Perspectives

In this interview, President Fox shares his thoughts on relationships with key Board members, what he looks for in a CAO, the importance of board member engagement, and other presidential musings.

Shanna Hocking, Associate Vice President, Individual Giving, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Intrigued by a review of the recently published “Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent” by Sidney Finkelstein, author and Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, Shanna Hocking was “compelled” to read the book. The book has been…

This article was first published December 4, 2013. Rosheen Kavanagh and Katha Washburn share their strategies for building a donor loyalty pipeline for the future. Interview Transcript Cynthia Woolbright: So let’s start with the recent history of these programs: why you started them; how you developed your volunteer base; what sort of outcomes you’ve had and how long the programs have been…

This article was first published December 12, 2012. Interview Transcript Cynthia Woolbright: Alright, well, thank you very much for agreeing to talk with us. From your perspective as the head of school there at Buffalo Seminary, describe for us the impact of the last five years on fundraising and how that has played out and what you might expect going forward. Jody Douglass: Well, I arrived at…

Advancement professionals must learn to be agile, adaptable, and resourceful. That is certainly true when it comes to donor relations and stewardship. As Erin Moyer advises in this interview, “Embrace knowing that there will always be something you don’t know or were not prepared for…"

Cynthia Woolbright uses an example involving a coffee mug to illustrate “best practices” when it comes to donor relations.

In her video blog on donor relations and stewardship, Cynthia Woolbright uses an example involving a coffee mug to illustrate “best practices” when it comes to donor relations.

This article was first published July 8, 2014. The Woolbright Group invited Lisa Maizite to share her thoughts with our readers on the subject of forecasting major trends in securing major gifts over the next five to ten years.   "More than ever, the decision to make a philanthropic gift is not just made by an individual, or even a couple, but in many cases, the entire family is involved…

This article was first published January 3, 2015. A conversation with Linda Durant, Senior Vice President, University Advancement, Widener University   A Board of Trustees is the most important group of leaders on any campus. So how do we, as the Advancement team, most effectively engage them, encourage them, and bring them on board prepared to be confident and proactive fundraisers? We asked…

Trish Jackson, Interim Senior Vice President for Development & Alumni Engagement at The New School, introduces a collection of advice from some of the top advancement leaders in the country.

Cynthia Woolbright discusses the Board's role in the development of a successful campaign.

This article was first published December 12, 2012. Dave Nuscher, 
Chief Communications Officer, American Academy of Arts, Cambridge, MA In our day-to-day work, our most notable successes do not come from spending our energy finding more clever ways to solicit our alumni and parents. We are most successful when we are focused on sharing information that our constituents really care about. The…

Cynthia Woolbright discusses the role of the board in the development of the Governance Committee.

This article was first published December 4, 2013. Allyson Goodwin (Northfield Mount Hermon School) spoke with us about best practices for working with Board advancement committees. Interview Transcript Cynthia Woolbright: I want to thank you again for your willingness to talk with us about best practices for the board of trustees and the advancement committee that you have there at Northfield…

This article was first published July 13, 2013 We spoke with Kassandra Gove, Assistant Director of Student and Recent Graduate Programs at BU, and Stephanie McBride who serves on the BU Alumni Council and volunteers with the Recent Graduate Network on the subject of engaging recent grads in alumni programs. Knowing what a challenge this is for almost every alumni program in the country,…

This article was first published July 8, 2014 Our interview with Sandra Butters (Northeastern University) and Kim Gerighty (Groton School) reveals the strategically complex nature of educating parents on the importance of supporting the institution their child has chosen to attend. Interview Transcript Cynthia Woolbright: Thank you very much, Sandy and Kim, for joining us today about parent…