Typically, it can take years to plan for a comprehensive campaign, undertaking feasibility studies, creating case statements and bringing on new staff and volunteers. For nearly 10 years, the board and staff at Community College Foundation (PCCF) planned for its first comprehensive campaign. In 2015, PCCF decided to “just do it” and launched a $20 million campaign.

While much work had been done by earlier leadership, including prospect research and some staffing increases, PCCF intentionally decided to seize the moment and skip several critical, traditional steps.

Participants will learn how the PCCF team successfully built a campaign while simultaneously active in campaign fundraising, including taking key steps that resulted in the near doubling of their original campaign goal. They will also hear what obstacles we faced in the campaign and how we overcame them, as well as missed opportunities as we launched so quickly. We will cover how we engaged volunteers, deployed marketing and communication efforts, targeted new donors and utilized planned giving to host our first successful campaign.

About the presenters:

Ann Prater is the Executive Director of PCC Foundation. Shortly after arriving at PCC in 2015, she worked with her board to launch the college’s first comprehensive campaign, which has resulted in the Foundation breaking its annual fundraising records each year. In addition to more than 13 years of fundraising experience in California and Oregon, Ann worked as the Marketing and Public Relations Director for California hospitals in San Diego, Chico and Redding, and as a television news producer, receiving multiple awards including an Emmy Award for her newscast in San Diego.

Christina Kline has more than a dozen years of development experience within the nonprofit sector and higher education. She’s passionate about philanthropy and supporting the organizations that strengthen our community. She currently serves as the Assistant Foundation Director at Portland Community College Foundation where she focuses on building a robust pipeline of donors while also engaging some of the college’s top donors. Christina has also worked on the development teams at Boys & Girls Aid, Linfield College, Arizona State University Foundation and Make-A-Wish America. Christina holds a master’s degree in nonprofit studies from Arizona State University. She is a proud Duck with a math and journalism undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon. In her spare time, Christina enjoys traveling and training for her next big race.