Build the Wildlife Museum That Puts Carroll on the Map.
A polished campaign vision for turning Bob VanHorn's elephant, big cats, and world-class mounts into a destination at Swan Lake: immersive galleries, donor naming opportunities, pledge tools, and a realistic $8M-$10M path to opening.
$10M
Campaign Goal
$2M+
Collection Gift Anchor
Elephant Hall
Signature Exhibit
0.15%
Of $10M Goal
Campaign Progress
20%$2M of $10M secured (est. collection value)
Campaign Strategy Preview
A clear path from private collection to funded public museum.
This campaign preview brings the core pieces into one place: the museum story, donor journey, pledge card suite, naming menu, campaign phases, and implementation scope. It is designed to help the campaign committee see the path from vision to funded reality.
Museum StoryDonor JourneyNaming StrategyProject Scope
The Heart of the Campaign
Bob VanHorn's Life's Work
Bob VanHorn of Glidden, Iowa has spent decades traveling the world as a big game hunter and conservationist — assembling what is believed to be one of the largest privately-held big game collections in the world. Spanning dozens of species across Africa, North America, Asia, and the Middle East, the collection is a remarkable record of wildlife, habitat, and a lifetime of adventure.
Bob is donating his entire collection to the people of Iowa. His wish is for it to be permanently housed at Swan Lake State Park in Carroll — a world-class natural history experience that draws visitors from across the country while educating the next generation about conservation and the natural world.
"This collection deserves a home where everyone can experience it — not locked away in a private room."
— Bob VanHorn, Glidden, Iowa
The estimated value of the collection exceeds $2 million — a foundational gift that launches the campaign with extraordinary momentum. The community's task now is to build the museum worthy of it.
Bob VanHorn discusses his collection and vision for the museum · Carroll Conservation Board
Donor-Facing Museum Vision
From Private Collection to a Wildlife Museum Destination
The donor site should not feel like a generic nonprofit campaign. It should feel like the first room of the museum: immersive, educational, conservation-minded, and grounded in Iowa pride. The full campaign system can connect this public-facing museum experience with pledge tools, naming opportunities, and disciplined donor follow-up.
Phase 1 Concept Rendering
Destination feel. Iowa scale.
Inspired by immersive wildlife gallery experiences like Wonders of Wildlife, but adapted for a realistic $8M-$10M Swan Lake campaign: a cost-controlled building, an elephant-scale centerpiece, predator gallery moments, flexible education space, and expansion-ready exhibit wings.
Planning Scale
16k-22k sq. ft.
Regional destination size, not a mega-attraction. Final square footage belongs with the architect, estimator, and building committee.
Exhibit Focus
7k-10k sq. ft.
Enough for a strong Phase 1 visitor journey with several immersive zones and room for future wings.
Build Strategy
Shell + wow moments
Spend where visitors feel it: lighting, murals, dioramas, cases, signage, archive wall, and donor recognition.
Budget Discipline
Contingency first
Site work, utilities, HVAC, code, accessibility, design fees, and contingency must be planned before exhibit extras.
Arrival Moment
Founder Lobby & Elephant Hall
The first impression should be scale. Bob's elephant can become the physical and emotional centerpiece: founder recognition, Bob's story, and one unforgettable display visible from the entry path.
Regional Anchor
North American Trophy Gallery
White-tailed deer, elk, bison, sheep, and western habitat scenes presented with Boone-and-Crockett-style conservation history and specimen interpretation.
Local Connection
Iowa Wetlands & Prairie Room
A Swan Lake-centered gallery that connects the global collection back to Iowa habitats, waterfowl, prairie ecology, school visits, and local outdoor heritage.
Signature Diorama
Africa Savanna Feature
A focused savanna scene can support the elephant centerpiece with mural backdrop, warm lighting, and layered species display. Big enough to inspire, contained enough to remain plausible.
Predator Gallery
Lions, Tigers & Big Cats
Lions and tigers deserve their own high-drama gallery moment: lower light, focused cases, interpretive predator ecology, and a strong donor naming opportunity.
Human Story
Bob VanHorn Field Archive
Video, maps, journals, donor plaques, collection inventory, and field stories that make the museum about legacy and education, not just mounted specimens.
