Capital Campaigns 101(not a cam-pain!)

Nancy DeGuire, PharmDAssistant Dean, External Relations

Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

• 7 year Comprehensive Campaign– building, faculty and program endowments,

renovation, scholarship, operational support– University Goal: $200 M– Unit Goal: $20 M

• Quiet phase 2 years– raised $14.5 M (4 gifts)

• Public phase 5 years– raised $8.5 M

• Closed in October ‘07 at $23 M, Univ. at $330 M

• What was funded– Chair 1 @ $2.5 M– Programs@ $2 M– Operations@ $1 M– Scholarships@ $1M– New bldg@ $14M– Renovations@ $2M– Misc equipmt @ $.5M

• What was not funded– Chair 2 @ $2.5 M

• Currently at $2.0 M

– Annual fund @ $1 M• Revised goal is $.5 M

– Renovation at $.4 M

Keys to our success

• Steady team: experienced Dean • Dev. Ofcr pharmacist and alumna • Dean spent 50% of time in fundraising• Allocated budget for fundraising ($400K)• Defined case that we didn’t stray from• Discipline to keep on task

• Executive committee includes Development Professional, communication essential!

• Access to the Dean and his executive committee must be well-defined and development must be involved in strategic planning process for the unit: Credibility!

• Strategic planning must be done prior to Case and Feasibility Study.

• Strategic plan with specific initiatives drives the fundraising and outreach plan.

• Fundraising should be tied to each priority or goal.

• Volunteer selection is critical. • Volunteers who are not engaged in the life of

your campus or who lack pride in the institution or the profession will not give.

• When they don’t give, they can’t ask their peers to be involved.

– Dean’s Leadership Council (not “advisory board”)– Faculty volunteers can help or hurt– Volunteers should be qualified, cultivated and

solicited prior to campaign kick-off (quiet phase).

• Case Statement or Master Plan is well-vetted by all constituencies and buy in is secured.

• Fundraising for specific initiatives cannot be successful without full cooperation of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the school.

• The key is to discipline your staff to stick with the agreed-upon priorities of your case statement and stay true to your vetted priories.

• People will have pet projects, many of which can be distracting and not fit within your case, but some can be tailored to fit.

• Central Office is aware of your priorities, mission, and case, and knows how to supply you and your staff with information that is useful (proper counting, data, research)

• Central office priorities (Presidential) will always take precedence over unit priorities, so you are at the end of the long line.

• Sometimes you have to grow (transition) your own staff because central office is distracted to other units or central office issues.

• Volunteer training is critical. • Volunteers who are not aware that giving is a

requirement will not have good feelings (bait and switch).

• Challenge for us since our alumni are busy people, culture of philanthropy not widespread

– Dean’s Leadership Council (not “advisory board”)– Faculty volunteers can help or hurt– Volunteers should be qualified, cultivated and

solicited prior to campaign kick-off (quiet phase).

Staffing Structure and Leadership• What are the primary staff positions in the development program?• Is staff hired or inherited? (right person for each position)• Are the job descriptions for these positions in keeping with the

actual work of the people in those jobs?• How are individual performances measured?• Are staff members accountable for results?• How do the members of the development staff coordinate and share

information?• Does the development program focus on major-gift fund raising?• How does the development program involve volunteers?• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the development

program?• How will the staff roles shift to accommodate a capital campaign?• What additional staff will be needed? When?• Do you have resources allocated for these additional positions?

• Adequate staffing must be in place and time and training must be given to understand roles and responsibilities, rules and regulations.

• Regular meetings of the entire group keeps everyone informed and involved; individual performance targets are tied to campaign priorities.

• Constant interaction means that you are always on their minds…the squeaky wheel…

– Marketing/PR and Communications director– Advancement Services and Research director– Events and outreach director– Corporate and Foundation officer– Administrative Assistant– Annual and Planned Giving directors– Stewardship director

• Campaign Timeline will be flexible, but adhered to for maximum efficiency and to prevent burnout.

• Example timeline

• Celebrate each success with receptions, openings, events garnering more interest– Library– New bldg– Endowment

• 50th anniversary mid-campaign, used this opportunity to recreate excitement

• Affinity group celebrations and mini-campaigns• Regular communications with alumni and donors

in events, publications, letters from dean, etc.• Lack of web presence probably hurt us with

young alumni

If we were to do it again:

• Insist on and help to develop a stronger centralized support system, i.e. Corp/Fnd, Adv Services, Planned Giving, Stewardship

• DLC was excellent, more emphasis on give, get or get off rules.

• Spend time cultivating and motivating your faculty, they have so much contact with alumni and friends (corporations)

• Events will consume your life if you let them…spend the money on a person for this.

• Annual fund must be robust and lockstep with master plan.

• Central leadership changes will change your roadmap, just keep with the program.

Best Reference for Campaign Planning

Capital Campaigns: Strategies that Work, Third Edition with CDromAndrea Kihlstedt, President, The Kihlstedt Group, Fundraising Consulting and Training

ISBN: 9780763758318$63.95 (Sugg. US List)

Paperback423 Pages

© 2010REQUEST a review copy!

Jones and Bartlett