Strategic Planning and Benchmarking to Improve your Results Jill A. Pranger, ACFRE SUNY CUAD Conference 10 June 2009 Lake Placid, NY

Today, we’ll talk about… 1. Planning -- looking back 2. Planning -- looking at others 3. Planning -- getting there… 4. Goals… 5. Year after year after year

Planning…  What are you already doing?  What would you like to do?  What can you do?  Adding more years…

Start by Looking Back…  How well did we do last year?  How did we do it?  How well did THEY do?

Benchmarking…  Choose your cohort group  Consider similarities  Know the differences  Stick with them  Share the results

Choosing a cohort group…  Mission  History  Location  Age of school / college

Choosing cohort group… (2)  Type of program(s)  Class size  Nature of alumni population  Distribution across age groups  Post-graduation employment

Choosing cohort group… (3)  Nature of fundraising  Maturity of FR program  Who / how many in FR program  Campaign Status

Things to Assess / Compare…  Size of donor population  Average gift size  Participation rates - class, age, school  Retention / Reinstatement / New

Things to Assess / Compare…  To what and for what…  By what method(s)  Timing of gifts  Involvement of Leadership  Use of volunteers / staff / faculty

Reporting The Results…  Credibility  To solicit help / partners  Good donor stewardship  …So you know the answers

What would you like to do?  What did you/Dean/President like?  What didn’t you/Dean/President like?  What was productive?  What bombed?

Challenge yourself… If there’s something you didn’t like, but that was productive, is there a way to change it so you will like it?

And… If there’s something you liked but that wasn’t productive, is there a way to change it so it will be more productive?

A Word About Goals… Goals are NOT based on budgetary needs…

Goals are based on a thorough review of expected gifts… plus An honest evaluation of what your inputs to get those gifts will be

What can we do? (continued) ► Cost ► Personnel ► Time ► Support ► Prospects

Where do you want your advancement program to be in five years?

What will it take? …Change in fundraising activities? …Increase in staff size? …Change in technology? …Change in donor population? …Change in giving opportunities? …Buy-in? …Approvals?

Take the first step… --Which one is easiest to accomplish? --By when will you accomplish it? --What’s next?

Multi-Year Planning  Add next year…  Start the same…  Then consider… growth, expansion, contraction, new programs, new donors, new initiatives, volunteers, faculty, administration, personal goals

Multi-Year Planning  Now, add the following year…  Include many types of goals  Never fear, change is possible

Multi-Year Gifts ●Review case for support ●Engage outsiders ●Calculate long-range impact ●Publicize long-range impact

Multi-Year Gifts (2) ●Seek multi-year commitments ●Recognize multi-year commitments ●Multi-year giving society ●Multi-year giving clubs

Multi-Year Gifts (3) ●Talk about the difference… ●Engage / involve donors… ●Thank / recognize donors…

Multi-Year Volunteers  Personal multi-year pledge?  Multi-year service commitment?  Long-term thinking?

Multi-Year Volunteers (2)  Tools and understanding?  Is there a multi-year volunteer cohort group?  Are you going to be here next year?

And, in conclusion… 1. Look back 2. Look at others 3. Look forward 4. Think in multiples 5. Don’t forget your case 6. It takes time…

Strategic Planning and Benchmarking to Improve your Results Jill A. Pranger, ACFRE