Education Revenue
Conservation Theater & Classroom
A flexible room for school groups, donor events, conservation talks, board presentations, and campaign gatherings during construction and after opening.
Planning note: these are concept directions, not architectural estimates. Final size, cost, phasing, code requirements, exhibit inventory, and construction pricing should be validated with an Iowa architect, contractor, exhibit designer, and the Carroll County Conservation team.
Exhibit Direction
Immersive Habitat Halls
Frame the collection by continent, ecosystem, and species story. The goal is not rows of mounts; it is a guided visitor journey through habitat, scale, geography, and the wild places behind each specimen.
Education
Conservation Learning Center
Connect big game, Swan Lake ecology, Iowa outdoor heritage, and modern conservation. School groups, family visits, and agriculture/outdoor audiences all need a clear educational reason to care.
Storytelling
Bob VanHorn Archive
Use Bob's video interviews, field notes, maps, photos, and specimen stories to make the collection human. Donors give faster when they can see the person, the journey, and the legacy.
Recognition
Donor Names Inside the Journey
Naming should be designed into the visitor path: wings, habitat rooms, exhibit cases, archive walls, school programs, trails, and founder recognition that feel permanent and worthy.
Precedent Cues Worth Borrowing
These are not copy-and-paste references. They are proof points for the kind of museum language donors already understand: immersive galleries, habitat dioramas, conservation history, and education-first interpretation.
This is the strategic spine of the campaign: align the board around a museum-grade story, then move into disciplined major-gift cultivation, public launch, and final close.
Phase 1
Campaign Setup & Quiet Phase
Months 1–6. Build the board-ready case, campaign collateral, and quiet-phase donor system. Secure 50–60% of the goal before any public announcement through personal, relationship-driven solicitation.
Finalize campaign story, museum vision, and donor materials
Identify 15–25 lead gift prospects ($100k–$1M)
One-on-one cultivation visits with collection tours
Board and founding donor commitments secured first
Naming rights reserved for top-tier lead donors
Campaign case for support finalized
Phase 2
Public Donor Site Launch
Months 7–18. Announce the campaign publicly once 50%+ is secured. Launch the donor-facing site, campaign brochure, media story, and community giving pathways.
Public kick-off gala at Swan Lake (launch event)
Launch donor-facing website with online pledge flow
Community pledge drive and peer fundraising
Named brick / community giving program opens
Media coverage — regional press, agriculture press
Safari Society mid-level gift campaign ($25k–$75k)
Phase 3
Closing, Stewardship & Legacy
Months 19–30. Final push to 100%. Use progress reporting, recognition moments, urgency messaging, and planned giving cultivation for legacy donors who want to be part of history.
Final naming opportunities — "last chance" urgency
Swan Lake Legacy Society (planned giving) program
Matching gift challenge (if anchor donor available)
Groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate momentum
Campaign close celebration and donor recognition
Gift Range Chart — How $10M Gets Raised
Gift Level
Gifts Needed
Prospects Needed
Subtotal
% of Goal
$1,000,000+
2
6–8
$2,000,000
20%
$500,000
2
6–8
$1,000,000
10%
$250,000
4
12–16
$1,000,000
10%
$100,000
10
25–30
$1,000,000
10%
$50,000
20
50–60
$1,000,000
10%
$25,000
40
80–100
$1,000,000
10%
$10,000
50
100–150
$500,000
5%
Under $10,000
Many
Open
$2,500,000
25%
TOTAL
$10,000,000
100%
Industry standard: 3–5 qualified prospects required for every gift secured. Top 18 donors = 75% of goal.
Donor-Centered Pledge Cards
Five Cards. One Campaign.
Each card is engineered around a specific donor profile — from the founding-level visionary to the community champion. Select a card to preview the interactive design and copy.
Founding Patron · $100,000 – $1,000,000+
Your Name Belongs Here.
Six continents. Decades of adventure. A lifetime of passion for the wild places of the world. Bob VanHorn of Glidden, Iowa has given everything he pursued — and now he's giving it to you. His collection — anchored by major specimens including the elephant, lions, tigers, and other big game — will become Iowa's most extraordinary public museum, permanently housed at Swan Lake State Park. There is one opening for a Founding Patron of Elephant Hall / Grand Safari Hall.
