Division of Development and Alumni Relations The Pennsylvania...

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Division of Development and Alumni Relations

The Pennsylvania State University

Strategic Plan

2014-15 to 2018-19

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Overview

The Division of Development and Alumni Relations is an institutional advancement team of

more than 350 employees whose work supports every aspect of Penn State's mission. Overseen

by the Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, the division encompasses

two distinct entities that share a commitment to strengthening the University and enhancing the

experience of Penn Staters, past, present, and future: the Office of University Development

(OUD) and the Penn State Alumni Association (PSAA). By working together creatively and

collaboratively, these entities have formed a productive partnership with benefits for both our

institution and our constituents. Ambitious fundraising goals cannot be achieved without a strong

alumni relations effort, and philanthropy gives our alumni, as well as friends of the University, a

way to deepen their engagement and express their passion and vision for the future of Penn State.

The Office of University Development is one of the most effective fundraising operations in

higher education today. Working with academic leadership and volunteers from across Penn

State, our development professionals have helped the University to complete two highly

successful capital campaigns: The Campaign for Penn State, which concluded in 1990 with $352

million in gifts and pledges, and the Grand Destiny campaign, which raised more than $1.37

billion between 1996 and 2003. These campaigns helped us to build a culture of philanthropy

that continues to set new records as Penn State completed its third comprehensive campaign, For

the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students.

The For the Future campaign began on January 1, 2007. Over the last seven and a half years,

Penn State has overcome both the Great Recession and an unprecedented institutional crisis to

raise nearly $2.2 billion, exceeding its goal of $2 billion and becoming one of only twelve public

universities in the nation to surpass such a campaign goal. Key achievements from For the

Future listed below provide a base of support upon which this new strategic plan seeks to grow.

• Nearly 2.3 million gifts were made to Penn State during For the Future.

• More than 604,000 donors made gifts during the campaign.

• These donors included 176,000 alumni, believed to be the most alumni donors to any

campaign in the country.

• Alumni committed more than $921 million to For the Future; 91 percent of which came

from Penn State Alumni Association members (nearly $842 million).

• Donors to the campaign pledged $817 million to the University’s endowment.

• Approximately $514 million was pledged for undergraduate student scholarships, the top

priority of the campaign.

• For the Future raised more than $184 million to endow faculty positions and programs.

Founded in 1870, the Penn State Alumni Association stands as the largest dues-paying alumni

association in the world, with 174,379 members as of June 30, 2014. Its mission is to connect

alumni with each other and with the University, provide valued services for its members, and

support the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service. Its vision is to be known as

the biggest, best, and most ambitious organization of its kind, and to become the national

exemplar of how such an organization contributes to the betterment of its alma mater.

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The Alumni Association acts as Penn State’s single unified alumni organization, chartering and

supporting thirty-five subsidiary alumni societies in every academic college and campus; 150

chapters across the state and nation; thirty alumni interest groups; and sixty-four affiliate

program groups sponsored by the college and campus societies. In all, the Alumni Association

charters and supports about 300 affiliate groups.

It is both a Pennsylvania corporation with recognition as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization,

governed by its eighty-six-member Alumni Council and eighteen-member Executive Board, and

an organic part of the University and the Division of Development and Alumni Relations. The

organization is led by Executive Director Roger Williams and (volunteer) President Kay Salvino.

Bylaws, policies, procedures, and organizational information are contained in its Sourcebook

2013-14.

The Alumni Association’s current annual budget is $11.1 million, with 75 percent self-generated

and 25 percent supplied by the University, mainly for staff salaries and benefits. The Alumni

Association derives its funds through membership dues, endowment earnings, entrepreneurial

activities, and corporate partnerships. Key revenue, performance, and programmatic metrics can

be found on its Scorecard 2003-13 (Appendix A). Below are some additional metrics to show the

reach of the Alumni Association.

Its legislative education and advocacy organization—the Penn State Grassroots

Network—enrolls more than 35,000 members annually.

It has provided nearly $15 million in philanthropy to Penn State since 1988.

In For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, the Alumni Association and

its affiliate groups provided $6 million, mainly for endowed scholarships.

Through the institutional crisis, the Alumni Association has maintained and improved its

high trust scores on three alumni opinion surveys, from 57 to 60 to 66 percent, exceeded

only by Penn State students at 67 percent.

