Organizations raise money in different ways because their operational needs differ. Some build efforts around a specific objective to complete. Others exist to support ongoing work that does not end after a single activity. In practice, these two approaches show up as fundraising campaigns and fundraising programs.
BrightLeaf Giving implements these models as Social Impact Campaigns (SIC) and Community Support Funds (CSF). This post explains the general models first, then maps them to BrightLeaf Giving later. The goal is to help you understand how each approach works so you can choose the right structure for your situation.
Fundraising Campaigns: How They Operate
A fundraising campaign’s objective might be a project, an event, a purchase, or a short-term initiative. The campaign exists to raise funds for that specific need. And concludes once they meet objective.
Campaigns work best when the scope is narrow and they know the outcome in advance. Because the activity is bounded, the fundraising effort can be organized around concrete steps and checkpoints.
Typical characteristics of a fundraising campaign include:
- Supporting a specific activity or outcome with the funds
- A defined launch point and a defined stopping point
- A fundraising target tied to the activity’s requirements
- Donor contributions tracked against the campaign itself
Operationally, campaigns follow a straightforward flow. An organization identifies the activity to be funded, establishes what resources are required, and opens a fundraising effort tied directly to that activity. Funds raised are applied to that use and recorded at the campaign level.
This structure creates several functional advantages.
First, campaigns concentrate attention. Because the fundraising effort is a single objective, communications and internal tracking stay on one set of actions and records. This reduces the chance that funds drift across unrelated activities.
Second, campaigns are easier to reconcile against outcomes. When the activity is complete, the campaign can be closed, and the associated records reflect a finished cycle. This makes post-activity review more straightforward.
Third, campaigns fit naturally with time-bound needs. If an organization is responding to a one-time situation or running a discrete project, a campaign aligns the fundraising structure with the work.
In practice, campaigns are often for things like:
- A specific service delivery initiative
- A defined purchase or upgrade
- A short-term response effort
- A single event or program run
In each case, the campaign exists to fund one bounded set of actions, then concludes.
If you want to know about other methods for ensuring fundraising success, check out this Forbes article.
Fundraising Programs: How They Operate
A fundraising program supports ongoing activity. Instead of raising funds for one discrete effort, a program creates a structure that can receive and allocate funds over time.
Programs are appropriate when the work continues, repeats, or supports a category of activity rather than a single instance. The fundraising structure stays in place while receiving, reviewing, and applying the funds.
Typical characteristics of a fundraising program include:
- An ongoing scope rather than a single activity
- Defined eligibility rules for how funds may be used
- Continuing oversight and administration
- Funds allocated across multiple qualifying uses
From an operational standpoint, programs emphasize consistency and continuity. Funds flow into a shared structure, and decisions about use are made according to established rules and review processes. Records are maintained at the program level rather than tied to a single event.
This model offers distinct advantages.
First, programs provide stability. Because the fundraising structure remains active, organizations do not need to recreate infrastructure each time they need the support. This reduces setup work and administrative repetition.
Second, programs allow for coordinated allocation. When multiple activities fall under the same eligibility rules, they direct funds where they need them most at a given moment while staying within defined constraints.
Third, programs support long-term planning. With an ongoing structure in place, organizations can align fundraising, budgeting, and service delivery over extended periods rather than working one activity at a time.
Programs are commonly for:
- Ongoing service delivery
- Repeating assistance efforts
- Broad support categories that evolve over time
- Activities requiring continuous oversight
In these cases, the fundraising program acts as the container that holds resources and governs how they apply them.
How Organizations Decide Between Campaigns and Programs
Choosing between a campaign and a program is less about preference and more about structure. The decision depends on how they organize the work itself.
Organizations typically start by asking operational questions such as:
- Is the activity finite, or ongoing and repeatable?
- Will funds go to one use, or allocated across multiple uses?
- Does the effort require a closing point, or continuous administration?
When the work has a clear endpoint and a single objective, a campaign usually fits. When the work continues over time and supports multiple related activities, a program is often more appropriate.
Many organizations use both models at the same time. A program may exist to support ongoing operations, while campaigns are launched within that context for specific initiatives. The models are not mutually exclusive. They serve different structural needs.
What matters is alignment. The fundraising structure should match how they will use the funds. When the structure matches the work, administration becomes more manageable and reporting remains consistent.
How SIC and CSF Work at BrightLeaf Giving
BrightLeaf Giving implements these two fundraising models directly within our infrastructure.
Fundraising campaigns are Social Impact Campaigns (SIC). An SIC is used when funds are being raised for a defined activity with a specific scope. The campaign is tied to that activity, and contributions are tracked at the campaign level. Once the activity is complete and funds have been applied according to the approved use, the campaign concludes.
Fundraising programs are Community Support Funds (CSF). A CSF is used when support is ongoing and applies across multiple qualifying activities. Funds are received into a shared structure governed by eligibility rules and review processes. Allocations are made over time as needs arise, and records are maintained at the program level.
These structures allow us to support both time-bound initiatives and ongoing operations without mixing workflows or records.
Next Steps
Fundraising campaigns and fundraising programs solve different operational problems. Campaigns support a defined initiative with a clear fundraising window. Programs support work that continues across time and requires repeated administration. Neither model is more advanced or more effective by default. Each exists to match how to raise, track, and apply funds in practice.
If you are determining which structure fits your needs:
- Review fundraising campaign options if you are supporting a defined activity.
- Review fundraising program support if you are building ongoing operations.
Both paths provide documented steps and eligibility requirements so you can move forward with the structure that matches how your work functions.