Select your giving level
$1,000,000+
Elephant Hall / Grand Safari Hall Naming — The pinnacle honor
1 Available
$500,000
Wing Naming: Africa, North America, or Asia
3 Available
$250,000
Conservation Theater or Research Archive Naming
2 Available
$100,000
Founders' Lobby or Outdoor Swan Lake Pavilion
4 Available
Pledge payment schedule
One-time
$1,000,000
Over 2 yrs
$500,000/yr
Over 3 yrs
$333,333/yr
Over 5 yrs
$200,000/yr
Gift type
Recognition name
The Big Game Museum at Swan Lake Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. This commitment represents your intention to give and may be adjusted if circumstances materially change. A campaign representative will follow up within 48 hours.
Safari Society · $25,000 – $99,999
Be Part of the Founding Story.
When the doors of the Big Game Museum at Swan Lake open, your name can be on the wall where every visitor begins their journey — as a member of the Safari Society, the founding circle whose generosity made this museum possible.
Select your commitment
$75,000
Named Program Fund — Educational programming or conservation archive
$50,000
Named Exhibit Case — Your species, your story, your family name
$35,000
Outdoor Trail Marker or Swan Lake Feature Naming
$25,000
Safari Society Founder Panel — Permanent donor recognition wall
Payment preference
One-time
$75,000
2 years
$37,500/yr
3 years
$25,000/yr
5 years
$15,000/yr
Big Game Museum at Swan Lake Foundation — 501(c)(3) | EIN: [XX-XXXXXXX] | All gifts tax-deductible
Tonight, You're Part of History.
"A Museum Born in Iowa. Seen Around the World."
The Big Game Museum at Swan Lake is being built right now — one commitment at a time. Make yours tonight. Multi-year pledges welcome.
Select your gift amount
Other: $
Multi-year option
One-time
Full gift
2 years
½ now
3 years
⅓ now
5 years
⅕ now
Tax-deductible 501(c)(3) gift. A team member will follow up within 48 hours to confirm your commitment.
Legacy Society · Planned & Estate Gifts
The Greatest Gifts Outlive Us All.
Bob VanHorn spent a lifetime in the field. Now his greatest gift — a collection decades in the making — will live on at Swan Lake for every generation that follows. If you've ever thought about leaving something behind that truly matters, the Big Game Museum offers a rare and permanent way to do it. A planned gift costs you nothing today.
I am interested in learning more about
✓
Bequest in my will or revocable trust
Leave a specific dollar amount, percentage of estate, or residual estate to the museum. Requires no current cash. Revocable at any time.
✓
IRA, 401(k), or life insurance beneficiary designation
Name the museum as a full or partial beneficiary. Simple one-page form with your plan provider. Assets pass outside probate, often with significant tax advantages.
✓
IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (age 70½+)
Direct your RMD to the museum — up to $105,000 annually. Counts toward Required Minimum Distribution, excluded from taxable income. A current-year gift with immediate tax impact.
✓
Charitable Remainder Trust
Transfer appreciated assets; receive income during your lifetime; remainder passes to the museum. Partial charitable deduction today, income stream for life.
All inquiries are strictly confidential. No obligation is created by this inquiry. We recommend consulting your financial advisor or estate attorney. Contact: [Campaign Director Name, Phone, Email]
Community Builder · $500 – $10,000
This Is Your Museum.
Born in Iowa. Built by Iowans. Open to every Iowan who has ever stood at the edge of a field and felt the pull of the wild. The Big Game Museum at Swan Lake is coming — and your name can be on it.
Choose your membership level
$10,000
Big Game Circle — Named brick + donor recognition wall
Founding
$5,000
Trail Blazer — Named brick + permanent digital recognition
$2,500
Conservation Partner — Permanent digital donor wall
$1,000
Field Friend — Annual membership + recognition
$500
Supporter — General campaign contribution
Payment preference
One-time
Full gift
Monthly
$833/mo
Quarterly
$2,500/qtr
Annual
$3,333/yr
Or give online at: [museumwebsite.org/give]
Tax-deductible 501(c)(3) | Big Game Museum at Swan Lake Foundation | Questions? Call [Name] at [Phone]
Reference Guide
Pledge Payment Schedule
Print this table on the back of all $25,000+ pledge cards. Showing annual installments instead of total amounts dramatically reduces hesitation — $16,667/year feels fundamentally different than $50,000.