Its annual giving program—the Sustaining Life Member program—has grown from

$168,000 in its first year, 2008-09, to more than $500,000 in 2013-14.

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The Road Ahead

Despite the daunting challenges our University has faced over the past decade, the Division of

Development and Alumni Relations has much to celebrate. Amidst a historic economic recession

and unprecedented University crisis, the division has cemented itself as a leader in the University

community and has achieved its ambitious goals, which were developed before the immense

difficulties occurred.

Our successes are due in part to the initiative our division showed in the wake of the University

crisis starting in 2011. Both the Office of University Development and the Penn State Alumni

Association proactively engaged donors and alumni to listen to their concerns and to

appropriately handle their requests and complaints. Every donor and alumnus/a who contacted an

office within the division received a response, which helped repair and maintain many of these

relationships. Division leadership, gift officers, and Alumni Association contacts reached out to

their constituents unsolicited to listen to their opinions and show concern. The success of this

approach was reflected in the number of donors and of alumni chapters who remain loyal to and

supportive of Penn State today. The campaign and membership rates of our division remain

strong because we remained engaged with and credible to our constituents during the crisis and

thus solidified our role as ambassadors and spokespeople for our University.

The Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations initiated a comprehensive

development program review undertaken in 2013-14 by the Grenzebach Glier & Associates

consulting firm. Our development officers have the respect of the academic leadership at the

University, a relationship that is not commonly found across higher education. Similarly, our

Alumni Association continues to receive high marks for trust and credibility on our Alumni

Opinion Survey.

Internally, our division has made strides in addressing staff needs. Our comprehensive IT

trainings are uniquely focused on our division’s needs. We have also moved our donor database

to a web-based format that has made it easier for our Commonwealth campuses, traveling staff,

and Alumni Association to access this information. Access to this data is open to each properly

trained and certified staff member, ensuring that all staff will be equally informed. Our division

created a Core Values Statement, which reflects input from all division staff. Separate from our

strategic plan, it helps establish the environment we expect in the workplace and provides an

ethical roadmap for all of our activities.

Despite these successes, we recognize that the higher education environment in which we work

is forever fluid. We continue to face both internal and external challenges in our daily work, and

we view these as opportunities to be even better University ambassadors. As we prepare for this

strategic planning cycle from 2014-15 to 2018-19, we remain proud of our division-wide success

and optimistic about the road ahead.

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Challenges and Opportunities

As we approach the 2014-15 to 2018-19 planning cycle, we have identified thirteen challenges

that will need to be addressed by our division. These challenges represent incredible potential

and opportunity to grow and improve:

1. Continuing to show integrity and be ethical in everything we do

2. Withstanding new economic constraints and increased competition

3. Serving new leadership at Penn State

4. Initiating a new fundraising campaign during the 2014-15 to 2018-19 planning cycle

5. Attracting, developing, and retaining a talented and diverse workforce in our division

6. Addressing regulatory unknowns (e.g. new credit card laws, right to know legislation)

7. Aligning communications messages with University-wide branding efforts

8. Showing the University community a compelling return on investment for our work

9. Rewarding staff performance

10. Boosting student and young alumni engagement with the University

11. Raising the bar on volunteer engagement

12. Breaking out of our offices’ respective silos to foster cross-division collaboration

13. Responding to continuing fallout from the University crisis that started in 2011

New leadership at Penn State certainly brings both exciting opportunities and challenges. We are

looking forward to working with President Eric Barron, and we want to make him an integral

partner with our development and alumni engagement operations. We will also need to respond

to his vision for Penn State. While our division has responded well to crisis fallout, we still have

a long road ahead as our donors and alumni learn about and respond to the direction our new

President will take us. We need to be prepared to continue being trustworthy, credible sources of

information for our stakeholders and be flexible enough to adjust our goals as this vision and

direction unfold.

Within the division, aligning the messages and work of the Office of University Development

and Penn State Alumni Association is paramount. One of the greatest challenges facing our

division is continuing to move offices and units out of their respective silos into a more

collaborative working environment. The first step toward this new mindset and work model is

this strategic plan, which has been conceived to reflect the shared mission, vision, values, and

goals of everyone in the division. We have found a lot of common ground on which to build our

unified working relationships.

