‘Call Yourself a Team’
FS: What is the major source of your funding?
LF: I would say alumni and friends.
FS: How do they give?
LF: In a whole variety of ways. We have about 117,000 alumni, so since we’re on a campaign, most of the people who’ve given us gifts or who have the potential to give us gifts, we talk with them, meet with them one-on-one and explain the three parts of the capital campaign and ask them individually. Some come in through, obviously, our direct-mail program. Some of the money we raise through our events. We have a mainstay event called Leaders in Management, which raises quite a bit of money; and then each of the schools and colleges, by and large, have their own event that’s specific to their school and college.
FS: What are some of the unique challenges you face at Pace?
LF: The budget and the staff to be able to go out and see [alumni]. It can be so frustrating; they’re such great people and, of course, you want to see just about as many as you can.