Total Pledge
Annual (2 yr)
Annual (3 yr)
Annual (5 yr)
Quarterly (3 yr)
Monthly (3 yr)
$1,000,000
$500,000
$333,333
$200,000
$83,333
$27,778
$500,000
$250,000
$166,667
$100,000
$41,667
$13,889
$250,000
$125,000
$83,333
$50,000
$20,833
$6,944
$100,000
$50,000
$33,333
$20,000
$8,333
$2,778
$75,000
$37,500
$25,000
$15,000
$6,250
$2,083
$50,000
$25,000
$16,667
$10,000
$4,167
$1,389
$25,000
$12,500
$8,333
$5,000
$2,083
$694
$10,000
$5,000
$3,333
$2,000
$833
$278
$5,000
$2,500
$1,667
$1,000
$417
$139
All pledge payments are tax-deductible when received. Receipts and acknowledgment letters issued at each payment. The 3-year schedule (highlighted) is statistically the most common selection among major donors.
Major Gift Cultivation
Close More $50,000+ Gifts.
Major gifts are relationships, not transactions. These six principles — drawn from AFP, Veritus Group, and Winkler Group research (2020–2026) — govern every high-level solicitation.
"If the organization has done its job right, I will have a good idea what I'm going to be asked for before we meet."
— Major Donor, via Veritus Group
01
The Pre-Ask Visit
Schedule a "vision conversation" 4–8 weeks before the formal ask. Share plans, gauge enthusiasm, ask what excites them most. Never ask for money at this meeting — its only purpose is earning the right to return.
Mandatory for $100K+
02
Bob VanHorn's Collection Tour
A private tour of the VanHorn collection is your single most powerful cultivation tool. No amount of brochure copy can replicate the experience of standing in front of a cape buffalo taken in 1987. Schedule this before any major ask.
Unique Advantage
03
The Specific, Named Ask
Never ask "whatever you can give." State a specific amount tied to a specific naming opportunity: "We'd like to ask you to consider $250,000 to name the Conservation Theater — your family's permanent legacy in this building."
Core Technique
04
Honor the Silence
After making the ask, stop talking. The most common solicitation error is filling the silence. Silence is the donor thinking — not discomfort. A major donor's first response is rarely their final answer.
Discipline Required
05
Non-Cash Gift Pathways
93% of high-net-worth donors plan to maintain or increase giving in 2026. Proactively offer stock gifts, DAF grants, IRA QCDs, and planned gifts in every major solicitation. These often produce gifts larger than cash alone could.
Growing Rapidly
06
Stewardship Before the Next Ask
Within 24 hours: personal call. Within 72 hours: handwritten note. At 3 months: project update. At 6 months: site visit. At opening: exclusive Founders' Preview with Bob VanHorn. Stewardship is the foundation of the next gift.
Lifetime Value
Campaign Architecture
The Three Phases of a Capital Campaign
Phase 1
Quiet Phase
Board gifts, top 10–15 prospects only. Card A in leather folders. No public announcement. Raise 75–80% of goal before any public launch.
75–80%
of goal secured before public launch
Phase 2
Public Phase
Campaign brochure released. Event Card at gala kick-off. Community Builder mailers. Safari Society solicitation letters. Broad awareness + Safari Society asks.
15–20%
raised during public phase
Phase 3
Closing Phase
Final push. Legacy cards to 60+ cultivation list. Matching gift challenge. Countdown urgency. Community Builder QR code push. Groundbreaking announcement.
5–10%
final push to 100% + overage
Donor Recognition
Naming Opportunities
Every space is a naming opportunity. Every naming opportunity is a closing tool. This list is a starting framework — the final naming schedule should be developed with the architect once facility plans are confirmed.
★ Flagship — 1 Available
Elephant Hall / Grand Safari Hall
$1,000,000+
The primary entrance hall and centerpiece of the museum, anchored by the elephant display. Permanent name above the main entrance, on the gallery threshold, and on all campaign collateral.