As we step into this environment in 2014-15, the division’s strategic plan builds upon our

successes and turns challenges into opportunities. Five broad goals are set forth, each with

corresponding strategies, measures, actions, timelines, and a lead executive responsible for

implementation.

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Vision

We will be a dynamic force to ensure every Penn State constituent is a member of the Alumni

Association and a donor to the University, and we will act as an essential agent in the continued

success of Penn State.

Mission

Our core mission is to generate contributions of all kinds by building and strengthening

meaningful relationships and fulfilling experiences to advance the mission of Penn State.

Values

Service:

We value a culture centered on serving our broader Penn State family: alumni, friends, donors,

members, and volunteers.

Respect:

We value and respect individuals in the division who advance the University’s overall mission

and the division’s strategic plan.

Diversity:

Every member of our division contributes to the diversity and richness of our culture and to our

overall success as an organization, and our shared values guide our behavior and our approach to

achieving our goals.

Teamwork:

We value and respect staff, faculty, students, donors, members, and volunteers who collaborate

and encourage successful teamwork.

Collaboration:

We strive to be recognized as a leader in collaborative practices and attitudes, and the ability to

work with the larger University community of staff, faculty, and students is critical to our

success.

Integrity:

We will conduct ourselves with professionalism and integrity at all times.

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Goal 1

Increase engagement and satisfaction of alumni, friends, University partners, patients,

students, volunteers, and other stakeholders

The Office of University Development and the Penn State Alumni Association represent one of

the largest and most influential entities for University constituents by nature of our mission. As

such, the Division of Development and Alumni Relations is in many ways the face of Penn State

most visible to the University’s external stakeholders.

The division is uniquely positioned to engage and involve our stakeholders and encourage them

to stay connected with and give support to Penn State. Our division’s employees are in constant

communication with broad sectors of the University’s various stakeholders and can serve as both

(1) a marketing force for University initiatives and (2) a conduit for University administrators to

help understand our stakeholders’ attitudes, opinions, and goals for the University. For example,

the Alumni Association represents one of the first opportunities these constituents have to

engage with the University, and these members reflect a much stronger attitudinal affinity and

more engaged behaviors than non-members. We seek to increase these and other engagement

efforts, which have been shown to lead to deeper relationships with Penn State over time.

Accordingly, we present the following strategies, measures, and actions to achieve Goal 1:

Strategies Measures Actions Responsible Timeframe

1. Seek new

ways to

measure

satisfaction and

involvement of

internal and

external

constituents.

1. Increase

satisfaction

scores on the

annual Alumni

Opinion Survey

from FY15 to

FY19 as follows:

from 71% to 75%

on inclusion in

the Penn State

community; from

59% to 65% on

net promotion;

from 85% to 90%

on speaking

highly of the

University, and

from 66% to 75%

on high trust in

the Alumni

Association.

1. Initiate new,

appropriate

constituent

satisfaction surveys

and use smart

consumer research

techniques to inform

future engagement

plans.

2. Evaluate target

audiences to identify

underrepresented

groups for possible

new events or

programs.

3. Develop a

Memorandum of

Understanding

between the Alumni

Association and the

University to clarify

1. Roger

Williams

2. Roger

Williams

3. Rod

Kirsch/Roger

Williams

1. 2019

2. 2016

3. 2015

8


2. OUD will

survey its donor

audience in the

first half of FY15

to assess their

satisfaction with

their philanthropy

to Penn State.

This data will

serve as a

benchmark that

will be reassessed

with a portion of

our donor base

each year. We

will seek

appropriate

growth in donor

satisfaction

commensurate

with the findings

of the baseline

survey.

roles, responsibilities,

and expectations.

4. Purchase a division-

wide business

intelligence system

and central repository

of information to

maximize constituent

outreach and track

engagement.

5. Increase programs

and activities aimed at

involving greater

numbers of

underrepresented

constituencies.

1. Engage Survey

Research Center or

other entities to

structure and execute

surveys.

4. All

5. John

Dietz/Roger

Williams

1. John Dietz

4. July 2014

5. 2019

1. Annually

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2. Build

undergraduate

and graduate

student

programs to

introduce

students to

philanthropy

and

membership

duties.

