Perspectives

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…

Conversation with Tracy Barlok, Vice President for Advancement, College of the Holy Cross and Janis Martinson, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Lesley University   Cynthia Woolbright: Today we want to talk about effective leadership in advancement, Tracy, how would you define that?  What makes an effective leader?   Tracy Barlok: I think an effective leader is synonymous with…

Kathleen Holtz (Northeastern) shares here experiences working alongside a very busy Advancement VP. Interview Transcript Cynthia Woolbright: Thank you very much, Kathleen, for agreeing to participate with us. What are some of the key components of your responsibilities? And have you noticed changes in recent years, and what might those be? Kathleen Holtz: Right. I consider the main points of my…

Laura Anderson tells us about “Hollins Rocks,”—the school’s first ever significant fundraising effort driven by social media. As Hollins University neared the close of our fiscal year in June 2013, we received a $100,000 gift. To reach our annual fund goal of $3.1 million and engage lapsed donors, we decided (with the donor’s consent) to use the $100,000 as a challenge for a 1:1 match…

This conversation explores the benefits and best practices for using wealth screening with  Thomas J. Minar, Ph.D. 
Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations 
American University; Devon Villa Gessert
Director, Research and Prospect Management
Office of Development and Alumni Relations,
American University Interview Transcript Cynthia Woolbright: So, what we want to talk about…

The benefits and best practices for using wealth screening with Thomas J. Minar, Ph.D. Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations, American University; Devon Villa Gessert Director, Research and Prospect Management Office of Development and Alumni Relations, American University. Interview Transcript Cynthia Woolbright: In our last conversation, we learned a lot, about the process of…

Eve Forbes is onto something. In eight years, she has transformed Trinity College’s 21 year-old Legacy Giving Program by embracing a new way of thinking about its donors.

Sarah McMaster, Mount Wachusett Community College, and Christopher Pierno, Catholic University of America weigh in on the newest developments in, and ways to use, social media. Interview Transcript Sarah McMaster: So, Chris, let's compare our notes. Which social media channels are you using at your institution, and how are you using the ones that you do choose to be on? Christopher Pierno: At…

A conversation with Brenda Ricard, Associate Vice President, Advancement Operations and Planning, Boston College; Christine Tempesta, Director, Strategic Initiatives, MIT Alumni Association, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Interview Transcript Cynthia Woolbright: Okay. today, we’re going to be talking about strategic planning in advancement John Bryson, author of a book on strategic…

As professional fundraisers, staying current with trends in giving is a prime responsibility. That said, the growing influence of women on philanthropy that began quietly some years ago has become one of today’s hottest topics. With women controlling an ever-greater proportion of private wealth, coupled with the fact that women will be the recipients of as much as 70% of the wealth transferred…

As professional fundraisers, staying current with trends in giving is a prime responsibility. That said, the growing influence of women on philanthropy that began quietly some years ago has become one of today’s hottest topics. With women controlling an ever-greater proportion of private wealth, coupled with the fact that women will be the recipients of as much as 70% of the wealth transferred…

Board Chair Scripps College Interview Excerpts WG: In your view, what are the ideal characteristics of an effective Board Chair, Board Advancement Chair and Chief Advancement Officer with regard to developing a strong, mutually respectful relationship with a president? This is such a great question because it really sets the foundation for any effective relationship. The first things that come to…