Available — 3 of 3
Exhibit Wing Naming
$500,000
Africa Wing, North America Wing, or Asia & Middle East Wing. Permanent name on wing entrance and all exhibit maps.
Available — 1 of 1
Conservation Theater
$250,000
The 120-seat educational theater. Features educational film programming for school groups and visitors.
Available — 1 of 1
Research Archive Library
$250,000
Houses VanHorn's personal journals, photographic archives, and conservation research materials.
Available — 2 of 4
Founders' Lobby / Pavilion
$100,000
The outdoor covered pavilion at Swan Lake's edge, or the interior Founders' Lobby. Both visible to all visitors.
Available — 12 of 20
Named Exhibit Case
$50,000
Donor chooses species and region. A custom exhibit card tells the story of both the animal and the donor's connection to the wild.
Available — 4 of 4
Outdoor Trail Markers
$35,000
Named interpretive stations along the Swan Lake walking trail, connecting the museum to the natural landscape.
Available — 1 of 1
Safari Society Founder Wall
$25,000
Permanent engraved donor recognition panel in the main lobby, listing all Safari Society Founding donors.
Open
Named Brick Program
$5,000 – $10,000
Engraved bricks in the main entrance plaza. Open to community donors. Visible to every visitor from day one.
Project Scope & Investment
Professional Campaign Execution
A successful museum campaign needs more than attractive materials. It needs museum-grade storytelling, donor psychology, pledge architecture, naming strategy, and a deployable web presence aligned in one system. The proposed engagement creates the operating system for the Swan Lake Big Game Museum campaign through David Pedelty of davidpedelty.com.
✦ Recommended — Full Campaign Partnership
Complete Engagement
Full Campaign Partnership
Everything needed to launch and support a professional $10M campaign system — strategy, collateral, donor-facing site, pledge tools, and execution support.
$15,000
$25,000+ market rate
Special rate for Swan Lake Museum
0.15%
of a $10M campaign goal
0.19%
of an $8M campaign goal
6.7x
covered by one additional $100k pledge
Why $15,000? This engagement is less than two-tenths of one percent of the target raise, yet funds the strategy, donor materials, naming architecture, and web system used to pursue major gifts. A comparable engagement with a corporate client runs $25,000–$40,000.
Capital Campaign Strategy & Architecture — 3-phase roadmap, timeline, and milestone plan tailored to this museum campaign
Donor Pyramid & Gift Range Chart — How $10M gets raised, gift-by-gift, with prospect ratios
Major Gift Cultivation Playbook — Strategies for $50k+ donors: pre-ask visits, collection tours, discovery scripts
Pledge Card Suite (5 Cards) — Print-ready design files for all five donor levels, plus interactive digital versions
Naming Opportunities Menu — Full naming rights schedule with donor recognition plan
Campaign Microsite / Donor Site System — Build the public donor-facing website, campaign hub, and pledge pathway
Donation Pledge Agreement Templates — Legal-ready pledge documents for all giving levels
Board & Solicitor Training Materials — Scripts, objection handling, and volunteer briefing packets
Case for Support Document — The compelling museum, conservation, tourism, and local legacy narrative for major donor meetings
Campaign Progress Dashboard — Private tracking tool for prospects, commitments, naming availability, and campaign momentum
90-Day Launch Roadmap — Week-by-week action plan for the quiet phase kickoff
À La Carte
Pledge Card Design Only
Just need the physical pledge cards designed and ready to print? This option delivers professional print-ready files — no strategy engagement required.
$500
per card set (up to 5 cards)
Print-ready PDF files — Press-quality, bleed-ready for professional printing
Up to 5 card designs — Matching the giving levels defined in this toolkit
Campaign branding applied — Museum colors, logo, and copy baked in
Two rounds of revisions — Until you're satisfied
Delivered within 5 business days — Fast turnaround before your next donor event
Other À La Carte Services
Case for Support document only — $1,500
Campaign microsite only — $2,500
Major gift strategy session (2 hrs) — $750
Board training workshop (half day) — $2,000
Ready to Build the Campaign System?
Let's talk through campaign priorities, the board timeline, the donor-facing site, and how this partnership gets the Swan Lake museum from vision to funded reality.
