Leading the Campaign

Leading the Campaign provides an overview of campaigns in higher education. It emphasizes the leadership role of college and university presidents, but also provides important insights on the role of volunteers and fundraising professionals. It provides lessons and examples that are relevant to all types of nonprofit organizations.The campaign has endured over more than a century as a principal strategy for advancing colleges and universities. It is an approach to fundraising that is rooted in fundamentals of human nature and values and its central principles have proven to be effective under a variety of circumstances. This book focuses on those central principles and how they are being applied in today’s changing environment. The second edition has been revised and updated from the first edition, published in 2010, to provide current data and examples. The book has been expanded to include discussion of emerging trends in campaigns, including the increased importance of social media and online giving. It includes numerous examples drawn from various types of colleges and universities and history-making campaigns.

With an emphasis on the president's leadership role, Michael Worth's book is a clear and thorough guide to all aspects of a campaign, from goal-setting and gift acceptance policies to solicitation and stewardship. It will be a valuable resource for presidents and everyone involved in a comprehensive campaign., In an era where campaigns play an ever-increasing role in the lexicon of philanthropy for educational institutions, this second edition of Michael Worth’s Leading the Campaign offers a helpful perspective on history, context and opportunity from a U.S. perspective. It provides a timely resource to presidents, chief advancement officers, and everyone involved with a campaign in higher education., Richly informed by his highly successful careers as a fundraising leader, consultant, teacher and researcher, Michael Worth’s Leading the Campaign is absolutely essential reading for every president considering or undertaking a campaign. Every stage of the process is covered in detail, with insightful examples drawn from successful campaigns at a variety of colleges and universities.

Michael J. Worth is professor of nonprofit management in the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at the George Washington University and founder of Michael J. Worth & Associates LLC, a Washington, DC based consulting firm that provides fundraising and management advice to colleges, universities, and schools; national institutions and associations; and nonprofit organizations. He was previously director of development at the University of Maryland and vice president for development and alumni affairs at the George Washington University and has extensive experience in the planning and direction of comprehensive campaigns.