1. Plan and

implement a

student giving

program focused

on outright gifts.

This program will

seek to replace

the donors and

funds generated

by the current

General Deposit

system which will

be discontinued in

FY19.

1. Instill a culture of

philanthropy,

membership, and

volunteerism among

our undergraduate

students through

collaborative efforts

with networks.

2. Create new

philanthropy-focused

programs that enhance

the graduate and post-

doctoral experience.

3. Use and evaluate

social media and

crowdfunding as new

solicitation strategies.

1. John

Dietz

2. John

Dietz

3. John

Dietz

1. 2019

2. 2019

3. 2019

3. Create a

stronger

“culture of

membership”

for the Alumni

Association

across all

internal and

external

constituencies.

1. Increase

Alumni

Association

membership to

183,000 by June

30, 2019.

2. Foster greater

awareness across

all constituencies

of Alumni

Association

members’

contributions to

the University

(compared to

non-members).

1. Create stronger

intra-DDAR support

for the efforts of the

PSAA membership

team (e.g., use

LionLine to issue

membership message).

1. Disseminate

member v. non-

member results of the

annual Alumni

Opinion Surveys to all

DDAR staff and

academic leadership.

2. Re-institute college

impact statements and

present them to deans

1. Roger

Williams/

John Dietz

1. Roger

Williams

2. Roger

Williams

1. Ongoing

1. Annually,

upon

completion of

surveys

2. 2016 and

2019

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of academic colleges,

showing the value of

PSAA to colleges’

goals and objectives.

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Goal 2

Serve as a trusted and credible source of communications that informs and responds to our

stakeholders

The Office of University Development and the Penn State Alumni Association seek to inform

and educate alumni, students, and friends about the many contributions Penn State makes to the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world; to be a reliable and trusted source of

information about the University in a media environment where rumors are frequently reported

as fact and where the news cycle never ends; and to persuade our constituencies to take action of

many kinds, whether it be to join the Alumni Association, give financial support to the

University, attend an alumni or donor event, or serve as a volunteer advocate for the University,

its students, and its many operations.

We also seek to communicate effectively to staff at every Penn State location, to keep them

informed about University priorities, to share information about University programs that benefit

them, to assist them in performing their jobs in the most effective way, and to maintain and boost

morale. It is also essential that we have mechanisms and processes in place that ensure robust

and open two-way communication between the University administration and division

employees.

The University, Office of University Development, and the Alumni Association all have distinct

and essential voices, but we need to make sure that our voices are coordinated, that we focus on

the same overall themes, and that we communicate effectively in all situations through every

appropriate and available channel.

Accordingly, we present the following strategies, measures, and actions to achieve these goals:


1. Ensure a

collaborative

and cooperative

approach to

communications

within the

division and

with our

University

partners.

1. Appoint

members of the

division to serve

on the Core

Communications

Council.

1. Create a division-

wide Core

Communications

Council and a broader

Communications

Working Group to

develop messaging,

establish priorities,

and ensure effective

implementation of a

communications plan.

2. Develop themes

and content that are

relevant, adaptable,

and accessible to all

colleges, campuses,

and affiliate groups.

1. Roger Williams/

John Dietz

2. Roger Williams/

John Dietz

1. 2014

2. 2019

12


3. Create and

maintain a division-

wide communications

calendar.

4. Develop and

implement a

segmented, unit-

specific

communications plan.

5. Ensure that content

and messaging on the

various technology

platforms align with

division-wide

strategy.

6. Develop

appropriate metrics to

measure our

communications

impact.

7. Foster a culture of

sharing relationship

data and constituents’

inbound feedback.

3. Roger Williams/

John Dietz, Jean

Songer

4. Roger Williams/

John Dietz

5. Roger Williams/

John Dietz

6. Roger Williams/

John Dietz

7. Roger Williams/

John Dietz

3. 2014

4. 2015

5. 2019

6. 2015

7. 2019

2. Ensure that

current

communications

practices and

platforms have

value and are

necessary.

1. Complete

audit of current

communications

practices and

implement

results of audit

by end of plan.

1. Implement a new

division-wide intranet

with employee

discussion forum.

