1. “Friend raising”
“People give to people” is the conventional wisdom in fundraising. Donors
respond to a personal relationship when choosing where to make their
contributions. Universities have an advantage because many alumni have a bond
with particular faculty.
Some people contribute out of a sense of gratitude. Again, universities have an advantage because many students credit their college education with giving them the tools for success. And, many, appreciative of their scholarships, are inclined to create or contribute to scholarships.
It’s your job as head to encourage these personal relationships between alumni and you (and other department faculty, especially senior faculty). Typical tools are your newsletter and special events that bring alumni to campus. Be creative. Alumni can go to football games, or they can serve on a career advisory panel, introduce a seminar speaker or participate in a scholarship awards program. Be careful. These relationships can be time consuming and costly! But, chosen carefully, they can be lots of fun and financially rewarding.
When you travel on business, visit alumni, or host a reception, call the contacts listed above to identify alumni in a specific geographic area and to inquire about monetary support.
Please nominate alumni for A&S and UW awards. Watch for announcements requesting nominations (see Nominations).
2. Stewardship
The Foundation Office issues weekly gift reports to the colleges. When your
department has received a financial gift, the Dean’s Office forwards a copy of
the gift report. Thank the donor! Acknowledge all gifts in writing ASAP;
write a letter you can use as a template for your thank you letters, then revise
it annually. Include examples of how gift money is used. Some gifts
deserve a more personal thank you. Call the donor.
In addition to a department’s acknowledgment, the Dean’s Office will also send written acknowledgment. For gifts of $250 or more, the Dean’s Office will also phone donors. The Dean’s thanks are in addition to the department’s, not in place of.
People who give scholarships appreciate hearing about the scholarship recipients.
The Dean’s Office requires a thank-you letter from its scholarship recipients. We ask them to write “care of” the Dean’s Office, and the dean forwards the letters with his own cover letter. Departments could follow a similar procedure.
The UW Foundation is the fundraising arm of the university and handles all financial matters related to gifts. The Foundation provides institutional leadership and support to the University’s fundraising efforts. It also manages the Foundation Board, whose members are the key volunteer leaders in the University’s fundraising efforts.
The Foundation has fundraising specialists for annual giving, planned giving, corporate gifts, major events, and national outreach. But, your first stop in any fundraising for your department should be the Arts and Sciences Development Office.
1. Accounts
With few exceptions, gifts for all university units are held by the Foundation
in separate accounts. Departments have discretionary accounts and other
designated accounts, as appropriate. Accounts may be expendable or endowed. To
be endowed (only the interest is available for spending), a fund must have a
minimum initial commitment of $25,000. An endowed fund is created with a trust
agreement that outlines its specific uses, the donors, etc. Funds received for
discretionary accounts are taxed once at 5 percent, while endowed accounts are
charged a 1 percent annual management fee.
The Foundation maintains the accounts and issues a monthly report available on warehouse at “F” for the discretionary accounts and selected others. A monthly report on all the other Foundation accounts in A&S is sent to the Dean's Office. Each department is forwarded its section. Please review these account reports regularly.
2. Gift records
The Foundation maintains gift records. If you receive a gift for the department,
forward it promptly to the Foundation Office so the donor gets credit
(tax and otherwise) for the gift. Be sure it’s clear where the gift should go,
i.e., discretionary fund, the Joe Smith Scholarship, etc.
3. Alumni database
The Foundation maintains a database of alumni and friends. Please help keep
these data current by sending all address changes and other pertinent
information to the Foundation or to the college development director (who will
send it to the Foundation). Lists for alumni and donor mailings may be requested
from the Foundation using its Data Request Form. Contact the A&S Development
Office for assistance.
4. Annual
Fund
The Foundation conducts the Annual Fund, which seeks to raise money for the
discretionary funds in the departments, colleges, and other UW entities. Donors
have the option of specifying where their gifts will go. Personal contact, mail,
and student callers solicit annual funds. To assist the Foundation’s staff in
their solicitation and cultivation, the Development Office creates a page of
talking points that highlights accomplishments, the impact of previous
philanthropy, and the fundraising priorities within A&S. Forward information
about your accomplishments to the Development office to get on this list.
Departments may solicit their own alumni through their newsletter or other mailing. Be sure to let the Development Office know your plans, help you design a pledge card, and get an assigned computer code. (This enables gifts to be easily tracked). Please send a newsletter and a solicitation letter each academic year.
5. Major Gifts
Guidelines for major gifts and
naming opportunities are drafted by Old Main and communicated through the
Foundation. (see
Naming Criteria) (see
Gifts and EEO) Please talk to the A&S Development office about your needs
and opportunities.
