Category: Blog

The Best Questions Gift Officers Can Ask to Move Prospects Toward Solicitation

by Jim M. Langley

Knowing how to turn a discussion with a prospect toward a specific gift commitment requires intuition and skill. It is a matter of timing that requires us to know where each prospect is in the philanthropic decision-making cycle. This we know: From the time we begin the philanthropic dialogue with a prospect until she or he makes a significant commitment takes, on average, 21 months and involves nine interactions. The following advice, therefore, assumes that the prospects you’ve selected have given previously to your institution for years or have given elsewhere for an extended period of time.  It further assumes that you have had at least three or four earlier interactions in which you have determined that your prospect: Engaging the Prospect Early If all of the above are true, you can begin to turn the dialogue toward investment by saying that you would like your prospect to become more deeply engaged in the direction-setting of the institution or in the realization of important goals. Then, ask any of the following: These questions are designed to prompt early-stage engagement and to give the prospect a voice in the development of the project, which demonstrates that you value their time and […]

Presidents’ Advice for Campus Leaders in a Crisis

by Cindy Lawson

While writing a chapter for Managing the Unthinkable: Crisis Preparation and Response for Campus Leaders (ACE, 2014), I had the opportunity to interview two retired presidents/chancellors with whom I had worked – former University of North Carolina Wilmington Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo and former Texas A&M President Ray Bowen.  DePaolo faced two different student incidents in which a student was stalked and then murdered, after which the perpetrator committed suicide. Both incidents occurred within a two-month period early in her tenure at UNCW.  Bowen was president during the Texas A&M bonfire collapse that killed 12 students and injured another 27. I asked them, “Given what you have learned from successfully managing a number of significant campus crises, what’s the most important advice you would give to other presidents, chancellors and campus leaders in times of crisis?” Advice from Rosemary DePaolo DePaolo shared the following: Campus safety is paramount, and that includes having the best possible crisis response protocols in place.  Consider asking an outside expert to evaluate your crisis response plan. Too often university leaders either deny that anything could happen at their institutions, or they become defensive, rebutting individuals who question existing practices. Don’t let a crisis divert your attention […]

Crowdfunding: Stats and Critical Advice

by Daniel Fusch (Academic Impressions) Crowdfunding can increase alumni engagement and participation while serving as a cost-effective tool for acquiring updated alumni contact information, re-engaging donors, and serving faculty and students in their philanthropic efforts. Recently, we have released a series of resources for higher-ed professionals interested in exploring crowdfunding initiatives: Higher-Ed Crowdfunding: What Is It and Why Does It Matter? – This September 2013 article on how crowdfunding fits into the larger context of new donor acquisition strategies. Is Crowdfunding Right for You? – This January 2014 paper on the pros and cons of crowdfunding, for which we interviewed a variety of advancement and alumni relations professionals in higher education and providers of crowdfunding tools. Crowdfunding in Advancement – This new online training by Shad Hanselman (Arizona State University) giving an in-depth primer on launching a crowdfunding initiative. LEARN FROM GEOFF HALLETT Join us for this prerecorded webcast if your shop is interested in developing your own crowdfunding initiative but is unsure how it will complement your advancement strategy. You will learn how to bring crowdfunding from inception to launch, while ensuring that this latest fundraising innovation helps boost your overall program. During the first release of our online training, with […]

6 Questions Deans Need to Ask when Calling on Prospects

by Jim M. Langley

The following article is based on “The Appointment with a Prospect or Donor: DOs and DON’Ts,” the second chapter in Jim Langley’s book Fundraising for Deans. A dean’s role in fundraising is to cultivate the relationships that are critical to sustained fundraising success. That kind of relationship begins when two parties make a “connection” based on a shared purpose or shared values. In making their first calls on prospects, deans will not make the best possible connection if they see the call merely as an opportunity to tout their school or college.  Such an approach presumes that prospects are not aware of their institution’s strengths, and signals that they are there to ask for more without having expressed appreciation for what has already been done. Deans will create a far more positive impression if they begin by conveying their interest, appreciation and respect for prospects. That can be achieved by asking the right questions. A STATISTIC TO KEEP IN MIND: According to a national survey of higher education alumni conducted by the Collaborative Innovation Network for Engagement and Giving and presented to the Annual Giving Directors Consortium (April 2010), only 52 percent of alumni at those institutions with the highest […]

Getting Performance Appraisals Right in College Admissions

by W. Kent Barnds

In an era in which half the post-secondary institutions in the U.S. are facing enrollment declines, performance assessment and continuous improvement in admissions has never been more critical. Even those institutions with strong enrollments, experienced staff, and strong market position need to take the performance assessment process seriously. Why You Need to Do it Right Many of those who have worked with me over the course of the past 20 years will tell you I take performance assessment seriously. I believe one of the most important roles of a leader is to honestly, constructively and actively assesses performance of those who form the team. However, like most leaders, I had to learn how to assess performance, think carefully and adapt. Everyone has a different approach to performance assessment, and some will reject the notion that such assessments even have value. Those who cannot find value in this process,—or choose a superficial method like simply judging by the numbers, or having an annual conversation to ask “how’s it going”—are missing out on what can be a rewarding and integral part of effective talent development. It’s a leader’s job to mentor and develop talent. My master’s thesis focused on the performance assessment […]