2. Determine if there

is a need to hire, train,

and/or restructure

staff with regard to

emerging technology

and communications

platforms (e.g. social

media).

1. John Dietz/

Roger Williams

2. Roger Williams/

John Dietz/Jean

Songer

1. 2014

2. 2015

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3. Enhance data

collection of

information necessary

in communicating to

our constituents.

4. Ensure

underrepresented

constituents are well

represented in

communications

materials.

3. Roger

Williams/John

Dietz/Jean Songer

4. Roger

Williams/John

Dietz

3. 2016

4. Ongoing

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Goal 3

Secure and strengthen revenue streams

The Office of University Development and the Penn State Alumni Association strive to advance

volunteerism, philanthropy, and other entrepreneurial activities across the University to help

secure and strengthen its revenue streams. To effectively and successfully grow these financial

resources, we must create efficiencies and synergies among these revenue sources coming into

the division, while recognizing distinctions among them. The strategies in this goal aim to

address those areas that may currently be underdeveloped yet have the greatest potential for

growth. We also seek to continue the upward trend of our already well-established revenue

streams using a donor- and member-centric approach in our philanthropy and engagement

efforts.

Only through continued collaboration can these initiatives be successful, and we recognize that

such success is critical to securing and strengthening revenue streams in the division as a whole.

To meet this goal, we aim to generate more revenue across the division as well as in seven core

areas: major gifts, principal gifts, foundation giving, parents giving, annual leadership giving,

and Alumni Association operations.

Accordingly, we present the following strategies, measures, and actions to achieve these goals:


1. Increase

total private

gift support.

1. Increase total

voluntary support

from $207.7

million (FY12-

FY14 average) to

$246 million

(FY17-FY19

average), as

defined by the

Council for Aid

to Education

(CAE) to reflect a

6% annual growth

rate.

1. Improve compounded

annual growth rate of

institutional total private

support to exceed the

mean of the Leading

Public Research

Universities (LPRU)

cohort as identified in the

Grenzebach Glier &

Associates Strategic

Review.

2. Increase Penn State

Hershey Medical Center

and College of Medicine

private support as a

percentage of total

voluntary support from

14% to 20%.

3. Create sustainable

broad-based solicitation

and gift upgrade plan that

1. Rod

Kirsch

2. Kelly

Altland

3. John

Dietz

1. 2019

2. 2019

3. 2019

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delivers at least a 1-2%

alumni donor increase

annually by end FY19.

4. Increase private

support in the following

focus areas: improve

major gift proposal

(redefined at $100,000+)

yield rate to 46%; secure

50 principal gifts ($5

million+) by end FY19;

increase foundation

giving by 100% by end

FY19; implement parents

giving program with

emphasis on $100,000+

prospects; and increase

annual leadership giving

by increasing

membership in the

President’s Club from

7,800 in FY14 to 9,000

by FY19.

5. Track and publicly

post implementation of

the Grenzebach Glier &

Associates Strategic

Review

recommendations.

6. Present a new

campaign plan to

University leadership,

including staff and

budgetary requirements,

predicated on University

goals established in

University 2015 strategic

plan.

7. Enhance the Goal

Setting process by

4. John

Dietz/Dave

Lieb/Rod

Kirsch

5. Rod

Kirsch

6. Rod

Kirsch/

Dave Lieb/

John Dietz/

Kelly

Altland/

Jean Songer

7. Dave

Lieb

4. 2019

5. 2015

6. 2017

7. 2015

16


moving to three-year

planning horizon by

FY16.

8. Provide fundraising

expertise to generate

philanthropic revenues to

support diversity-related

unit priorities.

8. Dave

Lieb/John

Dietz

8. 2015

2. Increase

total

revenue for

the Alumni

Association.

1. Sustain

moderate growth

rate in total

annual revenues

from $11 million

to $12.5 million.

1. Maintain and grow net

membership by 1-2%

annually to reach more

than 183,000 members

by end FY19.

2. Grow the investment

portfolio by achieving a

median return of 8.3%

per year (with a volatility

index of 12.5%) and by

lowering the Alumni

Association’s

endowment spending

policy from 4.7% to

4.5% annually.

3. Renew corporate

contracts to generate at

least 25% of operating

revenue.

