David Cobb, Senior VP, Campaigns

If there’s one truth I’ve learned over decades of campaign work, it’s that campaigns rarely collapse overnight.

They stall quietly, slowly, and often long before anyone is willing to say it out loud. The earliest sign is almost always volunteer disengagement. When your committee stops showing up prepared, stops returning calls, or stops offering names, that’s not a scheduling issue. It’s a momentum issue. Volunteer energy is the engine of a campaign, and when that engine sputters, the entire effort feels it.

Another common stall point comes from announcing a campaign too early. I’ve seen organizations get swept up in excitement and make a public announcement before the groundwork is ready. The result is what I call the “sugar high.” It’s a burst of enthusiasm that feels good but doesn’t translate into meaningful commitments. Discipline matters. A campaign should be announced when the strategy, the lead gifts, and the volunteer structure are strong enough to sustain the attention that follows.

Momentum also depends on giving volunteers the right kind of work. Not big, abstract responsibilities, but small, specific tasks that build confidence and progress. Ask each volunteer to cultivate or solicit five donors. Give them a tour script. Equip them with talking points. One of the most successful turnarounds I’ve seen came from replacing traditional one‑on‑one meetings with a simple 50‑minute tour and lunch. It re‑energized the committee, clarified the message, and created a shared experience that donors responded to.

Leaders must be willing to adjust mid‑campaign. External factors like market conditions, political events, economic shocks. These can disrupt even the best‑planned effort. When that happens, don’t let the campaign stall. Make the adjustment while still in motion. I often use the airplane analogy: you fix the issue while the plane is flying, not after it crashes. Staff engagement, timely resources, and leadership modeling are what keep the plane in the air. Campaigns thrive when leaders stay attentive, volunteers stay engaged, and the organization stays flexible enough to adapt.