Meet Your Mission

• Goals are used to bridge the gap between the cost of educating a student and the amount of tuition being paid; but

• goals must be reached with equal or fewer resources than the year before.

Then there’s shortage of staff. Fundraising staff tenures continue to shorten as the demand for experienced, educated professionals increases. The time, energy and expense of running one position search after the other takes its toll, especially on small fundraising shops [as many colleges and universities have]. Institutions are being forced to prioritize their need for fundraising staff to focus their efforts on filling the positions most needed while redefining current job descriptions to balance the workload of position vacancies.

FS: What needs to be done to overcome them?

PM: Cost per dollar raised needs to come into play while determining goals. What’s the right amount to spend on raising a dollar for your institution? Too high and you’re not as efficient as you could be; too low and you’re holding yourself back.

Professional development and training will help transition fundraising staff up the ladder to fill open development positions. Internal promotions, as well as creating partnerships within your faculty, will help fill some of the need for personal solicitors and front-line fundraisers.

HUNGER

What’s Uncle Sam Got to Do With It?

Steven Miller is the director of development and membership at Bread for the World, a nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world’s hungry people by lobbying decision makers in the United States. Its unusual mix of faith and politics helps it to stand out among the crowd of hunger-focused organizations vying for donor dollars.

“Bread for the World builds on the significant effort of Christians across this country. Millions are involved in prayer and worship, direct-feeding programs, learning about hunger and poverty, and financial contributions that improve individuals’ lives in this country and around the world,” Miller explains. “The one additional effort that’s missing — and where Bread for the World adds value to all of their other efforts — is to change policies that affect hungry people and efforts on a broad and, hopefully, more
permanent scale.”