# How a Capital Campaign can Turbo-Charge a Modest Fundraising Operation

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/all-about-capital-campaigns-nonprofits-fundraising-major-gifts-toolkit-2136244/how-a-capital-campaign-can-turbo-charge-a-modest-fundraising-operation
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/all-about-capital-campaigns-nonprofits-fundraising-major-gifts-toolkit-2136244/how-a-capital-campaign-can-turbo-charge-a-modest-fundraising-operation.md
Podcast: [All About Capital Campaigns: Nonprofits, Fundraising, Major Gifts, Toolkit](https://stenobird.com/podcast/all-about-capital-campaigns-nonprofits-fundraising-major-gifts-toolkit-2136244)
Published: 2026-06-02T12:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/capital-campaign-pro/episodes/How-a-Capital-Campaign-can-Turbo-Charge-a-Modest-Fundraising-Operation-e3k6u11
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/46e7ddbc/podcast/play/120862177/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-1%2F8ea3411c-8b1d-30a7-9b97-9cccfaeb2ae5.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/all-about-capital-campaigns-nonprofits-fundraising-major-gifts-toolkit-2136244/episodes/how-a-capital-campaign-can-turbo-charge-a-modest-fundraising-operation
Duration seconds: 1910

## Resource

What does it actually take to launch a $40 million campaign when your organization has almost no fundraising history? Andrea Kihlstedt sits down with Wendy Connors, CEO of the Hertz Foundation, for a candid, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most remarkable campaign transformations in recent memory. The Hertz Foundation supports science and engineering PhD students — but for most of its history, it barely fundraised at all. When Wendy joined to lead development, the board didn't even know the difference between an annual gift and a campaign gift. What happened next is a masterclass in what capital campaigns can actually do for an organization. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Wendy refused to outsource the feasibility study interviews — and what she gained by doing them herself How the Hertz Foundation tripled its volunteer force and what it did to giving The pivotal moment two co-chairs made major gifts that unlocked the entire public phase How a community that preferred anonymity and didn't pledge learned to give at a transformational level Three things Wendy says every nonprofit leader should do before launching a campaign This is a must-listen for any nonprofit leader who wonders whether their organization has what it takes — and wants to hear from someone who found out firsthand. Ready to start your own campaign study? Get the full guide at capitalcampaignpro.com/feasibility-study-ultimate-guide/

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/all-about-capital-campaigns-nonprofits-fundraising-major-gifts-toolkit-2136244/episodes/how-a-capital-campaign-can-turbo-charge-a-modest-fundraising-operation/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/all-about-capital-campaigns-nonprofits-fundraising-major-gifts-toolkit-2136244/how-a-capital-campaign-can-turbo-charge-a-modest-fundraising-operation.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.