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This year has been one of the most tumultuous in the history of higher education. Administrators and educators have barely had time to breathe, much less look past the new normal to the next normal and the one after that.

Through this age of uncertainty, opportunities emerge for institutions to reimagine, restructure, and reengage their communities to build a new strategic framework that will allow them to thrive and achieve their missions. The needs are in many cases unlike ones that higher education has ever faced, especially all at once. While at the same time, resources have rarely been as constrained. How can institutions activate the resources they need to forge a new path for the future?

Advancement teams are best positioned to partner with institutional leaders not only to understand the most pressing needs and priorities for the future, but to courageously chart the path forward toward solutions.

Never has there been a more compelling time for philanthropy to play a vital role in advancing the mission of higher education. Institutions are facing the challenges to effectively manage COVID-19 response and supporting the tide of racial and social justice. These are undoubtedly extraordinary times that will require creativity. Now more than ever, is the time to foster a culture of philanthropy and empower Advancement to lead, while standing squarely in the center of courage and humility.

This is who we are

At institutions across the country, Advancement organizations find themselves living at the center of a unique intersection — an intersection where courage and humility are equal partners. Courage must be ever-present in the constant and relentless pursuit of an institution’s mission, especially when bold visions and new ideas are required to meet some of the most pressing needs of our time. This pursuit represents a fire that burns deep in the soul of an Advancement organization, providing energy to the entire institution to keep moving forward to serve the greater good.

At its heart, advancement work is about service. To be of the greatest service, however, Advancement must be humble in all that they do. “A genuine, authentic commitment to facilitating meaningful relationships between donors and institutions is only possible by truly listening, learning, and setting pre-conceived notions aside,” says Beth Brenner, Associate Vice President at Ellucian. “Advancement inspires philanthropy each day and changes our world for the better by embracing and believing in the passions of others.”

By engaging almost every part of the institution, advancement organizations often serve as the brokers of creativity between tangible needs and dollars and cents. They have spent many years listening to alumni, donors, and community partners, and they know where their shared passions exist. They are well positioned to have fearless conversations with potential supporters, to seek input and recommend new strategies, and to elevate the role philanthropy plays not only in the achievement of the institution’s goals, but importantly, the donor’s vision.

Identifying and connecting donor passions to institutional priorities

The execution of this mindset, the real change, is getting all internal stakeholders to understand how philanthropy can support their specific priorities, and how those departments can work with Advancement to everyone’s benefit.

All donors are potentially multi-interest donors, if institutions invest in engaging with them and building comprehensive profiles of their connections to the school, values, and goals. This effort is not just about soliciting more gifts, however; it’s about bringing donors into the network of people who will guide the institution through immediate and looming crises.

“Those donors are the ones we can learn from, who will share diversity of thought, opinions, and experiences that can be leveraged to accomplish the institution's most pressing needs,” Brenner explains. “These supporters have exposure and access to the entire institution. They have a sense of how the institutional parts work together and where they can really make meaningful impact through their philanthropy.”

Every department — academics, student affairs, parent programs, clubs, etc. — has a unique view of constituents’ touch points with the institution. These views affect how departments engage with those constituents. Combined, those disparate interactions can paint a powerful picture of each individual’s unique interests and passions. This insight can be used to develop more personalized outreach and highlight how their interests align with the institution's mission. So how can institutions break silos, foster a sense of shared responsibility for supporting and furthering the institution's mission?

Collaboration within the institution makes it easier for advancement to build trust with alumni, donors, foundations, and corporations who can help chart a course to a sustainable and thriving future. They will see the impact of philanthropy most clearly when they are part of the process. “The best way to inspire the campus community is by demonstrating fundraising success and sharing the response from donors,” says Brenner. “That’s when deans, provosts, and other institutional leaders become inspired by philanthropy and intentional about creating synergy, when they hear a donor say, ‘I believe in what you’re doing, and I want to support your work.’”

Leveraging data to grow a culture of philanthropy

Data that the institution might already have, or could obtain, provide indicators to identify and cultivate relationships and align donors’ philanthropic goals to institutional priorities. “Growing a data-driven, donor-centric approach starts with transforming business processes across the institution and a commitment to gathering and diligently recording data into a shared system,” says Jenny Jones, Senior Advancement Strategist at Ellucian. “This responsibility falls to the entire team — not just gift and data entry staff but everyone in advancement, from gift officers to alumni staff to donor relations to executives.”

This is where a constituent relationship management (CRM) solution can help. “CRMs empower institutions to grow a comprehensive strategy supported by technology that helps them more effectively cultivate, engage, and manage relationships with their donors,” says Jones. “Institutions need not just a CRM that’s shared across departments, but a CRM culture that fosters a sense of shared responsibility for supporting and furthering the institution’s mission.”

Embracing a strategic approach to philanthropy

The pandemic has served as a reckoning for higher education. “While change is hard for everyone, it is inevitable, and more change will come,” says Jones. “Advancement can’t do it alone. We need to embrace change in how we work, how students learn, and how we bring the campus community together.” The institutions that embrace philanthropy and pursue it strategically will thrive.

Donors know what they want to accomplish through their investments — and increasingly, they are prioritizing impact during a time when meeting immediate human needs and planning for the future is so essential. Moving forward, advancement teams must continue forging more meaningful connections by listening to the concerns and ideas of alumni, donors and partners. Now is time to truly unite the institution and define collective success not in terms of dollars, but how those dollars change the world.