Nonprofits · Capital campaign deck
Capital campaign decks for buildings and major projects.
A capital campaign asks for large gifts toward a single goal. The deck should make the goal concrete, show progress and offer clear ways to give.
Fixed prices. No calls: you brief us in writing and comment in writing.
Progress
Pledged so far toward the goal
Illustration only. Any figures are invented for this sample slide.
Who reads it
Major donors, foundations and campaign committee members.
Turnaround
5 business days for a design rebuild; 3 business days for an audit.
How it differs
How a capital campaign deck differs from a general pitch deck
A capital campaign deck asks for some of the largest gifts a donor will ever make, toward one goal with a deadline. It changes over the life of the campaign: a private version for lead donors during the quiet phase, then a public one. Progress is the most persuasive slide, and it has to separate pledges from cash. Naming opportunities need more precision than any other recognition, because they come with terms, payment periods and a policy behind them. No other donor deck carries that much structure.
Slide by slide
What goes in a capital campaign deck
- 01
The vision
What will exist when the campaign succeeds.
- 02
Why now
What makes this the moment.
- 03
The project
Plans and timeline.
- 04
Budget
Total cost and its parts.
- 05
Progress
Pledged so far.
- 06
Gift chart
Gifts needed at each level.
- 07
Recognition
Naming and acknowledgment options.
- 08
Leadership
Campaign chairs and board.
The questions behind every slide
What readers of a capital campaign deck ask
Each answer names the slide or document where it belongs. If a question has no home in your deck, the reader will ask it in writing, or stop reading.
- 1
Can the deck be used during the quiet phase?
Yes, and it should look different from the public version. In the quiet phase you speak only with lead prospects and the full goal is not yet announced. We build a quiet-phase version and a public version from the same file.
- 2
Should we show the goal before planning is complete?
Show the goal your board has approved. If it is still a working figure, label it that way. Donors at this stage expect to be part of testing the goal.
- 3
How do we show pledges versus money received?
Separately. Most large gifts are pledged and paid over several years. A progress slide that shows pledged, received and remaining as three figures is clearer and more honest than one total.
- 4
Should the gift range chart be in a donor-facing deck?
Often, yes. It shows a donor how many gifts are needed at each level and where their gift fits. For a single donor visit, highlight the level you are asking them to consider.
- 5
How should naming opportunities be presented?
As a table: the space or program, the gift amount, the payment period and the naming term. Refer to your naming policy, since many organizations limit the term and set conditions for changing a name.
- 6
Donors ask how the building will be run once it opens. Where does that go?
On its own slide. Show expected annual operating costs and how they will be paid for. A donor funding a building wants to know it will not become a burden.
- 7
Our renderings are not final. Can we still use them?
Yes, labeled as concept designs. Donors understand designs change. They lose trust when a concept is shown as if it were final.
- 8
Do we need a separate case for support document?
Many campaigns have both. The case for support is the full written argument. The deck is the version you show and leave behind. We design the deck from your case so the two agree.
Headline rewrites
Slide titles that say something.
A reader skims headlines first. A label tells them the topic; a sentence tells them the point. Bracketed figures are placeholders for your own numbers.
Before
Help us build our future.
After
A [X]-square-foot [facility] that lets us serve [X] more [people] each year from [year].
Before
We have already raised a lot.
After
$[X] pledged from [X] gifts toward a $[X] goal. $[X] received so far. $[X] still to raise.
Before
Naming opportunities available.
After
[Space] named for a gift of $[X], payable over up to [X] years, for a term of [X] years under our naming policy.
What we fix
Faults we see in capital campaign deck drafts
Vision with no budget.
Progress not shown.
Recognition options unclear.
What you receive
Documents we produce
- Campaign deck
- Case for support layout
- Gift chart
Every file is delivered editable, in PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote, with a PDF for sending. A capital campaign deck rebuild starts at $3,500; the full Raise Set with one-pager and teaser is $10,000.
Format
Length, versions and appendix
- Length
- Twelve to sixteen slides, plus a gift range chart and naming table that can be printed on their own.
- Send-ahead version
- Rarely sent cold. Usually left behind after a visit, with the donor's name on the cover and their suggested gift level highlighted.
- Presented version
- Shown at donor visits and committee meetings. Renderings and the progress figure carry the presenting version; detail goes to the appendix.
