Development for Academic Leaders: A Practical Guide for Fundraising Success

Amazon Exclusive from the Author: Three Discoveries About Fundraising That Most Academic Leaders Find Surprising

Donors are grateful to be asked.

Making a major gift is a joyful experience for the donor. It s common to hear donors say that they appreciate the opportunity to help, to have an impact, to make a difference for organizations they love. By showing them giving possibilities at our institutions, we re offering them opportunities to achieve this feeling of joy.

Effective fundraising is more listening than talking.

Throughout your academic career, you ve learned to secure funding by featuring your research. Funding agencies determine whether to give you money solely based on your grant proposals. Being humble is not a road to research funding. But private philanthropy is much more successful when we listen to donors more than we talk to them. Learning what motivates them, and what they care most about, helps us show them funding opportunities that will ignite their passions and inspire them to give transformational gifts.

You can be a great development dean without ever asking for money.

If you can t imagine yourself making an actual solicitation, have no fear. Your development colleagues are available to handle that part of the relationship. But they ll never get the truly significant gifts without you there to show donors your vision and secure their trust and confidence.