If you’ve created your advancement plan for the balance of the school year, now is the time to figure out how to make it all happen. The first move is to determine how you will allocate your limited resources. Based on your top strategic priorities, you must allocate your resources accordingly. If you’re a one person shop, it’ll be fairly simple – you have to do it all! If you’re a one person shop with administrative support, you’ll need to determine what tasks will be assigned to your teammate. Getting organized is a key step toward being successful.
If you are the development professional and you have an administrative support person, I recommend that you focus on the strategic and your support person focus on the operational. In other words, you create the strategy for the major gift element of your plan and your support person puts it into live action. So, you have created a list of your top major gift prospects but in order to secure a commitment, you’ll need a personal appointment. Ask your support person to get those appointments for you. Identify what days and times you can do the solicitation calls and have him/her get on the phone to set up the appointments.
If you are responsible for the annual fund, be certain that your plan is prepared in the summer months prior to the annual fund season (begins in the fall). Once the strategy has been set, hand over the responsibility to your support person (or annual fund director). Make sure they clearly understand each important element of the annual fund and your plan. Provide whatever coaching and educating is required then let them do their thing.
If you have special events during the school year, get them planned and organized early (again, the summer). What role will volunteers play? Select a lead volunteer and then give them the responsibility to get the job done. Stay involved, of course, but let your teammates get the job done.
Creating your own priorities, like major gift solicitation, then organizing and utilizing your resources will lead to a more successful advancement outcome for you and your institution.
