Should Consultants Interview Your Donors? Rethinking the Capital Campaign Feasibility Study

What if the most valuable part of a feasibility study is the donor conversation your consultant never has? In this episode of All About Capital Campaigns, Capital Campaign Pro co-founders Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt challenge a longstanding assumption about capital campaign feasibility studies: that an outside consultant should conduct confidential interviews with your largest donors. Traditionally, a consultant meets with prospective donors, gathers their opinions about a proposed campaign, and returns with a report and recommended fundraising goal. Amy and Andrea explain why they began questioning that approach and what happened when they tried a different model. In a guided feasibility study, nonprofit leaders meet with donors themselves after receiving training and support from an experienced campaign advisor. The advisor helps them prepare for the conversations, interpret what they hear, and use the findings to shape a realistic campaign plan. The change raises understandable questions. Will donors speak candidly to an executive director or board leader? Can staff listen without trying to sell the project? Where will nonprofit leaders find time to meet with 30 potential campaign supporters? Amy and Andrea take each concern seriously and share what they have learned from years of guiding organizations through these conversations. They also discuss what a confidential interview can leave out of the process. If a donor raises a concern with a consultant, the organization may receive an anonymous summary without knowing whom to follow up with or how to repair the relationship. When leaders hear feedback directly, they can ask better questions, understand the context, and carry the conversation forward. That firsthand knowledge can help them assess the campaign goal and make more informed decisions before asking for gifts. For Amy and Andrea, these interviews do more than test whether a campaign is feasible. They invite major donors to help shape the plan while giving nonprofit leaders practice in having thoughtful, strategic conversations about money and mission. A leader who has listened to a donor’s hopes, questions, and concerns is also better prepared for a future solicitation. The relationship continues from a real conversation instead of beginning again after a consultant hands over a report. Andrea shares what donors told her about their preference for speaking directly with the organizations they support. Amy recounts an executive director’s experience of having unusually open conversations with donors after 15 years in the role. Together, they make the case for treating donors as partners in campaign planning and for using the feasibility study to build skills that will serve your team throughout the campaign and beyond. If your organization is considering a capital campaign, choosing a feasibility study model, or wondering how to engage major donors before making an ask, this conversation will help you think through who should be in the room and what your team could learn by being there. Episode chapters: 00:00 Why revisit the traditional feasibility study? 01:13 How consultant-led interviews became the standard 04:35 Will donors speak candidly to nonprofit leaders? 09:15 Can staff conduct interviews without bias? 10:53 Finding time for conversations with major donors 13:15 What changes when leaders conduct the interviews 14:34 What donors prefer 16:29 Transparency and firsthand feedback 19:01 Using early conversations to prepare for the ask 21:44 Building lasting major gift fundraising skills 23:43 Closing thoughts and next steps Learn more about guided feasibility studies and capital campaign planning at https://capitalcampaignpro.com/. Follow @CapitalCampaignPro for more practical campaign guidance. #Fundraising #Nonprofits