How Donors, Doers, Door Openers, and Dunbar’s Number Help Create Campaign Momentum

When One Can Change Everything

Picture a quiet evening. A few leaders gather in a living room. The president shares a short, clear story about what could change this year. People lean in. One person funds the first step. Another offers to host friends next week. From that room, the story starts to travel.

Most of us can keep about 150 steady relationships. That is Dunbar’s number. We naturally hold them in rings of 5, 15, 50, 150, 500, and 1,500. Campaigns work best when they move through those rings on purpose: start close, build proof, then help the story flow outward.

No one does this alone. Three types of helpers make the ripple strong:

• Donors give resources and lend credibility.
• Doers make things and host moments that move people.
• Door Openers introduce you to the next circle.

With these things in mind, let’s look at how these ideas can play out through a campaign lifecycle with a keen eye on the middle, where today’s mid-level gifts grow into tomorrow’s major gifts. 

Quiet Phase: Small Rooms, Strong Starts

Before the big headlines, you need to establish trust. The Quiet Phase is where insiders give credibility to the campaign. The tone is steady and human. People want to see why it matters now, what you will do, and where they fit.

This is also where the fundraising team and the board play a crucial role. Staff bring the plan, the numbers, and the follow-through. Board members lend their names, networks, and confidence. The best starts are a partnership between staff discipline and board leadership.

In these first settings, Donors often set the pace. A trustee funds Priority One and allows her name on a challenge that others can join. Doers invite friends to a small briefing and record a short video in their own words. Door Openers, name five people who should hear the story next and make warm introductions.

What we bring to these moments is simple and crafted:

• A ten-slide deck that shows the plan, timeline, and cost in plain language.
• A short case that fits in a hand.
• A two-minute video with real people in real places.
• A thoughtful invite and a thank-you that name the next step.

Quiet Phase success looks like permission to use a few names publicly, a credible challenge gift, small briefings on the calendar, and a handful of early stories ready to share. That is enough to open the next ring.

Preview Phase: When the Circle Widens

Preview is highly anticipated, and momentum is building. You invite the 500 people who already know and support you. The ask is clear, the proof is visible, and the tools are easy to use.

Here is where mid-level gifts begin to stack. A Donor gives at a level that funds a real outcome this term. They join a named group of supporters and receive a personal thank-you. They are invited to a first look, a brief update session that lasts about twenty minutes, during which a program lead shows progress. They get a link they can share with friends. Many do.

An annual Gala can be a powerful moment in the Preview Phase. Treat it as a mixer for the 500, not only a show. Price tables to encourage mid-level giving. Seat known connectors near emerging supporters. Build a short first-look segment into the program so Mids see the plan and meet the people behind it. Add simple ways to act in the room: QR codes on table cards, a pledge card for a mid-level amount tied to a clear result, and a small match paddle for Door Openers who want to sponsor the next ten gifts. Follow with next-day calls from the fundraising team to book briefings and cultivation meetings. Done this way, the gala helps Mids make gifts now, establish new connections, and lay the groundwork for major-gift readiness.

Doers keep the story lively where people already spend time. Two social posts and three texts can move more gifts than one big event. Door Openers sponsors small matches, for example, “I will match the next ten gifts of $5000,” and sends five personal invites that they can send.

Campaign materials built for success:

• A six-slide “show the impact” deck anyone can use.
• Shareable images and short videos in square or vertical formats for social sharing.
• A giving page where suggested amounts make sense for mid-level giving and each amount is tied to a concrete result, for example, “$100 outfits one student for clinicals.”
• A thank-you screen with one clear next step. Join the group. Attend the first look. Invite friends.

Preview Phase success looks like many mid-level gifts, real sharing, sign-ups for first looks, small matches sponsored, and new connectors moving toward cultivation as future major donors.

Public Phase: Out in the Open

The public part is what everyone sees. The circle is now wide, with over 1,500. Messages must make sense in an instant, and the path to action must be clear and concise. The job is to reach far without losing the thread that began in a living room.

Here, the internal community becomes a force multiplier. Faculty, staff, and volunteers are trusted messengers. Equip them with brief, simple talking points and ready-to-share posts. A faculty member who explains a lab upgrade in one sentence can do more than a paragraph of copy. A staff champion who answers questions at a community table can turn interest into gifts. Volunteers who run sign-ups and pass along names help route new energy back to the fundraising team.

Donors here give quickly or start a monthly gift because the ask is clear. Doers keep posts fresh and host a short Q&A that feels like a conversation. Door Openers notice who leans in and send those names back to staff for a first look.

What appears in the world is simple and bold:

• A poster with an intriguing headline and hook that adapts to connect with local audiences.
• Social posts and short videos that convey a clear, simple, and connected message.
• A clean donation page that most people can complete in about three clicks.
• A receipt page that offers “share this” or “join the group” to include close connections.

Success in the Public Phase depends on quick understanding, easy gifts, healthy share rates, and a steady flow of people who are more deeply involved in the Preview Phase of the next campaign.

What We Make as We Move

Assets are not the point. They are the tools that help people do the job you’re inviting them to do. Keep every piece simple: one stat, one story, one action. Maintain a consistent visual style to foster recognition. Allow small swaps, such as headline, photo, or a single number, for consistency and variation.

• Quiet tools feel close and credible: a handheld case, a clear deck, a two-minute video, an invite with care, a follow-up note that closes the loop. Pair these with staff readiness and board leadership so decisions move quickly.
• Preview tools are built to share: ready-to-use posts and texts, a short captioned video, sensible giving options tied to outcomes, a warm welcome, a first-look invite, a small-match option, and gala pieces that turn the room into next steps.
• Public tools carry recall: a one-line poster, local variants, repeating social templates, a simple donation flow, and an internal brief for faculty, staff, and volunteers, ensuring the story remains consistent.

Design the middle intentionally, and the circle expands.

At a Glance

A Clear Strategy for a Successful Campaign

The living room, the warm crowd, the open square. Each has its own rhythm. Start where trust is strongest. Engage the fundraising team and the board early. Invite faculty, staff, and volunteers to carry the message when you step into the open. Give people jobs they can do. Hand them tools that fit their lives. Quiet earns confidence. Preview turns warmth into mid-level gifts and new connections. The Public reaches far and keeps a door open to the middle. When Donors, Doers, and Door Openers each play their part, momentum takes hold. This is the ripple effect in action.

Featured image credit: Adobe Firefly + Tom Osborne