Building an Effective Development CommitteeAFP St. Louis Annual ConferenceSeptember 24, 2014

Introductions

•Jim Schallom, CFRE, Director of Development, College Summit

•Rachel D’Souza-Siebert, Director of Development, St. Louis Language Immersion School

Overview

•Purpose of a Development Committee•Roles and Responsibilities•Managing Relationships•Tools to Get Started•Accountability and Recognition•Pitfalls to Avoid

Learning Objectives

•What it means to be the “director” versus the “doer” of development work

•How to build an effective development committee

•How to leverage a team of board members and fundraising volunteers who understand mission and help drive the advancement process

Role of a Development Committee•Provides pipeline of potential board

members•Expand the prospect pool•Create tools to help the board become

more effective fundraisers•Help set strategic fundraising priorities•Drives leadership giving

What a Development Committee is NOT•A special events committee•The Development Director’s “other boss”•Junior Board•Marketing Committee•Scapegoat•The answer to all of your problems

Role of the Committee Chair

•Helps set committee priorities•Recruits committee members•Facilitates meetings•Leads by example•Provides support to staff•Reports to board executive committee•Cultivates, solicits, stewards gifts and

donors

Who should be chair?

Who should be chair? – our two cents

•Someone who has the time and passion to do the work

•Inspirational leader and effective manager

•Knowledgeable about fundraising•Someone who can “herd cats”•Strategic thinker, and able to have candid

conversations with peers•Someone who the development director

trusts

Who should be on the committee?

Who should be on the committee? – Our two cents•Movers and Shakers•Eager millennial•Pragmatist•Fundraising experts•Donors/Funders•Chair elect•Communicators•Executive Director•Skeptics

Managing Relationships

Managing Relationships

•Committee Chair and Development Director

•Committee Chair and Board Chair

•Committee Chair and Executive Director

Tools to Get Started

•Development Committee Matrix

•Committee Job Descriptions

•Committee “Charge”

•Prospect List

•Cultivation Plans

AccountabilityTo Committee To Board

• Monitor and report individual activity

• Progress on committee charge

• Avoid “selective amnesia”

• Reporting at Board Meetings

• Interim Reporting

• Fidelity to decisions made

• How “public” are your meetings?

Recognition

•Celebrate successes•Positive reinforcement•Personalized cultivation events•“Promotion” to the board

Pitfalls

Pitfalls – our two cents

•Don’t let the committee chair act like your boss

•Beware of “group think”•Keep the mission at the center of

committee work•Know your limits•Be mindful of volunteer capacity

Outcomes

Conclusion

•You can’t do everything on your own•Strive to build a high-performing team

that consists of all stakeholders•Meet people where they are – understand

what will motivate them and then provide it

•Celebrate everyone’s successes

Questions?

Good luck!