University Boards and Fund

Raising

Purdy Crawford O.C.

How important is board giving at the outset of a major

institutional campaign?

Board giving is very important.  When the campaign approaches the external community it is very positive to communicate the level of giving by the board, the faculty, the staff and, if feasible, the students.

 

How do you personally encourage board members to

invest financially in a campaign, particularly when they

are devoting time and effort as well?

In my own experience, board members generally understand that they have to participate in the university’s campaigns on a reasonable basis, as their finances permit.  I have not experienced any significant problems in this area.

What is a more important benchmark for board giving: 

total amount or participation rate?

I think the percentage of participation is what is important.  It is understood by the philanthropic community that board members have different financial backgrounds and for some what appears to be a small gift could be relatively big gift for others.

What trends have you witnessed in university campaigns

over the years?

The biggest trend is the increase of the level of giving. The increases have been fairly dramatic.  Fifteen or twenty years ago an individual gift of $1 million was incredible -- today the measuring stick is $5 million.  I think on the whole the philanthropic community has become more attuned to the necessity of giving to help our non-profit organizations.

How should a Board approach the nomination

process…especially when a campaign is on the horizon?

In my view, in addition to the importance of the senior development officer and his/her staff, the three potentially most important people in financial campaigns are the President, the Chancellor and the Chairman of the Board.  Very often a President, at least a new one, is not very comfortable in soliciting money but it is important that the President get on side quickly.  If the Chancellor is not a good fund raiser, then it is important to have a Board Chair who is. Governance is very important and I do not want to diminish the importance of that, but at looking for nominations one should always have an eye for people who are good or have the potential to be good in fund raising and giving.