CASE CFR Newcomers Small Shop 2013

The Small CFR Shop: Strategies for Newcomers

CASE Corporate & Foundation Relations Conference – June 2013

Arminda LathropDirector, Corporate and Foundation Relations

Willamette University

Willamette University

Small Shop Advantages

• Able to prioritize on university-wide level• Nimble• Easier traffic to manage• Can work more closely with MGO’s• More active role in project development

Agenda To Run a Well-Oiled Small Shop by:

• Prioritizing Funders and Projects

• Setting Measurable Goals

• Organizing People and Projects Around Priorities

• Communicating Needs, Opportunities, Plans

Willamette University

Prioritizing FundersChoose your top 10-15 priority foundations based on:

• Cumulative giving and relationship with university• Likelihood (Hint: Call a program officer if you’re not sure)

• Capacity as matched with university priorities

• University’s capacity to “staff” relationships

• Future direction of foundation

Once you have you have your priority foundations, know where you are and where you’re headed with each of them.Willamette University

Setting Measurable Goals• Make sure your supervisor understands role of administration in goals

• Develop $$ and solicitation goals based on who is in your pipeline

• Set a modest goal for # of new fdns. cultivated

• Set goals for stewardship communications and events

• Two-year plans with one-year benchmarks best Willamette University

Organizing (Part 1): Matching Projects and Funders

• Understand university direction and priorities• Make sure you have your supervisor’s support

• Strategize with major gifts staff

• Collaborate with faculty and staff to make connections

• If projects need tweaking, don’t discount them

Willamette University

Organizing (Part 2): Project Development• CFR as Project Developer: A fine line

• Fundable projects aren’t always priorities

• Always contact foundation when possible

• Know if you need multiple funders in order to be competitive

• Assemble the project team, calendar, and plan—and manage expectations

Willamette University

Organizing (Part 3):Stewardship and Cultivation

• Schedule stewardship in advance of fiscal year• Consider unrequired stewardship for priority fdns.

• Work with Donor Relations to manage family foundations and endowment reports

• Schedule research and cultivation time on Fridays

• Enlist a capable work-study student to troll websites

Willamette University

Sidebar: A Note on Corporations

• The per-hour ROI much less at small colleges than R1’s and professional schools* • Most lucrative to focus on foundations as #1 priority• However, serving as central gatekeeper for corporate fundraising advantageous• Centralize and deploy for Corp. Relations

*Unless you have a phenomenal athletics program

Willamette University

Communicating: CFR as Campus Crier

• Get to know as many faculty as possible

• Share RFP’s and foundation priorities with deans, VP’s, whomever will listen

• Let other development staff know what you’re working on

• Spread news about faculty successes

Willamette University

Communicating: CFR as Social Butterfly

• Make connections with other CFR’s in region

• Explore collaboration with other colleges

• Possible collaboration with area non-profits?

• Take advantage of professional development in your region to meet area professionals

Willamette University

Final Thoughts:• Don’t “save” funders unless you know

what you’re saving them for• Your project/ proposal is only as strong

as your institution’s long-range planning

• Don’t let your Business Office diminish your work: grants don’t support bottom line but play big role in framing institutional vision

Willamette University

THANK YOU!Arminda Lathrop

Director,Corporate and Foundation Relations

Willamette UniversitySalem, OR

[email protected]

Willamette University