Perspectives

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…

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…

Mark Walsh, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Stephen Dare, Vice President for College Relations, Union College, Schenectady, NY Excerpt from recorded interview with Mr. Walsh and Mr. Dare   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…

Executive Director, Talent Management, Office of University Development at University of Michigan Woolbright Group: 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 adjust, change or transform these challenges into opportunities to hire and retain the best and brightest? The…

Andrew A Gossen, Senior Director for Social Media Strategy, Alumni Affairs, Cornell University, and acknowledged expert in social media shares his perspective on how social media is changing the way we engage with our audiences.

Yale University relates how a strategic decision to stay the course during the economic downturn that began in 2008—right in the middle of a $3.5 billion fundraising campaign—proved to be a winner.

Cassie McVeety describes what she perceives as the major factors that are influencing the world of advancement today, including the new graduate-a young generation of graduates who have grown up with social media and technology.

See what Jim Thompson shares with us about he anticipates will be the major trends over the next five to ten years and how he measures success in the field.

Patricia Jackson, Vice President for Development, Brown University WG: From your perspective, what are the three major trends you see coming in the advancement field over the next five to ten years? PJ: First, the blurring distinction and increasingly permeable boundaries between the for-profit and non-profit worlds. There are new models: Google.org, for example. In addition, we are seeing more…

Interview with David McMullen, Interim Senior Director of Development; Director of Donor Relations, Catholic University of America

An interview with Julianne Puckett, President, Class of 1991, Mount Holyoke College; Chuck Culp, Form Agent, Class of 2002, St. Paul's School; Angus Christie, Class Agent, Holderness School

Q & A with Tim Cross, Senior Director of Advancement Services, Tufts University

Metrics make a positive difference in major gifts work Metrics are a blessing, or a curse, depending on your point of view. The most successful metrics programs are viewed as carrots that give honest credit for hard work, encourage the right behaviors, and get field officers out of the office as much as possible. In the last four years at Rochester Institute of Technology, we’ve built a set of…

This interview presents two perspectives on the unique challenges faced by Advancement staff at schools where alumni are young and move on to pursue college degrees, leaving their alma mater behind.