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CICan Presentation – Colleges And Institutes NOW!
Donor And Partner Engagement In A Changed Environment
Presenters:
Michael Donlevy, Senior Associate
Scott Decksheimer, CFRE, Partner
Scott Decksheimer, CFRE
• 22+ years fundraising experience
• Inaugural chair of the Association of
Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Canada.
Now serving as past chair.
Michael Donlevy
• 20+ years fundraising experience
• Recently retired from Red Deer
College as VP Business Development
• 18 years as a member of the senior
executive team.
About ViTreo Group Inc
• Full-service fundraising and nonprofit
leadership development firm.
• Extensive expertise in every area of major gift
fundraising and philanthropy.
• Offer a clear approach in an industry that can
be overwhelming and often overcomplicated.
• Key Services include Campaign Planning and
Counsel, Alumni Program Development,
Research, Naming Valuations, Strategy, and
more.
Who do we mean?
• Current donors
• Sponsors; e.g. Athletics
• Alumni
• Business Partners / Clients
Donor and Partner Engagement
In A Changed Environment
The Challenge
and the Opportunity…
You have never been able
to succeed or fail faster
than now!
1. Reduced government funding with
greater reductions likely ahead
2. The economic downturn and uncertain
recovery
3. COVID-19 and how it will shape all that
colleges and post secondary institutions
will do now in the future
The Triple Whammy…
• History shows that the current market downturn and
economic situation will pass, however slowly
• Donors and sponsors follow their urgency and amend
giving behaviour
• Donors and sponsors still want to help
• How do you demonstrate value-added for your
supporters?
The Impact On Your Donors And Supporters
• Colleges in the PSI landscape are an essential
service
• Your programs include students / learners
who are or will be on the front line
• Individualized learning / small class sizes /
blended learning are hallmarks
• Colleges are learner-centred, your primary
focus is on the student, student success and
on applied research
You Know Better Than Anyone
The opportunity is for college leadership to offer a galvanizing vision, that
also recognizes this “new reality” in donor trends:
• Donors need to know they can make a real impact on the learning of a
student quickly
• Donors want to support organizations to whom they are loyal and
believe in, and have a connection
• Donors need real world connection to current issues – and want to
understand what your institution has done to benefit the communities
you serve
Donors and Alumni Have Never Been More
Important
Revisit the reasons for people to give:
• What will an investment do this fall, and how will it improve a
student experience
• Where can donors invest that will help you respond:
Quicker
Better
More efficiently
• What is the practical need that you have now (or will soon)?
Donors Provide Risk Capital
What can I do right now?
• Remain essential to your constituents
• Your vision is still critical, even though the path to get there
may have changed
• Resilience and focus is valued by donors and partners
Stay Clear To Your Vision
That’s Great But….
• More than about asking for money
• Be sure to learn how they are adapting
• Remember, people care and are your ally
• Thank them for being a partner
• Let them know about how your institution is managing
• Be prepared… when they ask “How can we help?”
Stewardship Matters. Even More Now.
• One voice is too few – your vast number of experts
are essential and valuable
• Every member of your leadership team must play a
willing role
• Including members of your Board – an excellent
opportunity to engage with your supporters directly
• Times of change are a time to rely on relationships
you have built, and an opportunity to grow those
relationships
Make The Phone Call.
Rely On Your Network!
Rely On Your Network!
Donor/ Partner
Board
Training Partners
Other partners
Media
Alumni
Students
Social Media
Field Experts
Update fundraising priorities – What do you ask for now?
Support for student entering – bursaries – always important – even
more so now
Resiliency funding – for initiatives related to restarting the college
experience
Investment in applied learning and new program development
Key experiential needs to help make college life welcoming
Concern for graduates – programs to help them find work they are
trained to do
Realign Your Priorities
Keep asking for support!
Above All
Consider strategic outsourcing (including AI)
Hold a giving day to get focus on your efforts, and engage
your constituents
Retool development and alumni office metrics to be
directed to engagement, specifically to help grow smaller
donors and qualify larger donors for immediate or future
efforts
Some Other Ways To Act Now!
“When the current crisis ends, history will show that the most
successful non-profits continued to ask for donations, although likely
in a different way.
Those non-profits who go ‘silent’ or attempt to give their donors a
break will likely see the same results as others before them—and
suffer or even go out of business as a result.”
- Ben Miller, Chief Analytic Officer of Donor Trends / AFP
The Challenge To Every CICan Institution
Top Ten For CICAN!
www.vitreogroup.ca/cican
Includes:
The Provocateur Blog on Alumni Relations
Braintrust Philanthropy Podcast:
Higher Education Advancement in the Time of COVID-19
ViTreo Free Resources
Helpful Resources Available
On The ViTreo Website
