Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
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
$208,333
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How to use this
- 1Enter total campaign goal ($).
- 2Enter lead gift as % of goal.
- 3Enter top 10 gifts combined as % of goal.
- 4Enter planned campaign length (months).
- 5Read your target lead gift on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
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.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Total campaign goal: 5000000 $
- Lead gift as % of goal: 15
- Top 10 gifts combined as % of goal: 45
- Planned campaign length: 24 months
Results
- 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: $208,333
What each field means
Inputs
- Total campaign goal ($)
- The total campaign goal used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 5000000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Lead gift as % of goal
- The lead gift as % of goal used in the calculation. Starts at 15 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 5–30.
- Top 10 gifts combined as % of goal
- The top 10 gifts combined as % of goal used in the calculation. Starts at 45 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 20–70.
- Planned campaign length (months)
- The planned campaign length used in the calculation, measured in months. Starts at 24 months so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 6–60 months.
Results
- Target lead gift
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Top 10 gifts combined target
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Average of gifts #2-10
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Remaining goal from broader base
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Required monthly pace
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What if we don't have a prospect capable of the lead gift?
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.
Should the goal include a campaign cushion?
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.
How long does the quiet phase typically last?
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.
What's a realistic public-phase gift size?
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.
Accuracy and 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.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Capital Campaign Pacing Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/capital-campaign-pacing
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/capital-campaign-pacing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capital Campaign Pacing Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Capital Campaign Pacing Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/capital-campaign-pacing) (2026).