4. Promote annual

growth in sponsorship

and advertising revenue

from $300,000 to

$450,000 by end FY19.

5. Work with Alumni

Association diversity-

related affiliate groups to

begin or revitalize their

fundraising for

scholarships.

1. Roger

Williams

2. Roger

Williams

3. Roger

Williams

4. Roger

Williams

5. Roger

Williams

1. 2019

2. 2019

3. 2019

4. 2019

5. 2019

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Goal 4

Recruit, retain, develop, and reward a diverse, collaborative, and talented workforce

The Division of Development and Alumni Relations recognizes that its employees are the

primary reason for our many successes and the prerequisite to providing superior services to our

many constituents. Without competent and diversely talented employees, our mission to act as

ambassadors on behalf of the University for our various constituents would fail. We cannot hope

to attract and retain donors and alumni members for our University if we cannot attract and retain

our own staff.

The criticality of recruiting, training, and retaining a stellar workforce is recognized as a top

priority of the division. To achieve an exceptional workforce, we need to invest first and

foremost in acquiring and developing talent in our division. Primary among these activities are

increasing our recruiting efforts, expanding our training, increasing the diversity of our

workforce, and emphasizing ethical standards.

We propose the following strategies, measures, and actions to achieve this goal:


1. To grow

and retain a

diverse and

engaged staff,

and ensure the

division

operates with

the highest

ethical

standards, we

will provide

clear career

paths,

constructive

feedback,

coaching, and

targeted

approaches to

development

planning and

training at all

levels of the

organization.

1. Retain 80% of

all new

employees for a

minimum of two

years and central

and unit

director-level

employees for an

average of five

years.

2. Increase the

percentage of

employees from

underrepresented

groups to 10%

by 2019.

1. Instill a culture of

ethical behavior by

including ethics in new

employee orientation

materials, providing

information related to

ethical fundraising in

major gift officer

presentations, and

requiring directors to

dedicate time to discuss

issues related to ethics

and integrity with staff.

2. Explore

implementation of a

performance-based

bonus plan by close of

FY15.

3. Increase access to a

broad array of

professional

development

opportunities—both

skill-specific and

1. All

2. John

Dietz/Dave

Lieb

3. Jean

Songer

1. Ongoing

2. June

2015

3. 2019

18


leadership

development—by

fostering collaboration

between Human

Resources, Talent

Management (TM), and

other key University

functions.

4. Hire a full-time trainer

no later than calendar

year 2017 to further

assess and address key

professional

development needs of

division staff.

5. Require

comprehensive

performance

management training (24

hours) of all division

directors every three

years, focusing on

common supervisory

weaknesses identified

across the division.

Evaluative methods

might include measures

such as 360° appraisals.

6. Encourage and reward

strategic collaboration

within and across the

division.

7. Broaden and enhance

the Diversity

Committee’s

programming and

participate in the CASE

Diversity Recruiting Fair

on an annual basis.

4. Jean

Songer

5. Rod

Kirsch/Jean

Songer

6. All

7. Jean

Songer

4. 2017

5. Ongoing

6. Ongoing

7. Ongoing

19


2. A key to

creating an

effective

Talent

Management

function is to

expand and

enhance our

recruiting

efforts to

attract the best

talent in the

industry.

1. Develop a

robust and

diverse

candidate pool

for 75% of open

frontline

development

positions and

reduce time to

fill open

positions from

an average of 80

days to 60 days

by June 2015.

1. Hire an Associate

Director of Talent

Acquisition dedicated to

identifying and

cultivating candidates

for critical development

positions.

2. Engage and train

development staff to

partner with Talent

Management in order to

actively recruit qualified

candidates from their

professional circles (via

networking and

conference attendance).

3. The TM team will

engage directly in key

searches to provide

consulting support,

context, and calibration

across all OUD units.

4. Identify strategic

recruiting venues that

are appropriate for each

hiring unit (region,

industry, etc.)