6. Campaigns
Major gifts campaigns seek to raise substantial additional money for specified
projects. The
A&S Case Statement, which discusses major gifts, is based on priorities
identified in UW’s Academic Plans. Developed in response to the Academic Plans,
the A&S Case Statement discusses major gifts as well as Arts and Sciences
highlights and goals. The case statement is always a work in progress.
7. Online giving
Gifts now may be made on the Web. Each department is expected to have the
"Giving on the Web" icon on its web page. Please call Ann O’Grady (6-4106) to receive a
copy of the “Giving on the Web” icon. Insert the icon on your Web site and
encourage your alumni to specify your department when making a gift. The
Foundation link takes donors through three simple steps. Be certain to list your
department’s fundraising goals and successes on your Web site.
Meet with the A&S development officers at least once a year to
·
Review your Foundation accounts
·
Identify potential major donors
·
Clarify your fundraising goals
·
Review stewardship of existing donors
·
Plan major gift strategies
·
Confirm or plan communication with alumni and donors
Know how philanthropy makes an impact. A brief list and an example or two of how gifts make a difference for your department and its students are helpful. Include this information in your letters and newsletters and post it on your web site. It can provide ideas for articles in A&S publications and talking points for you, the Dean, and Development.
These events reward academic achievement and strengthen bonds among students, faculty, and alumni. It’s important to host public events well. They thrive on faculty participation. Attend and bring your faculty. Music enhances College of Arts and Sciences special events and is an integral part of our college celebrations. A payment policy has been established to fund student musicians for these special events.
· The Keith and Thyra Thomson Honors Convocation, held early each fall, recognizes undergraduates who were placed on the Dean’s, President’s, or Freshman Honor Rolls. Students selected competitively by the A&S Scholarship Committee give brief talks about independent study projects. Nominate your outstanding students for this honor. Congratulate your honor roll majors and encourage them to attend. Encourage your faculty to attend with you. The Dean’s Office invites the families of the honor roll students and hosts a reception following the ceremony.
· A&S Awards Banquet is an early summer event to honor recipients of our Outstanding Alumni and Outstanding Former Faculty Awards. Nominations drive the process; committees of the Board of Visitors select the winners. Nominate your former colleagues and alumni. There are direct and indirect benefits to having winners from your department. Attend the banquet, especially when your department can claim an award recipient (see Nominations).
· Commencements are special events for students, and the college proudly hosts both December and May ceremonies. December commencement is geared toward those students who finish their degree program in the fall semester, and the May commencement is primarily for those students who finish in May and August. Each commencement depends on the active involvement of our faculty and staff, and department heads play an important role in each ceremony. Department faculty are encouraged to join a reception line to congratulate students as they exit the stage. Over the years, the majority of our departments add to the occasion by hosting receptions, picnics, etc., during commencement week in May.
· Homecoming provides the entire University with an opportunity to reconnect with alumni. A number of departments host receptions for visiting alumni. If you know of significant alumni donors who plan to attend Homecoming, please be sure Development is aware and confer on cultivation or stewardship strategies.
Reunions and receptions on campus or off provide opportunities to build and maintain relationships with alumni. Some departments host receptions at national conferences. Lecture series also provide opportunities to bring alumni back to campus. Alumni are also excellent resources for career advice. Please alert the Dean’s Office of any such activities. Development can assist in identifying and contacting prospective speakers, mentors, or advisors.
The BoV is a group of alumni and friends who support the college. Their responsibilities are to assist in fundraising, external relations, and student engagements. At their request, we also have participation from a faculty liaison group consisting of heads from each A&S division. The BoV meets as a group twice a year, in the fall and the spring. Meetings include presentations and site visits so members get to know the various departments. All members make annual contributions to the College of Arts and Sciences.
The Board of Visitors sponsors a number of things:
Outstanding Alumni and Outstanding Former Faculty Awards and the Awards Banquet;
Heritage Award;
Outstanding Service Awards for Students -- one student from each department and program receives $100 and a certificate to acknowledge the students' volunteer service to their departments or programs;
Student Summer Independent Study Awards – funded by annual gifts to the A&S Special Gifts Fund and some individual endowments;
Study abroad awards of $1,000;
Student Travel to conferences or performances;
A&S Board of Visitors scholarships;
George Frison scholarship;
“Meet the Dean” sessions in member communities;
Ben Franklin Circle – annual recognition for donors to A&S who give in consecutive years;
First-time donor challenge, in which Board of Visitor members matched gifts of $50 up to $1,000 from people who had never before contributed to the College or one of its departments or programs.