Charting A Course Advancement Planning— a road map to success Archdiocesan Development Council Advancement Academy: Fundamentals of Development 9/12/07

How did I get here?  Willing volunteer  Crossed over from “business”  Doing something else, but got this interesting offer…  Worked in another part of the school  It started as a ► Temporary job ► Part-time job  Studied non-profit management ► FACT: There are few straight roads into the Advancement World

What did I get myself into??? ► What did you agree to do?  Run an Annual Fund  Organize a reunion  Try to find 50 years of graduate records in the church basement and enter them into a database  Raise $500,000 to cover the debt we have from the last fundraising effort that didn’t quite make its goal  Create a fundraising program that doesn’t include magazine, candy bar or fruit sales ► Fact: Advancement work is important for all of our institutions. Your work can make a difference if you focus on the right things!

Advancement 101 ► Understand the priorities of your position.  What were you hired to do?  Make sure your understanding is the same as your supervisor/pastor/President ► FOCUS on your priorities ► Too often URGENT requests pull you away from what you should be doing!

Develop a Plan ► Identify Priorities of your work  Case study: CCHS Advancement Plan ► Challenge:  Define the Scope of work  Set a context that allows others to have faith in your plans  Create a long range plan that is results driven

Plan Introduction 1) Mission of the Carmel Catholic High School Development Department The mission of the Advancement Department is to promote engagement in the mission of Carmel Catholic High School. The objective of this engagement is twofold: The mission of the Advancement Department is to promote engagement in the mission of Carmel Catholic High School. The objective of this engagement is twofold: - To support an environment of continuing commitment to the goals of Catholic education by alumni, current parents, past parents and members of the broader community of friends of Carmel Catholic High School. - To make available to those involved supporters of Carmel Catholic High School opportunities to provide both financial and non-financial support, ultimately creating non-tuition based income that will:  Keep tuition affordable  Endow tuition assistance funds  Provide for capital additions and improvements 2) Financial Objectives To increase baseline[1] contributions by 10% per annum over a five-year period and to provide To increase baseline[1] contributions by 10% per annum over a five-year period and to provide[1] support for endowments and capital campaigns as directed by the Board of Directors. support for endowments and capital campaigns as directed by the Board of Directors. 3) Keys to Success - Ability of the Advancement Department staff to implement plans and programs aimed at creating engagement in the mission and activities of Carmel Catholic High School - Commitment to increasing staff development and effectiveness - Effective use of volunteers and staff to support Advancement and fund raising programs 4) Strategic View of Engagement Definition of Engagement : To be committed and involved in the support of Carmel Catholic High School in any or all of the following dimensions - Physical-Returning to the school for sporting events, social events, volunteer work - Philosophical-Support of the mission of Catholic education in general - Financial-Committed to financial support of Carmel Catholic High School - Personal-Connection with the school through other members of the Carmel community (alumni, faculty, parents, past parents, etc.) [1][1] Baseline contributions are defined as The Annual Fund, STAR Gala and The Annual Golf Outing [1]

Unengaged Community Engaged but Non-Contributing Engaged and Contributing Major Benefactors The Advancement Department sees the world of Carmel Catholic constituencies as a pyramid. On the assumption that the world of constituencies has a large number of non-involved members at the bottom of the pyramid, the level of engagement increases up the pyramid as the number of members of the individual community decreases. The focus of the Advancement Department is threefold: 1)Create and implement Advancement Programs to expand the absolute size of the pyramid 2) Create and implement Advancement Programs to move members of the community up the pyramid 3) Create opportunities for those members of the community at the top of the pyramid to make a financial commitment through Fund Raising Programs

Developing the Plan ► The Process  Self-Study  Benchmarking

Self-Study ► Comprehensive Internal Fundraising Study  Dollars  Participation  See illustration

Benchmarking ► Form: ► Leadership Model: ► Enrollment: ► Age of School: ► Tuition: ► Development Staff Size ► 1. What is the goal of your Development/Advancement office? ► 2. How do you measure the yearly success of your Development/Advancement program? How do you plan for growth? ► 3) What programs) or aspects of your overall program do you feel are exceptionally good?

Define key issues ► Unrestricted Fundraising ► Annual Fund ► The Annual Fund is the Development Office’s primary vehicle to raise unrestricted funds. We do this currently through a combination of personal appeals, mail appeals and phone appeals. ► Key Issues ► As shown on the enclosed historical review, the Annual Fund has grown from over 1000% over the last 11 years. Over that time frame, that Annual Fund has increased, with years of small setbacks (which may be attributed to personnel changes within the Department). The key issues for success and continued growth within the Annual Fund are as follows:  The Annual Fund appeals need to be regular, focused and appropriate allowing for re-subscription, donor upgrading and first-time donor acquisition. Appeals need to be active throughout the year to insure a steady flow of funds to CCHS.  In , fewer than 5% of the alumni supported the Annual Fund. A concerted effort to increase the number of alumni donors must take place and continue into the foreseeable future.  Current Parents need to be educated as to what Development is at Carmel Catholic and solicited as donors. In % of parents supported the Annual Fund.  Other constituencies need to be brought in to support the Annual Fund as appropriate (i.e. past parents and grandparents).  A focused major gifts ($1,000+) program needs to continue to be part of the Annual Fund program.

Define strategy and tactics ► Focused and Personal solicitation for Carmel Society membership. Our goal is to maintain current members, attract new members and increase the avg. gift size in this category. ► Develop a clear calendar of mail solicitations that include standard mail, phone and and are focused on specific segments with the goals of maintenance, acquisition and upgrading of donors. ► A focus on engagement through our alumni program should yield more involved alumni and by extension more alumni donors. As we move forward, activating a greater percentage of the alumni needs to remain a primary focus. ► Continuing the Freshman Parent Development Orientation and developing engagement strategies to stay connected with sophomore, junior and senior parents. ► Continued focus through specific appeals to Past Parents and Grandparents constituencies. ► Revise gift clubs to raise the “floor” of recognition clubs to $100. ► Target subset of total “alumni population” and focus fundraising effort on these classes. ► Growth Strategies ► Year One: one (FY ) ► Increase Annual Fund revenue to $275,000  Carmel Society Goals: $151,250  Core Annual Fund Goal: $123,750  Acquisition Goals ► Alumni = 7% (total participation) ► Current Parents = 28% ► Year T: two (FY ) ► Increase Annual Fund revenue 5% to $375,000 ► Carmel Society Goals: $225,000  Core Annual Fund Goal: $150,000  Acquisition Goals ► Alumni = 10% (total participation) ► Current Parents = 33%

Work the plan ► Accountability ► Comprehensive Calendar ► Adjust and improve

► Annual Fund has > doubled over past 7 years ► Aiming at a $500,000 AF within 5 years  Combination of financial targets and acquisition targets ► Other things are charted as well (events, restricted and capital fundraising)

Regardless of staff size, or your experience, you can be successful! Get Focused and make a plan, work the plan, evaluate and revise the plan.

George B. Rattin, CFRE Director Of Institutional Advancement Carmel Catholic High School (847)