1. Jean

Songer

2. Jean

Songer/

John Dietz

3. Jean

Songer

4. Jean

Songer/

Dave Lieb/

John

Dietz/Kelly

Altland

1. Dec

2014

2. June

2015

3. Ongoing

4. June

2015

20

Goal 5

Serve as effective and efficient stewards of our human, financial, and natural resources

Relationships—with individuals, other institutions, other University partners, and the

environment—are at the core of everything we do in the Office of University Development and

the Penn State Alumni Association. These relationships are forged to raise money, connect

alumni to the University and to each other, and to support the mission of the University. These

relationships vary in strength and number, but we cannot accomplish our mission without

nurturing them.

We strive to effectively steward all of these relationships by understanding the individual needs

of each audience through collaborative and meaningful give-and-take communications. The

Division of Development and Alumni Relations seeks to create and maintain a culture of

stewarding relationships starting with the first interaction and maintaining it throughout the

remainder of the relationship. Stewardship of these relationships is twofold: We must both

provide relevant information and listen to our constituents’ concerns.

This culture of stewardship should extend to our finite resources—financial, human, and natural

—so we efficiently do our work on behalf of the University in the most impactful and

responsible manner we can.

Accordingly, we present the following strategies, measures, and actions to achieve this goal:


1. Create a

division-

wide

committee to

draft a

University-

wide

stewardship

plan in

FY14/15.

1. Develop

stewardship plan

for each

constituent

audience.

2. Upon

completion of the

plan, create a

division-wide

committee to

develop a plan

for storing key

stewardship data

points in a central

system such as

AWA or the

proposed

Business

Intelligence tool.

1. Survey division staff

and campus partners to

identify what data, both

stored and not stored

within the division

central systems, are

priorities for each unit.

2. Document new

information about

constituents’

preferences and store

these in a central

system.

3. Identify new ways

for important data

points to be more

visible within current

systems and to share

them more efficiently.

1. John Dietz

2. John Dietz/

Jean Songer

3. John Dietz/

Jean Songer

1. 2014

2. Ongoing

3. Jan. 2016

21


2. Enhance

management

of financial

resources

following

fiscally

sound

practices and

University

policies.

1. Achieve return

on investment of

at least $6.50 in

receipts per

dollar spent on

development

costs on an

annual basis for

the life of this

plan.

1. Automate collection

of fiscal spending

information required

for stewardship reports

on non-endowed

donations including

corporate and

foundation gifts.

2. Provide regular

reports to constituents

on business

expenditures and

impact of expenditures.

3. Create formal

endowment spending

plans for all active

endowments.

1. John Dietz

2. John Dietz

3. John Dietz

1. 2016

2. 2015

3. 2015

3. Identify

our unique

contribution

to the

University’s

vision of

sustainability

by modeling

sustainable

resource

policies and

practices.

1. Direct every

office in the

division to

participate in the

Penn State

Sustainability

Institute’s Green

Paws program (or

to adopt related

measures, where

the program is

unavailable) by

end FY19.

1. Implement a

division-wide

commitment to develop

sustainable business

practices.

2. Create cohort of

fundraising

professionals who are

adept at raising funds

for sustainability

initiatives across the

University.

3. Investigate electronic

delivery vehicles for

communication to

constituents.

4. Conduct special

events with an

emphasis on waste

diversion and

utilization of locally

1. John Dietz

2. John Dietz

3. John

Dietz/Roger

Williams

4. John

Dietz/Roger

Williams

1. 2019

2. 2014-2019

3. 2014-2019

4. 2014-2019

22


sourced goods and

services.

23

Appendix A

Penn State Alumni Association Scorecard 2003-13

27

Appendix B

CASE Statement of Ethics1

Institutional advancement professionals, by virtue of their responsibilities within the academic

community, represent their colleges, universities, and schools to the larger society. They have,

therefore, a special duty to exemplify the best qualities of their institutions and to observe the

highest standards of personal and professional conduct.

In so doing, they promote the merits of their institutions, and of education generally, without

disparaging other colleges and schools.

Their words and actions embody respect for truth, fairness, free inquiry, and the opinions of

others.

They respect all individuals without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status,

creed, ethnic or national identity, handicap, or age.

They uphold the professional reputation of other advancement officers and give credit for ideas,

words, or images originated by others.

They safeguard privacy rights and confidential information.

They do not grant or accept favors for personal gain, nor do they solicit or accept favors for their

institutions where a higher public interest would be violated.

They avoid actual or apparent conflicts of interest and, if in doubt, seek guidance from

appropriate authorities.

