St. Mary's and Best Practices

From 1945 to 2013:Is it Really that Different Today?

“Looks like St. Mary’s is in a bad way…”

August 1, 2013

Key Realities

Even Mr. Bogardus would have to agree…The need for facility improvements is greater today than in the past 40 years.

• Aging infrastructures.• Impact of technology.• Projects postponed as the economy “tanked.”• Debt financing no longer an option• Others?

Key Realities

• The Old: “Living Endowments” provided by religious orders.

• The New: Need for competitive compensation.

• Do you think Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby made 80% of the public school wage?

Increased Competition

• For the right students…

• For the best teachers...

• For the charitable investment…

Key Realities

• Increased demand for tuition assistance.• Shrinking high-school population.• Families choosing Catholic grade school OR high

school – not both.• Increasing wages and benefits costs.• Questions of tuition “elasticity” and families feeling

crunched.

All Add Up to the #1 Reality…

We need…

• More Capital Dollars: renovations, repairs, technology, new facilities.

• More Operating Dollars: programs, tuition assistance,merit scholarships, faculty.

NOW!!!

What won’t work…

• “Drive Thru” fundraising.

• “Scorched Earth” fundraising.

• “Snow plow” fundraising.

There are no shortcuts to success.

It begins with…

What is Bogardus’ Vision?

What is Sister Benedict’s Vision?

Flowing from Vision…

…a plan thatmakes sense

Strategy

• What is the Sisters’ plan to secure new facilities?

• Where are their energies focused?• What are the nuns NOT doing?• What key tactics do they employ?

What Works

• Patience…• Dual-team approach…• Clear and concise request…• Listening…• Responding…• Leading…challenging

The Gameplan

• Vision – “I see a school!”• Shared ownership – “Let’s get Bing on board!”• Transfer ownership – “You can transform!”• Establish a cultivation plan.• Engage…listen…adapt…overcome.• Solicit• Close.

Pray.

2013 Development Best Practices…or…

WWBD*

*What Would Bing Do?

Survey Take-Aways

• One-person shops?

• Two-person shops?

• Three?

• Four?

• More??

Which describe your work reality? Under-staffed

WAAAY under-staffed

Tactical rather than strategic

Focused on activity (getting out the mailing, organizing reunions) rather

than results (meeting funding goals)

Overwhelmed

Lessons from India…From Better by Atul Gawand

The Nandid Hospital & Your Advancement Office

StaffingBudgetWork EnvironmentResults

Others?

Applications

How do the staff deal with the reality?

9 surgeons for 2.3 million peoplePaint peeling, no AC, faulty equipmentHundreds show up daily…36 patients seen by one MD in 3

hours…(avg. = 5 minutes per patient)

How do you deal with your reality?

The Lessons• “Where they had control…they sought betterment.”

• They believed in themselves.

• They kept going.

• They were focused.

• They established camaraderie.

• What else?

Apply! What is it you are charged with doing?

ADVANCEMENT

• What behaviors and activity will bring the results you need (i.e. $$!)?

• What activities are interfering with your focus?

So…

What Should Your Advancement Office and

Behaviors Look Like?

100% Full-Time Focus on Revenue

• Major Gifts!

• Relationship-building activities (for short, mid or long-term revenue).

• Strong annual fund – secure immediate, needed revenue and identify current and future major gift prospects.

• Office focus = Maximizes Charitable Giving and Fundraising Revenues…period!

Resource Appropriately• “Every organization is perfectly designed to get the results it is

getting”...

• Part-Time Staffing = Part-Time Results.

• Strong Relationships = Large, Transformational Gifts.

• Data “drives” the giving “engine.”

• Yes, you need donor research.

• Yes, you need a travel budget.

What Advancement is NOT

• An office for part-timers.

• A party planning office.

• A cultivation department.

• A newsletter department.

The IDO: Core Functions and Positions

• Relationship Management• Data Management• Annual Giving Management• Operations• Administrative Support

» Strive for a $.25 cost to raise $1.00

Stop me if you’ve heard (or said!) this before…

• “We need more alumni activities in order to get more giving participation.”

• “That person isn’t ready to be solicited. She needs more cultivation.”

• “Reunions are critical to advancement!”

• “Our board should be out asking for money.”

• “Prospect research is too expensive – it’s not in the budget.”

• “We have to hire an events person before we hire a major gifts person.”

Best Practices

• Stay Focused – major gifts, revenue, building the “right” relationships and connections.

• Do only what you can – and execute flawlessly.

• Don’t worry about everything you are NOT doing.

• Think: will this activity truly advance my school?