Major GiftsMajor Gifts

Margaret K. Dimock, MITBruce Keeler, Brown

Helen Radenkovic UpennHelen Radenkovic, UpennDanielle Reddy, MIT

Annual Giving and Major Gifts:Do Opposites Attract?

Bruce R. Keeler ‘90, Director of Class Campaigns, Brown University

Ivy Plus Annual Giving Conference at MITFebruary 9, 2010

The Context on College HillThe Context on College Hill

• Annual giving is front and center

• The Ruth Effect 

• Undergraduates rule the roost g

• Development operation is highly centralized

h i f d i i h• The Campaign for Academic Enrichment

What helps the relationship?What helps the relationship?

• Support from the corner officesSupport from the corner offices

• Shared responsibility for prospects

• Mutual respect among colleagues

• A truly comprehensive CampaignA truly comprehensive Campaign

–Annual giving is a priority

V t j it f C i k h–Vast majority of Campaign asks have an annual giving component

What hinders the relationship?p

• Prospect possessiveness

• Campaign pressures – 11 months to go!Campaign pressures  11 months to go!

• Accountability – who’s responsible for h ?what?

• Data, data, data, ,

• Communication breakdown

How do we communicate?

• Speed dating twice a year

• Other forms of prospect review• Other forms of prospect review 

• Gateway to the future (online volunteer management)

• Regular meetings big and smallRegular meetings big and small

• Individual outreach

What really works?What really works?

• Service with a smile– One‐stop shopping for alumni and colleagues

– Provide high‐quality solicitation support

• The magic of eventsThe magic of events

• Joint visits

• Understanding the big picture

• A positive attitude goes a long wayA positive attitude goes a long way

The Penn Fund and Major GiftsThe Penn Fund and Major Gifts

Partnership in Reunion Fundraising

Major Gifts at PennMajor Gifts at Penn 

• Typically major gifts at Penn include gifts of $150,000 yp y j g g $ ,to approximately $2,000,000 for University and campaign priorities.

ff d f d d l f• MAJ staff identify and develop new major gift prospects from a population of undergraduate alumni and parents of current undergraduatealumni and parents of current undergraduate students.

• MAJ staff has an extensive partnership with the Penn Fund in canvassing all reunion classes to make sure we personally solicit everyone appropriate.

Why Reunions Provide a great opportunity for major gift f d i ifundraising

• Penn alumni respond to and value class affiliation – and e a u espo d o a d a ue c ass a a o a drecognize the traditions inherent in reunion giving.

• The reunion timeline creates a set timeline for cultivating, involving, soliciting and closing major gifts. 

• Individual undergraduate scholarship gifts are driven th h i i ithrough reunion giving.

• Total achievement focused fundraising allows MAJ to work in effective partnership with TPF Schools andwork in effective partnership with TPF, Schools and Centers, Principal Gifts, Gift Planning and Alumni Relations.

Endowed Scholarships in honor of Reunions

113113

58 51non-reunion

i

111 97 109

reunion

FY06 FY07 FY08FY06 FY07 FY08

Major Gift Reunion InitiativeMajor Gift Reunion Initiative

• 20th 25th 35th & 50th Reunions include20th, 25th, 35th & 50th Reunions include Major Gift committees with an assigned MAJ team memberteam member.– The role of the MAJ officer is to coordinate the identification and solicitation process with theidentification and solicitation process with the Penn Fund officer and appropriate prospect managers across schools and centers.

• Other reunions include at least one chair of scholarship/major gift fundraising activity.p/ j g g y

The Major gifts committeeThe Major gifts committee

• Major Gifts Committee members areMajor Gifts Committee members are considered a part of the Reunion Gift CommitteeCommittee.– Typically there is a Major Gift Committee Chair and a few members depending on the class.and a few members depending on the class.

– Target gift for each member is $250K plus.

Major gift committee workMajor gift committee work

• The Major Gift Committee has the followingThe Major Gift Committee has the following goals:– Execute a full list review of top approximately– Execute a full list review of top approximately  

50 classmate prospects.

– Focus on top 50 solicitations but alsoFocus on top 50 solicitations, but also   supplement the list with committee member suggestions.

– Assign prospects

– Implement a simple event planp p p

Role of Major Gift officer PartnerRole of Major Gift officer Partner

• Organize and execute a high‐end cultivationOrganize and execute a high end cultivation event with Penn Fund partner.

• Track progress and communicate with all• Track progress, and communicate with all   University partners.

The partnership resultsThe partnership results

• MAJ and Penn Fund partners work on aMAJ and Penn Fund partners work on a Reunion timeline to bring major gifts to fruitionfruition. 

• Every prospect with a major gift capacity is considered and carefully reviewed in theconsidered and carefully reviewed in the context of reunion giving. 

MIT:MIT:Major Gifts 

andThe Annual FundThe Annual Fund

Margaret K. Dimock, Office of Leadership Giving

Danielle T. Reddy, Annual Fund

MIT’s Annual Fund and Major Gifts ‐A Harmonious Relationshipp

MIT Alumni Association MIT Resource Developmentp

MIT Annual Fund MIT Office of Leadership Giving

Organizational Structure

Annual Fund Resource Development

Class Giving Office of Leadership Giving

Organized by decade Organized RegionallyOrganized by decade Organized Regionally

Quarterly Meetings

August

Current year

Major reunions

May

Current yearj

Major reunions

N bM h November

Current year only

March

Current year only

Meeting Structure

• Prepare Major Gift officers pre‐meeting

Cl Gi i t i i hil M j Gift t t b i• Class Giving team remains in room, while Major Gifts rotates by region

• Current Reunion year gift discussion only

• Major reunion

– Gift discussion

– Potential chair/committee member discussionPotential chair/committee member discussion

Communication!

• Relationships developed over time

• Individual check‐ins between Class Giving and Leadership Giving

• Connect volunteer solicitors with Leadership Giving Officers to maximize relationshipsrelationships

• Joint visits

• Remember ‐ It’s all for MIT!

Questions?