What belongs in the appendix
- Full project budget
- Construction or project timeline
- Floor plans and concept renderings
- Naming opportunities table
- Operating cost plan
- Campaign leadership list
Before you send it
Capital campaign deck checklist
- The finished project described in one sentence, with what it makes possible.
- Why this is the moment, in concrete terms.
- Total cost broken into its main parts.
- Pledged, received and remaining shown separately.
- A gift range chart, with the level being asked highlighted.
- Naming opportunities with amount, payment period and term.
- Ongoing operating costs and how they will be met.
- Campaign chairs and committee, with their permission.
Glossary
Terms used in a capital campaign deck
- Case for support
- The full written argument for why a campaign deserves funding: the need, the plan, the cost and what changes.
- Gift range chart
- A table of how many gifts are needed at each level to reach the goal. Fewer gifts at the top, more at the bottom.
- Quiet phase
- The period before a campaign is announced, when leaders ask a small group of prospects for the largest gifts.
- Lead gift
- One of the largest gifts in a campaign, usually secured first and often tied to a naming opportunity.
- Pledge period
- The number of years over which a donor pays a pledged gift.
- Naming policy
- An organization's rules on what may be named, for what gift, for how long, and when a name may be changed.
Your written brief
What to send us for a capital campaign deck
No call needed. Send what you have; missing items are listed in our written reply, and nothing is invented to fill a gap.
- 01Your case for support, in any draft
- 02Project budget with its main parts
- 03Concept renderings and plans, labeled by status
- 04Campaign goal and progress: pledged, received, remaining
- 05Gift range chart from your campaign plan
- 06Naming opportunities and your naming policy
- 07Operating cost plan for after completion
- 08Campaign leadership names, with permission
Packages
Four packages, fixed prices.
Deck Audit
$1,500
3 business days
A written verdict on the deck you have, before you send it to anyone.
- Slide-by-slide notes inside your file
- The fixes that matter most, in order
- Story, numbers and design, each assessed
- The investor questions your deck leaves open
One deck, up to 20 slides. No redesign included.
Choose Deck AuditInvestor Finish
$3,500
5 business days
Your draft, rebuilt to investor standard. Design only.
- Up to 15 slides rebuilt
- Charts redrawn from your data
- Your brand applied throughout
- One written revision round
- Editable PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote
Design only: your wording and slide order stay as they are.
Choose Investor FinishFinish + Story
$6,500
8 business days
We restructure the argument, rewrite the headlines, then rebuild the deck.
- Up to 20 slides
- Narrative restructured from your draft and notes
- Headlines rewritten as full-sentence points
- Send-ahead PDF version
- Two written revision rounds
We work from your facts. No market research or financial modeling.
Choose Finish + StoryRaise Set
$10,000
12 business days
Everything a raise needs, in one matching set.
- Up to 30 slides plus appendix
- Investor one-pager
- Short teaser version for cold outreach
- Three written revision rounds
- All source files
No investor introductions, fundraising or legal advice.
Choose Raise SetNot included in any package: Calls or meetings · Market research · Financial modeling or valuation · Investor introductions · Fundraising, legal or securities advice. Extra slides and extra revision rounds are quoted in writing before we start them.
Questions, answered.
What is a gift chart?+
A table of how many gifts are needed at each level to reach the goal.
How much does a pitch deck cost here?+
A written Deck Audit is $1,500. Investor Finish, a design rebuild of up to 15 slides, is $3,500. Finish + Story, with the argument restructured, is $6,500. Raise Set, up to 30 slides with a one-pager and teaser, is $10,000.
How long does it take?+
Three business days for an audit, five for Investor Finish, eight for Finish + Story and twelve for Raise Set, counted from payment and a complete brief.
Is there a call?+
No. No package includes a call or meeting. You brief us in writing and comment in writing.
What do I need to send?+
Your draft deck in any editable format, or notes if you chose a package with writing, plus a few lines on who will read it and what you are asking for.
How do I pay?+
By card, through a secure payment link we send once scope and delivery date are confirmed in writing.
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Further reading
Sources we read when writing this page. General information only; not legal, tax or investment advice.
Have a draft? Send it today.
Choose a package, link your deck and write a few lines about who it is for. You get scope, a delivery date and a payment link in writing.