University needs to develop additional relationships with donors comfortable with and experienced in giving to endowments and building funds.
Throughout the meeting, Dean Prothrow-Stith thanked DAC members who had already made a personal financial commitment at the requested level and asked the remaining members to pledge a commitment as soon as possible. By the end of the day, over 80 % of DAC members had done so.
Dr. Briscoe further highlighted the message of personal commitment by stating that all CDU stakeholders have a potential role in donor identification and cultivation. She noted that one of the reasons for the five-year threshold is to ramp up the campaign with additional staffing, donor identification, and hiring a major gifts officer to build a stronger fundraising management system.
Activities will include collaboration between senior administrators, Deans and others in donor cultivation, as well as responding to and expanding current institutional fundraising opportunities. Developing information packets and utilizing effective communication tools to convey the message will also be essential to the work. Also crucial is the step of educating faculty, staff and the community regarding the value and importance of participation. It will be essential to build out various levels of donor participation to be as inclusive as possible.
Next steps include presenting the feasibility study to the CDU Board of Trustees, further solicit their commitment, and recruit a campaign Executive Committee. By that time, the work of soliciting the top 15 gifts will be underway.
Dean Prothrow-Stith and Dr. Briscoe noted what was ahead for the College of Medicine team in the fundraising effort. COM will continue to develop the business case for the CDU Medical Degree Program that describes both the importance of such programs in today’ s world and the value proposition of a medical school committed to training future physicians to eradicate health disparities.
The CDU Medical Degree Program as envisioned by University leaders is consistent with medical schools of recent vintage as well as those under construction or in the planning stage. The team should look at the national climate for medical education and what funders look for. The Bloomberg gift instantly accelerates the University’ s visibility and raises CDU’ s national profile.
Following Dr. Briscoe’ s presentation, DAC members were sent to virtual breakout rooms for the purpose of brainstorming and additional team building. Here are some of the comments from those sessions:
• CDU offers a compelling story to fundraisers. The donor cultivation team should be well prepared; and the overwhelming community need should be a key talking point.
• Marketing materials will offer the opportunity to speak with a variety of audiences including elected officials. We should leverage the compassion that people feel for unserved clients.
• There is great importance on putting a face to this effort. Students have absorbing personal stories to tell. Communities of color have a richness and attacking health disparities enhances all people.
• CDU leadership such as Dr. Prothrow-Stith offer the independent medical education program stability and vision.
• We must be in a position to generate lots of enthusiasm and high energy in support of this effort.
• We need to come up with appealing messages for people like the Clippers’ Steve Ballmer; we should engage community spokespersons like Sweet Alice Harris.
• Everyone should see themselves in the building.
CDU College of Medicine | PG. 12