Phoenix (STN) – Capital campaigns, time-intensive efforts to raise significant funds, are often viewed as slow, drawn-out undertakings that take years to produce tangible, tactile results
During the January episode of ‘It Happens at STN,’ nonprofit leaders challenged that assumption and offered a more urgent and flexible approach to fundraising at a time when communities cannot afford to wait.
UMOM CEO Monique Lopez grounded the discussion in fundamentals. “A capital campaign is essentially a large-scale effort to raise a large amount of money,” she said. “For nonprofits, it’s usually for buildings, facilities, or major expansion. But it’s important to understand that campaigns sit on top of your regular fundraising, not instead of it.”
Rather than pausing progress while funds slowly accumulated, UMOM adopted what Lopez calls a working capital campaign model. “We raise some money, start the work, raise more, and keep moving,” she explained. “That allowed us to solve an immediate need instead of waiting three to five years. Families were waiting, and we couldn’t.”
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As family sizes grew and older buildings aged, UMOM adjusted in real time. Renovations continued while services remained open, giving families faster access to dignified, safe housing. “Our clients are seeing better spaces right now,” Lopez said. “Not someday in the future.”
Sam Fowler, chief development officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, connected capital campaigns to long-term vision. “We’re always living in the tension between now and next,” he said. “We have to fund today’s programs while preparing for tomorrow’s kids.”
For Fowler, storytelling bridges urgency and investment. “We educate donors not just on what the need is today, but on what’s coming,” he said. “It’s about rallying people around a shared vision for the future.”
Before launching any campaign, Lopez emphasized the importance of preparation. “We conducted a feasibility study,” she said. “We needed to know the support was there and that our board, staff, and leadership were ready for a multi-year commitment.”
Both leaders closed with a shared message for nonprofits and funders alike. Fundraising is not separate from mission, and flexibility is not failure.
“These campaigns deepen relationships,” Lopez said. “You bring people in, demonstrate stewardship, and when supporters see impact, they lean in again.”
