Lessons for the Modern Campaign from the University of Virginia

Abstract

This article chronicles the University of Virginia's first capital campaign and provides historical perspective into the evolution of higher education fund raising. It examines the important strategic components of effective capital campaigning, including goal-setting methods, the effect of national economic trends, the significance of the quiet phase, and the influence of institutional leadership. The first capital campaign of the University of Virginia offers reassurance that modern campaign techniques are firmly grounded in principles and techniques based on lessons of the past. It also demonstrates that future campaign success will require the same commitment to developing improved and more sophisticated approaches to capital campaigning.