gather relevant data and conduct a survey and interviews, the members of the CCC determined that the CCC no longer serves the purpose it originally did. Moreover, in some ways, it was even getting in the way of progress on several important initiatives to achieve greater equity among community nonprofits in their fundraising efforts. The local funding environment has changed substantially over the years, and the CCC is not structured in a manner that provides enough value to funders or nonprofits in the current and foreseeable environment.
And why now? Does this mean there are other funding changes on the horizon?
The CCC has been considering questions of its purpose, structure, operations, and impact for a while. As conversations of racial and other types of equity have come to the forefront of philanthropy, those considerations for the CCC accelerated. The CCC committed to a strategic planning process beginning in October 2020. That process led to the decision to end the CCC.
The dynamics of local funding in Forsyth County have already changed over the past two decades. The community has experienced changes in its economy, its corporations, and its philanthropy. The closing of the CCC is in response to the cumulative effects of those changes.
Will my organization still receive funding? Does this change impact the ability to get funding from specific funders?
Being placed on the campaign calendar was a way to organize local campaigns. It did not automatically come with a commitment of funding from any specific source. As always, you will need to contact individual funders to determine their current availability and guidelines for funding.
What does this mean if my organization is already on the calendar? Does our campaign still have to follow the calendar?
If your organization is already listed on the community calendar, then you will remain there. You may proceed in accordance with the timeline indicated there, or you may choose to proceed in a different manner. In either case, your organization is no longer required to report to (or update) the CCC or to seek its agreement with your plans.
As always, your organization should make informed decisions to help improve the success of your campaign, your organization, and its results in the community. Of course, you would want to keep any funders or potential funders aware of significant changes.
What’s next now that the CCC has dissolved?
The members of the CCC are all still engaged in the local community. They will continue their respective work as local organizations and individuals who are invested in the community’s success. The closing of the CCC opens up the opportunity to explore new ways for local funders and other stakeholders to work together. It is possible that conversations happening now, as well as those that arise in the future, may lead to new collaborations.
Note: The current calendar will be displayed on the Foundation’s website through 2021 and searchable on the internet through 2023. No new organizations will be added, and the calendar will not be updated. As a result, the historical list will not reflect campaigns that are happening over time.
Where can I find out about other capital campaigns?
There are some organizations listed on the campaign calendar through 2023. They had completed the process and were placed on the calendar prior to the closing of the CCC.
Other ways of finding out about local fundraising campaigns include networking with other nonprofits and reaching out to HandsOn Northwest North Carolina for nonprofit resources. Local nonprofit consultants are listed on these sites: HandsOn NWNC and Nonprofit.ist.
What if my organization is planning a large fundraising campaign in the future?
Your organization no longer needs to go through the process of completing an application and an interview with the CCC. Just like with any major fundraising campaign, your organization should assess the feasibility of the campaign and make plans for its success. This would likely include networking with other similar nonprofits to avoid significant overlap. Your organization would also need to contact potential donors, such as foundations and corporations, to assess their likelihood of supporting your campaign in the timeframe you are considering.
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