{
  "slug": "capital-campaign-pacing",
  "title": "Capital Campaign Pacing Calculator",
  "heading": "Capital Campaign Pacing Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/capital-campaign-pacing",
  "summary": "Map your campaign goal against the standard gift pyramid.",
  "description": "Capital campaigns follow a predictable gift pyramid: roughly the top 10 gifts provide 40-60% of the total goal, and campaign consultants routinely advise raising the top third of the goal from a single lead gift plus the next handful of major gifts before ever going public. This calculator takes your total campaign goal and builds a standard pyramid, showing how many gifts you need at each tier assuming the classic rule of thumb that the top gift equals roughly 10-20% of the goal, the top 10 gifts equal 40-50%, and the remainder comes from a much larger base of smaller gifts. It also estimates campaign duration based on typical pacing, since most capital campaigns run 18-36 months from quiet phase through public phase and stewardship.",
  "formula": "Top gift ≈ 15% of goal; top-10 gifts ≈ 45% of goal; remainder spread across a widening gift table.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=capital-campaign-pacing",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "goal",
      "label": "Total campaign goal",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5000000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 10000,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "topGiftPct",
      "label": "Lead gift as % of goal",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 15,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 5,
      "max": 30
    },
    {
      "id": "top10Pct",
      "label": "Top 10 gifts combined as % of goal",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 45,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 20,
      "max": 70
    },
    {
      "id": "months",
      "label": "Planned campaign length",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 24,
      "unit": "months",
      "min": 6,
      "max": 60
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "topGift",
      "label": "Target lead gift",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "top10Total",
      "label": "Top 10 gifts combined target",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "next9Avg",
      "label": "Average of gifts #2-10",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "remainder",
      "label": "Remaining goal from broader base",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "monthlyPace",
      "label": "Required monthly pace",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Total campaign goal: 5000000 $",
      "Lead gift as % of goal: 15",
      "Top 10 gifts combined as % of goal: 45",
      "Planned campaign length: 24 months"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Target lead gift: $750,000",
      "Top 10 gifts combined target: $2,250,000",
      "Average of gifts #2-10: $166,667",
      "Remaining goal from broader base: $2,750,000",
      "Required monthly pace: $208,333"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter total campaign goal ($).",
      "Enter lead gift as % of goal.",
      "Enter top 10 gifts combined as % of goal.",
      "Enter planned campaign length (months).",
      "Read your target lead gift on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "goal": 3000000,
        "topGiftPct": 9,
        "top10Pct": 27,
        "months": 14
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "goal": 5000000,
        "topGiftPct": 15,
        "top10Pct": 45,
        "months": 24
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "goal": 8000000,
        "topGiftPct": 24,
        "top10Pct": 70,
        "months": 38
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "What if we don't have a prospect capable of the lead gift?",
      "a": "That's the single most common reason campaigns stall or restart. Feasibility studies exist precisely to test whether lead-gift-capable prospects exist and are willing before you publicly announce a goal; if the study says no, right-size the goal to what the actual prospect pool supports."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should the goal include a campaign cushion?",
      "a": "Most consultants recommend padding the stated goal by 10-20% above the hard construction/program cost to cover cost overruns, campaign expenses, and an endowment component, since campaigns almost always face rising costs between planning and completion."
    },
    {
      "q": "How long does the quiet phase typically last?",
      "a": "Quiet phase, where you secure the lead gift and top-tier commitments before any public announcement, usually runs 6-18 months depending on organization size. Announcing publicly before 50-60% of the goal is already committed is a common and costly mistake."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's a realistic public-phase gift size?",
      "a": "Once you're in public phase, gifts get smaller and more numerous by design, often ranging from $500 to $25,000 from a broad donor base, community events, and matching gift pushes, which is why the gift pyramid narrows in count but widens in participant numbers toward the bottom."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/annual-fund-growth-target",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/board-give-or-get"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Capital Campaign Pacing Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/capital-campaign-pacing)"
}