5 Mistakes to Avoid when Seeking Vendor Partners for Online Programs

by Deb Gearhart

EVALUATING AN EXTERNAL PARTNER External partners can provide boosts in quality, capacity and enrollment numbers for universities’ online programs. However, decision makers must be diligent in choosing who to partner with and examining which services are most efficiently outsourced.  A lack of comprehensive preparation can lead to wasted resources, unnecessary costs and stagnant enrollments. In this article, Deb Gearhart, vice provost for e-learning and strategic partnerships at Ohio University, offers: Podcast: Rethinking Vendor Partnerships Checklist: 5 Mistakes to Avoid When developing a vendor partnership to help deliver your online program, these items are too commonly overlooked: MISTAKE #1. NOT BRINGING THE RIGHT PLAYERS TO THE PROCESS. Identify the key stakeholders early on. Ensure that all areas of the University that will touch your online program and its students are represented in both the planning and the evaluation of the partner vendor. This would include: Always work through your procurement office. MISTAKE #2. NOT CONSIDERING YOUR BUDGET. What are the costs to provide the services within your institution, compared to the expenses of bringing in a vendor partner? Online education is an upfront investment with costs recouped from enrollment. When reviewing vendors, be sure to gain a clear understanding of what […]

Detailed Checklist: A Second Scenario in Planning for Advancement Efforts Overseas

by Gretchen Dobson

In the companion piece to this checklist, I suggested that it’s critical to plan for international advancement efforts nine months out, for three reasons. This allows you time to plan and manage your resources systematically, plan ahead and confirm your spot on your volunteers’ and donors’ calendars, and identify cost-effective travel options. TWO DETAILED SCENARIOS I want to offer two scenarios for planning an advancement effort overseas on such a nine-month timeline. I offer one scenario below, and one here. These two scenarios are precursor events or meetings that will support the overall goals of a new comprehensive campaign. I offer these scenarios in a “timeline” format to guide the staff when working with volunteers and campus VIPs. I have also included tips and checklists for each month of the planning process. If you find these scenarios useful, please share them with your colleagues! Scenario B: A Campaign Prep Launch Event – Asia, Spring 2015 Context:Northbridge University, a mid-sized, comprehensive research university in the Midwest, will embark on a $2.0 billion capital campaign in Fall 2016. The last campaign successfully raised $1.0 billion and concluded on June 30, 2011. Goal:Alumni, family and friend engagement and qualification visits with prospective donors […]

Detailed Checklist: One Scenario in Planning for Advancement Efforts Overseas

by Gretchen Dobson

Happy New Year! As we saw in the first installment in my series on international advancement efforts, it is critical to know key international holidays to best inform staff or a delegation about when (and when not to travel). Once you understand those parameters, the planning must begin and adequate time is necessary to create a successful advancement initiative based on strategic outcomes. I suggest working from nine months out. This advance planning with the academic year is necessary and intentional for several reasons: Advancement officers are not holding the responsibility alone for reaching out to constituents abroad. It is critical to keep the institution’s entire international agenda in mind and that requires a coordinated effort from alumni, development, special events, communications and marketing, and other departments such as admissions and graduate schools’ external relations offices. Advancement officers will also need to communicate with campus leadership and with volunteers abroad on a regular basis to best manage the expectations for everyone’s participation and support. Everyone involved is a “brand manager” and will have a piece of the promotional timeline. TWO DETAILED SCENARIOS I want to offer two scenarios — one in this article (below), and one in a follow-up article. […]

Social Media Triage: How to Create a Social Media Incident Command

by Cindy Lawson

The number of current and emerging social media tools seems never-ending. By the time you master some of them, others quickly arise. As such, managing conversations on social media sites also becomes a never-ending challenge. Some would say it’s impossible. After all, in any given crisis, there usually are multiple responding agencies assisting the university with its crisis response.  Each agency uses multiple social media tools to reach multiple audiences with multiple messages.  And, as we all know too well, in a crisis situation, countless questions invariably arise, as do rumors and the proliferation of misleading or downright incorrect information. These challenges are exacerbated by the fact that: And, let’s admit it, in a crisis, most of our staff are probably focusing the majority of their efforts on responding to countless traditional media requests, as well as crafting  messages to faculty, staff and students, and posting critical information to university websites.  It’s the nature of the crisis beast. Tackling the Problem Upon arrival at DePaul nearly two years ago, I learned there were 178 individuals on campus who regularly managed more than 183 different university-related social media sites.  I asked myself: How can I best leverage not only the tools […]

The Critical Step in Allocating Resources Across Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

by Bob Baer, Kylie Mitchell

Most alumni relations and annual giving operations have limited intelligence about who will be a strong reunion volunteer, annual giver, or alumni travel prospect—if the person has not previously participated in any of those activities. But rather than pulling a random database query and then reaching out at random to the contents of the entire resulting list, applying predictive analytics can help provide a more targeted allocation of your resources and more targeted messaging. Why Predictive Modeling is Critical Many organizations seeking to improve operating performance are turning to predictive analytics and predictive modeling to either increase revenues, decrease costs, or both. The size of our alumni population and database at Penn make focusing resources critical to fundraising success. The objectives of our early pilot projects in predictive modeling have been to reduce fundraising-related marketing costs and/or increase the dollars raised, or improve business performance in some other way. Here are examples of how our recent analytics efforts at Penn have informed critical resourcing decisions: The Steps for Effective Predictive Modeling The steps in the predictive modeling process are: Identification of the business need and a proper problem definition are critical for a successful project. In most data warehouse systems, […]