Strategic Planning and Benchmarking toImprove your Results

Jill A. Pranger, ACFRESUNY CUAD Conference

10 June 2009Lake Placid, NY

Today, we’ll talk about…

1. Planning -- looking back2. Planning -- looking at others3. Planning -- getting there…4. Goals…5. Year after year after year

Planning… What are you already doing? What would you like to do? What can you do? Adding more years…

Start by Looking Back… How well did we do last

year? How did we do it? How well did THEY do?

Benchmarking… Choose your cohort group Consider similarities Know the differences Stick with them Share the results

Choosing a cohort group… Mission History Location Age of school / college

Choosing cohort group… (2) Type of program(s) Class size Nature of alumni population Distribution across age groups Post-graduation employment

Choosing cohort group… (3) Nature of fundraising Maturity of FR program Who / how many in FR program Campaign Status

Things to Assess / Compare… Size of donor population

Average gift size

Participation rates - class, age, school

Retention / Reinstatement / New

Things to Assess / Compare… To what and for what…

By what method(s)

Timing of gifts

Involvement of Leadership Use of volunteers / staff / faculty

Reporting The Results… Credibility To solicit help / partners Good donor stewardship …So you know the answers

What would you like to do? What did you/Dean/President like? What didn’t you/Dean/President

like? What was productive? What bombed?

Challenge yourself…

If there’s something you didn’tlike, but that was productive,

is there a way to change it

so you will like it?

And…If there’s something you likedbut that wasn’t productive,

is there a way to change itso it will be more productive?

A Word About Goals…

Goals are NOT based onbudgetary needs…

Goals are based on a thorough review of expected gifts…

plusAn honest evaluation of what

your inputs to get those gifts will be

What can we do? (continued)

► Cost► Personnel

► Time► Support

► Prospects

Where do you want your advancement program to

be in five years?

What will it take?…Change in fundraising activities?…Increase in staff size?…Change in technology?…Change in donor population?…Change in giving opportunities?…Buy-in?…Approvals?

Take the first step…--Which one is easiest to

accomplish?--By when will you accomplish

it?--What’s next?

Multi-Year Planning Add next year… Start the same… Then consider…

growth, expansion, contraction, new programs, new donors, new initiatives, volunteers, faculty, administration, personal goals

Multi-Year Planning

Now, add the following year…

Include many types of goals Never fear, change is

possible

Multi-Year Gifts●Review case for support

●Engage outsiders

●Calculate long-range impact

●Publicize long-range impact

Multi-Year Gifts (2)

●Seek multi-year commitments

●Recognize multi-year commitments

●Multi-year giving society

●Multi-year giving clubs

Multi-Year Gifts (3)

●Talk about the difference…

●Engage / involve donors…

●Thank / recognize donors…

Multi-Year Volunteers Personal multi-year pledge?

Multi-year service commitment?

Long-term thinking?

Multi-Year Volunteers (2) Tools and understanding?

Is there a multi-year volunteer cohort group?

Are you going to be here next year?

And, in conclusion…1. Look back2. Look at others3. Look forward4. Think in multiples5. Don’t forget your case6. It takes time…

Strategic Planning and Benchmarking toImprove your Results

Jill A. Pranger, ACFRE585-747-5026

jill@prangerphilanthropic.comwww.prangerphilanthropic.com