Perspectives

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…

This article was first published January 3, 2015. Interview with Matthew Eynon, Vice President for College Advancement, Franklin & Marshall College   Measuring staff effectiveness may have traditionally been a one-size-fits-all process, but that is beginning to change due to proactive thinking by advancement professionals like Matthew Eynon. Before joining the Advancement team at Franklin &…

By Ivonne Ambrozkiewicz, Director, Human Resources, Neighbor Works America The Woolbright Group asked Ivonne Ambrozkiewicz to speak about talent management, hiring and retention, and the challenges HR managers might face in today’s competitive employment environment. We started the conversation by quoting the Human Resource department at John’s Hopkins University definition of “talent…

To insure adequate resources for an institution, Board members must embrace a variety of responsibilities, from making personal gifts to identifying, cultivating and soliciting private support.

This article was first published January 3, 2015. Thoughts from Sarah McMaster, Director of Marketing & New Media and Brett Moulton, Web & New Media Specialist, Mount Wachusett Community College about incorporating successful social medial strategies into your communications toolbox. Social media is no longer the buzz word du jour. It has successfully transitioned from the shiny new thing into a…

Phil Brach, Assistant Dean, School of Business and Economics, The Catholic University of America, July 2015 While it is understood that American universities and colleges are governed by Boards of Trustees, the purpose and role of the Board of Visitors may not be as well understood. The Woolbright Group spoke with Phil Brach at The Catholic University of America to learn more about the specific…

Christopher (C.J.) Menard, Chief Advancement Officer, Amherst College   “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” …Andre Gide Over the past twenty-four years that I’ve been working with international donors, there have been some distinct changes. For years, the prevailing opinion was that, as a general rule, the philanthropic culture outside of…

Cynthia Woolbright speaks with Diane MacGillivray about recent trends in Advancement.

Amy Bronson, Director of Recruitment and Training, University Advancement, Boston University WG: Within our advancement programs today, what are the three most critical challenges that hiring managers are facing? What are the actions that our profession might take to transform these challenges into opportunities to hire and retain the best and brightest? The re-emergence of the talent war and…

By Patricia P. Jackson, Vice President for Development, Brown University   Zoltan Acs has written a provocative book entitled “Why Philanthropy Matters: How the Wealthy Give, and What it Means for Our Economic Well-Being.” I commend the text to all development professionals, and am indebted to Curt Simic, President Emeritus of the Indiana University Foundation, for bringing it to my…