The Value of Transparency and Time: Rethinking Capital Campaign Feasibility Study Interviews
I recently read an article by another nonprofit consulting firm challenging the idea that capital campaign feasibility study interviews must be conducted by an outside consultant to obtain truthful information. This firm encourages the nonprofit to use its services to learn how to conduct its own interviews and argues from experience that donors are just as likely be honest with staff as with a third party. The article raises some important points about the potential limitations of traditional, confidential interviews conducted by outside consultants. It rightly challenges us to ask whether insights obtained confidentially and not shared openly with the organization are fully actionable by the organization.
We agree that feasibility studies should be designed to gather candid, useful feedback. We also agree that interviews should be nonconfidential; everything learned is shared with the client following the study and before a management contract is entered into. We believe nonprofits deserve that level of transparency from their consultant and their study.
But there’s a key element the article encouraging nonprofits to conduct their own studies downplays: time.
At our firm, we believe the most valuable role a consultant plays in a feasibility study isn’t about neutrality or secrecy. It’s about capacity. Conducting 30 to 40+ one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders is a time-intensive process. For many nonprofit leaders, it’s simply not feasible (pun intended) to take that on in-house, especially while managing programs, staff, and day-to-day fundraising responsibilities.
Our firm takes a transparent, collaborative approach. We do not conduct confidential interviews. Instead, every insight we gather is shared with the organization. Our goal is to deepen the nonprofit’s understanding of its donor landscape, case messaging, and campaign readiness, not to hold data behind a curtain. We also work to begin the education and cultivation process with each person we meet to interview, answering their questions and gathering their feedback. That openness allows our clients to immediately act on the findings, cultivate the right champions, and build trust with their community.
The real magic of feasibility work lies not just in what’s said, but in the structured process of listening, testing, and building campaign momentum, something that’s often hard to do alone. Whether through structured interviews or focus group sessions, a good consultant helps an organization do the work it might not have time to do on its own.
So yes, nonprofits can learn a lot without hiring a consultant. But our structured approach honed over 7,000 interviews and 50 years of combined campaign experience saves months of staff time and sets a campaign up for success from day one.
Want to learn more, read Understanding the Importance of Capital Campaign Feasibility Studies: A Guide for Nonprofit Leaders.
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Melissa Sais is a Campaign Counsel vice president and partner.
