樱桃导航

• Engaging with alumni can lead to increased support both financially and through mentorship and networking opportunities for current students.
• Schools with limited resources must clearly define their goals and outreach strategies to maximize impact.
• Cross-functional partnerships with on-campus offices, such as philanthropy and alumni affairs, can provide crucial support and insights into past and potential donors.

Transcript

MaryAnne Hyland: [00:15] If you're starting your fundraising journey from scratch, it's great to find out what individuals are interested in. What are they passionate about? What was it about their college experience that really made them tick?

[00:26] If they're alumni, what made their business education special? What was it a faculty member that they got to know really well while they were a student or a club they were participating in while they were part of your university?

Shanan Gibson: [00:38] I think for schools operating with limited resources, having a successful fundraising strategy means that it has to be both comprehensive in what you're asking for and inclusive in the stakeholders you bring in.

I try to lay out a framework very early that is more than just getting them to give me financial backing.

[00:51] From a comprehensive perspective, whenever I meet with potential donors or alumni, I tell them I'm going to ask them at some point for four things. I'm going to ask them to invest their time, their talent, their treasure, and their influence on behalf of my college.

[01:07] So, I try to lay out a framework very early that is more than just getting them to give me financial backing; I really want them to be part of a bigger relationship.

Hyland: [01:17] There are some pitfalls for resource-constrained schools because they don't have the support that you might have if you had additional resources. So, being aware of what you're looking for and what you will be asking for is important upfront.

One of the most important things you can do is partner with other individuals on your campus and work together.

[01:33] You may not be able to rely on a whole team of people behind you to build a campaign for you and tell you what exactly you should be looking for. Going out and speaking to someone without really knowing what you're looking for could be a challenge.

Gibson: [01:47] One of the most important things you can do is partner with other individuals on your campus and work together. If your campus has a philanthropic office, even if that office doesn't assign one person to you, reach out to them and ask who some of our donors have been in the past.

[02:04] Can you make some recommendations for who I should be talking to? Individuals that we haven't connected with. Work with alumni affairs on your campus.

[02:12] They probably are a great resource for individuals who could be brought back into the fold and might be a good start.

Just because you're on your own in communicating with potential donors doesn't mean that you can't get the support of others.

Hyland [02:18] And if you don't have the support of others and you don't lean on the support of others, if you have a philanthropy officer, don't be shy to go and ask them for advice on the wording of an email or the words that you should use if you're going to be meeting with a potential donor on your own.

[02:32] Just because you're on your own in communicating with potential donors doesn't mean that you can't get the support of others before you go and actually make that introduction or write that email.

[02:44] If you connect with people and build a bench of individuals who might be willing to donate when the opportunity comes for a project that's a good match for them, you'll be able to reach out and know someone who's passionate about technology, study abroad, or some other specific cause that you're trying to raise money for.