Resources

As your nonprofit state association, we are here to provide resources to strengthen your organization.

Preparing to Fund Your Capital Project in Alaska and Beyond

Building a new facility for your organization – or remodeling or renovating a current structure – is a major undertaking. In many cases, it’s a journey into a world filled with terminology, infrastructure, and decisions that are new to many staff and board members. As with other types of fundraising, securing the money needed for a major capital project is managed by a certain set of rules, vocabulary, and timelines. More often than not, you do not have all the training and experience you need to feel comfortable on this venture. That’s okay.

The intent of this guide is not to compile all the wisdom and rules of fundraising for a capital project. Instead, it provides an overview of funding options that are available so that your board and staff can begin a strategic conversation on what’s appropriate for your organization and how you move forward once you’ve decided. The guide is divided into several sections.

The first presents the various ways a capital project can secure financial resources, with a heavy emphasis on raising substantial funds through a capital campaign. The second section shares perspectives and words of advice from foundation and corporate funders who help finance capital projects in Alaska. And, finally, case studies of capital projects are provided that help demonstrate what has worked for other organizations, and what didn’t. At the end of this guide you will find tools, references, and other information to help make this job easier for you.