During the campaign, every gift to the university is counted toward the campaign goal; all fundraising activities are dedicated toward the campaign. Planned gifts (inclusion of UCF in a donor’s estate plans), pledges (promises by a donor to give a certain amount by a certain date), and some gifts in kind (donations of equipment, property, services, etc.) are all counted. Because of this “all in” approach, this type of campaign is often referred to as “comprehensive.”
Campaigns typically begin with a “quiet” or “leadership” phase, during which fundraising staff and volunteers appeal to the university’s most generous and steadfast friends and partners in an effort to secure at least half of the goal amount before publicly announcing the campaign’s goal, priorities, or projected completion date.
The leadership phase concludes with a launch or kickoff event where the most generous donors of the leadership phase are celebrated; the name, goal, progress to date, and projected completion date are officially announced, and a public call-to-action is issued.
In the wake of the public launch, fundraising staff re-double their efforts, rolling out the campaign message to the university's alumni, friends, and partners across the nation as they seek additional commitments that will help the university achieve its stated goal.
Campaigns are directed not just by the leadership of an institution’s fundraising arm; rather, they are collaborations between fundraising professionals, volunteer leadership, and the university’s administrative and academic leadership.