Capital Campaign Brainstorming

A campaign name signals that the project is special and unique from the projects your city usually carries out. It invites joining up and names the fundraising effort, not the project. What I mean by this is if we called it "the pool campaign" it could be interpreted by donors as literally funding a pool, which leaves out restrooms, parking, site prep, etc. So we package the entire vision in one campaign name and donors understand that their gift goes to make the entire vision go.

Great names...

• Are inspirational

• Tap into universal themes or feelings (belonging, connection, hope, dreams, etc.)

• Are not too specific

• Don't need to tie to the eventual name of the pool

• Should reflect how we want people to feel when thinking about this campaign

Our client, the City of Hillsboro, just named their campaign "Hillsboro Plays Together." They use the tagline "The campaign for our first inclusive park and playground." When Portland Community College launched their campaign, they named it "Think PCC First" because it funded everything from scholarships to bricks and mortar to endowment. A great name inspires people without creating undue restrictions.

How has the pool shaped families? How does it serve as a community center? What does it mean to kids to hit the right of passage when they can jump off the diving board? With so many water metaphors I know we could come up with something fun and meaningful.