IT TAKES A VILLAGE
WORKING WITH ACADEMIC
PARTNERS TO CREATE SUCCESS
Susan Armacost, Director of Development,
Herff College of Engineering
University of Memphis
Dr. Richard J. Sweigard, Dean
Herff College of Engineering
University of Memphis
“Alone we can do
so little. Together
we can do so
much.”
- Helen Keller
“Great things in
business are never
done by one person.
They are done by a
team of people.”
- Steve Jobs
“Whatever we accomplish belongs to
our entire group, a tribute to our
combined effort.”
- Walt Disney
Why Work
with
Academic
Partners?
in the cultivation
and solicitation of major gifts is associated
with receiving larger gifts and/or a greater
percentage of the ask received.
Type
of partner
Involved
in cultivation
Present
at solicitation
Made
the ask
Planned Gift Officer
$ %
$
$
VP of Development
Chief Development
Officer
$
Dean
Department head or
program leader
$
$
$
%
%
%
Provost
$
$
President
$
$
Trustee
% = Linked to greater percentage of ask received
$ = Linked to larger gift size
$
$
$
Who are your
Academic
Partners?
• Faculty/Researchers
• Department head/program leader
• Deans
• University Leadership
Partnering with
Faculty
&
Researchers
Why?
•
•
•
•
•
They are the experts
They know and work with your students
They know many of our alumni
They have corporate connections
They lend credibility
When?
• A donor has specific interests
• A donor has technical questions you can’t answer
• An existing relationship exists between donor & faculty
How?
• Include in donor cultivation
• Host donor on campus or in lab
• Incorporate donor-student interactions
• Face-to-face meeting off campus
• Email, phone or written communications
Partnering with
Department
Heads
&
Program Leaders
Why?
•
•
•
•
Can articulate how dept. goals align with college goals
They lend even more credibility
Can open doors that you cannot
Can result in a greater percentage of ask being made
When?
•
•
•
•
A donor has significant capacity & has been vetted by DOD
A donor has broad interests related to one area
An existing relationship exists between donor and leader
You are having difficulty securing appointment with donor
How?
• Involve in Cultivation
• Personal interaction with donor (face-to-face)
• Email, call or written communication
• Resource for creating successful proposals
• Make independent asks in consultation with dev. staff
Partnering
with
Deans
Why?
•
•
•
•
Can articulate college’s goals and initiatives
They lend still more credibility
Can open doors that you cannot
Can result in larger gifts
When?
•
•
•
•
A donor has been adequately cultivated
A donor has broad interests across departmental boundaries
You are having difficulty securing appointment with donor
NOT TOO SOON!
How?
• Involve in Cultivation
• Personal interaction with donor (face-to-face)
• Email, call or written communication
• Capitalize on Dean’s travel plans (incorporate out of
town visits)
• Let the Dean tell the College’s story!
• Involve in direct solicitation
Partnering
with
University
Leadership
Why?
•
•
•
•
To maximize a donor’s potential gift
Can open doors that you cannot
When donor interests are university-wide
When interactions
When?
•
•
•
•
A donor has been adequately cultivated
A donor has broad interests across departmental boundaries
You are having difficulty securing appointment with donor
NOT TOO SOON!
How?
• Involve in Cultivation
• Personal interaction with donor (face-to-face)
• Email, call or written communication
• Capitalize on Dean’s travel plans (incorporate out of
town visits)
• Let the Dean tell the College’s story!
• Involve in direct solicitation
Who’s Who
Lead
Contact information
Jim
[email protected]
Dee
[email protected]
Mavis
[email protected]
Doug
[email protected]
Working Toward Mastery
Projects Worked On
Achieve
Mastery
Get
Experienced
Get Familiar
Time Spent
Doing Your Best Work
• Working from home
• Working offsite
• Technology
requirements
Case Study
• Jeremy
– His first day
– Mistakes made
– Successes achieved
– The moral of the story
Discussion
• What we can learn
from Jeremy
• Best practices
• Take-aways
Summary
• Define your challenges
– Technological as well as personal
• Set realistic expectation
– Mastery is not achieved overnight
• Keep your eye on the goal
– Mentorship programs
Resources
• <Intranet site text here>
<hyperlink here>
• <Additional reading material text here>
<hyperlink here>
• This slide deck and related resources:
<hyperlink here>
QUESTIONS?
APPENDIX