How Donorly Helped a Theater Company Complete a $40M Capital Campaign

Like many arts and culture nonprofits, this acclaimed theater company faced a turning point. After years of artistic success and growing audiences, the organization launched a $27 million capital campaign to fund a long-awaited new theater space—a permanent home to expand its creative impact.

But halfway through the campaign, momentum stalled. Donor enthusiasm had cooled, major gift prospects were uncertain, and the development team was stretched thin. The campaign lacked consistent leadership, and the annual fund and gala—key revenue streams for any arts organization—had begun to decline.

The stakes were high: without renewed energy and structure, the campaign risked falling short, delaying the theater’s opening and straining relationships with its most loyal supporters.

What the organization needed was not just fundraising support—it needed a strategic partner who understood capital campaign management for arts nonprofits and could rebuild both the systems and the confidence behind the effort.

Donorly partnered with the theater company as an embedded, strategic fundraising ally—providing both leadership and hands-on support to rebuild the campaign from the inside out. Over the course of an 18-month intensive partnership, Donorly guided the organization through a full transformation: from stalled momentum to record-breaking success.

• Immediate Stabilization

  The first priority was to regain control and rebuild confidence across the organization. Donorly provided the structure and leadership needed to stabilize fundraising operations and strengthen donor relationships.

  • Stepped in with interim campaign leadership to provide clarity, accountability, and focus.

  • Rebuilt the development team and improved internal communication systems.

  • Reconnected with lapsed and major donors, reigniting enthusiasm and trust.

  • Reinforced annual fund and gala fundraising, ensuring short-term financial stability while the campaign gained traction.

  This initial stabilization created the foundation for long-term growth and restored the board’s confidence that the campaign could—and would—succeed.

  Strategic Expansion

  With the groundwork in place, Donorly moved into strategic growth mode. The focus was to realign and expand the organization’s fundraising capacity across all revenue streams.

  • Conducted comprehensive prospect research to uncover new opportunities within both the local arts community and national funding networks.

  • Trained board members and staff in major gift solicitation and donor stewardship.

  • Integrated the capital campaign, annual fund, and gala fundraising under one cohesive strategy to prevent overlap and donor fatigue.

  • Introduced data-driven systems to track progress and guide decision-making.

  This holistic approach turned a struggling campaign into a high-performing, coordinated fundraising effort—driven by clear strategy and strong leadership.

  Phased Partnership & Results

  Donorly’s embedded model ensured progress at every stage of the campaign:

  Phase 1: Rebuild and Reignite

  • Restored campaign infrastructure and momentum.

  • Integrated annual and gala fundraising into the campaign plan.

  Phase 2: Scale and Surpass

  • Surpassed the original $27M goal, resetting the target to $35M.

  • Doubled both annual fund and gala revenue, strengthening year-over-year financial health.

  Phase 3: Complete and Celebrate

  • Successfully completed a $40M capital campaign, 48% above the original target.

  • Achieved completion one year ahead of schedule, shortly after the new theater’s opening.

• Nearly $100 million raised to advance the mission

• A robust, multi-channel fundraising program in place

• Stronger board engagement in fundraising

• Sustainable systems built to support long-term donor relationships and growth