How to fundraise - from a Harvard/Columbia grad
One of our correspondents, Bill Whelan who writes for Oxford Magazine - sent us this piece of correspondence that he received from a Columbia grad & professional recruiter.
His first three prescriptions for a solid, Harvard or Yale size foundation?
Start early, put real resources into the effort, use the alumni base. Hard? Not really - once you've got everybody on the right track.
We recently met Jon Dellandrea. He's a Candian dynamo.
Read it all in the extended entry below.
Dear Bill,
Thank you for asking for my views.
I am currently working with graduates of Oxford, Cambridge, and London as well as college and graduate school graduates from the best in the USA - Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Wharton, Darden - and find that the there is no difference on the job among the "best of the best" from "either side of the pond" - the UK or the USA. And I've had this pleasure for over 43 years - a long time. In many countries. Ouch!
The UK universities - and some USA schools like Columbia - appear to have a lot to learn from Harvard on the fund raising side. The Harvard messages are:
Start early - Senior (4th) year of the bachelor's degree.
Put real resources (real money) to the situation - Columbia (despite increased efforts) is still trying to do it cheaply.
Use alumni (ae) as fund-raisers, supported by dedicated, quality professionals.
Never stop the effort.
Provide continuity - The same Harvard College Fund woman who supported-managed our 25th reunion is doing our 50th.
Get the very best investment managers to manage the endowment (look at Harvard's results, what it's meant for the University, and especially the College).
You may quote me - by name - on all of this, if you wish.
Cheers for the season to you and yours.
Sincerely,
J. G.
Harvard (AB 1957)
Columbia (MIA 1963)