They follow the letter and spirit of laws and regulations affecting institutional advancement.

They observe these standards and others that apply to their professions and actively encourage

colleagues to join them in supporting the highest standards of conduct.

The CASE Board of Trustees adopted this Statement of Ethics to guide and reinforce our

professional conduct in all areas of institutional advancement. The statement is also intended to

stimulate awareness and discussion of ethical issues that may arise in our professional activities.

The Board adopted the final text in Toronto on July 11, 1982, after a year of deliberation by

national and district leaders and by countless volunteers throughout the membership.

1 Council for Advancement and Support of Education. (n.d.) “CASE Statement of Ethics.” Retrieved February 26,

2014 from http://www.case.org/Samples_Research_and_Tools/

Ethics_Resources_and_Issues/CASE_Statement_of_Ethics.html.

http://www.case.org/Samples_Research_and_Tools/Ethics_Resources_and_Issues/CASE_Statement_of_Ethics.html

http://www.case.org/Samples_Research_and_Tools/Ethics_Resources_and_Issues/CASE_Statement_of_Ethics.html

28

A Donor Bill of Rights2

PHILANTHROPY is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the non-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

I. To be informed of the organization’s mission, of

the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.

VI. To be assured that information about their donations is

handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

II. To be informed of the identity of those serving

on the organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its

stewardship responsibilities

VII. To expect that all relationships with

individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.

III. To have access to the organization’s

most recent financial statements.

VIII. To be informed whether those seeking

donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.

IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.

IX. To have the opportunity for their

names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.

V. To receive appropriate

acknowledgement and recognition.

X. To feel free to ask questions when making

a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

DEVELOPED BY: Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP)

Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits

ORIGINALLY ENDORSED BY: Independent Sector

National Catholic Development Conference (NCDC) National Committee on Planned Giving (NCPG)

Council for Resource Development (CRD) United Way of America

2 Association of Fundraising Professionals. (2013). “The Donor Bill of Rights.” Retrieved February 26, 2014 from http://www.afpnet.org/files/ContentDocuments/Donor_Bill_of_Rights.pdf.

http://www.afpnet.org/files/ContentDocuments/Donor_Bill_of_Rights.pdf

31

Appendix C

Division’s Response to Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State 2010-15

32

Appendix D

Core Council Follow-Up

In April 2011, the Division of Development & Alumni Relations submitted a number of potential

cost cutting measures in response to the Core Council’s request to address a 5% permanent

budget reduction (approximately $650,000). Following is a report on progress made toward

implementing the original plan.

Completed

1. The Undergraduate Scholarships fundraising program was consolidated with both

Student Affairs and Parents Programs; and the fundraising staff at Outreach was reduced,

for a combined savings of $124,000.

2. Commonwealth Campus stewardship activities were consolidated; fundraising

positions at Harrisburg and Greater Allegheny were converted to fixed-term from

standing; and fundraising offices for Brandywine and Great Valley were consolidated,

resulting in total savings of $280,000.

3. Staff in the Office of Annual Giving who were assigned to conduct face-to-face

solicitations for the President’s Club have been eliminated through attrition, at a savings

of $95,000.

4. A staff assistant position in Athletics was reassigned from DDAR to ICA and another

was converted from standing to fixed-term, for total savings of $76,000.

5. The Penn State Alumni Association absorbed cuts totaling $67,000.

6. The offices of Donor Services and Alumni Records have been consolidated into one

office, Donor and Member Services, in order to increase efficiencies and maintain present

staff levels while handling an escalating number of new records and data changes every

year.

7. Alumni Association membership processing has been outsourced to CDS Global as of

May 2014. Savings undetermined at this point.

Under Consideration

1. Provide electronic receipts to donors who make gifts online.

2. Explore use of bar coding on annual giving mailing pieces.

3. Distribute more information to donors electronically.

Not implemented

1. Reduce staff in Office of Research and Analytics.

2. Explore use of a lockbox for gift payments.

33

3. Review primary duties of the Industrial Research Office (IRO) and Development’s

Corporate & Foundation Relations office for duplication of efforts. IRO was eliminated

by the Vice President for Research.

34

Appendix E

Division’s Strategic Performance Indicators

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