Defining the goals and needs of a comprehensive campaign
for Eastern Michigan University was the subject of discussion
at the first of what will be many "campaign conversations" on
campus in the coming year.
A comprehensive campaign is one that benefits students,
faculty, programs, facilities and endowments, Tom Stevick,
interim executive director and interim vice president for
advancement, explained to an audience of approximately
30 at the Dec. 6 meeting in McKenny Union's Alumni Room.
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Stevick |
"In a comprehensive campaign, you count everything that
comes through the door — cash, pledges, planned gifts and
bequests," Stevick said. "All money that comes in over
five or six years all counts toward the campaign."
Stevick said comprehensive campaigns, rather than capital
campaigns, are the norm for universities today. Capital
campaigns typically focus on raising funds for building
construction and, while beneficial, often alienate donors
who have no stake or interest in the projec, he said.
The University has been in a "quiet" or organizational
and planning phase of a comprehensive campaign since July
2005, said Mathwon Howard, director of major gifts for
the EMU Foundation. This will continue until June 2006,
followed by a two-year period called the "advance gift
phase" and conclude with a "public phase," which will last
three years. During the advance gift phases, gifts of $250,000
or more are targeted while gifts of $25,000-plus are the
main focus of the public phase.
To date, no overall funding goal has been set. However,
during a typical comprehensive campaign, large donor contributors
are contacted during the "quiet phase" of the campaign,
Howard said.
Most campaigns, he said, break down as follows:
- The first 10 gifts equal one-third of the campaign goal.
- The next 100 gifts equal one-third of the campaign goal.
- The remaining gifts equal one-third of the goal.
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Howard |
"By the end of the quiet phase, you want 60 percent of
your goal in hand," Howard said.
An essential for campaign success, Stevick said, is the
University must have a clear self-image, strategic plan
and direction. He mentioned much of that direction will
stem from the work of the University's Visioning Task Force,
which is currently working to create a five-to-seven-page
visioning statement for the University.
"This campaign will reflect this vision. We do want to
be strategic where we put our emphasis," Stevick said. "We
have to articulate first to ourselves why it's important
to the University. Then, we certainly have to express that
to our alumni and donors."
The time is right for a campaign for a number of reasons,
Stevick said. Charitable giving has increased in
the past five years. In addition, it's been nine years
since EMU conducted its last campaign, which was called
the "Campaign for Scholars," Stevick said. Most universities
typically conduct a campaign every four or five years,
he said.
A great need for scholarships; colleges and departments
need increased support for faculty, programs and new initiatives;
and an ever-growing need for new, updated and restored
campus facilities are other key reasons for a campaign.
"Donors want to know their impact on students and want
to leave a legacy," Howard said.
Student retention and scholarships were the subjects that
drew the most discussion from audience members.
Courtney McAnuff, vice president for enrollment services,
said he would like to see more scholarship support for
students in the arts and an academic support building that
could offer tutoring and other resources that can help
students remain in school.
"We could make it (academic support) something central
rather than an aside," McAnuff said.
"I think if we did a great job raising funds, we could
focus on retention," added Bernice Lindke, associate vice
president for enrollment services. "Because funds are limited,
most of the focus (now) is on recruiting."
The ability to offer more student research and study abroad
opportunities are key ways to retain students, said Paula
Dykstra, assistant to the vice president for enrollment
services.
Donations could be earmarked for students to do research
or study abroad. This increases their experience for the
likelihood of a job," Dykstra said. "Parents are in to
the practical. Students are in to the practical."
"A campaign is something the entire University has to
grab as its own and put time and leadership into it," Stevick
said.
Future campaign conversations will be scheduled at later
dates. For more information, contact Stevick at 484-1322
or Howard at 481-2306.
