Don’t Go It Alone
Being a VP of advancement or communications is not an easy job under any circumstances. If your role includes overseeing development communications, it can be even more complicated.
Development communications requires highly specialized knowledge of fundraising, donor relations, marketing, branding, and communications. You might have a team of people who are solely dedicated to that work, but it’s more likely you have one, two, or zero people. And within that team, there may not be a single person who can meet all of your organization’s needs.
That’s hard. Not just because there are finite resources for an infinite amount of work, but because the staff responsible will look to you more often for guidance or even writing. It’s a drain on your time and can reveal gaps in your expertise that you might not want exposed.
Do some of these scenarios feel familiar?
People Problems
You don't have a dedicated development communications staff member.
You want to help the dev comms staff you do have do a better job, but you aren’t sure how.
Your dev comms staff doesn’t have time for major gift proposals or cases for support because they’re focused on direct appeals, giving days, alumni newsletters, and other broad-based marketing.
Something Isn’t Working
You have good writers, but they aren't trained in persuasive writing.
You have a case for support, but it isn't working.
You hired an agency during the leadership phase, but it isn’t working.
No one would know you’re in a campaign by looking at any of your broad communications vehicles.
Organizations Are Messy
The comms team doesn't understand fundraising or is outright disdainful of it.
Advancement and Communications are siloed or have no history of collaboration.
Gift officers, donor relations staff, and others are sending requests for dev comms without any coordination or collaboration.
Unexpected senior leadership changes are scrambling your dev comm plans, and you need to adapt while maintaining momentum.
There’s a First (or Last) Time for Everything
You've never been through a comprehensive or capital campaign.
You’ve never been VP or C-level.
You have a new boss and want to show them what you can do.
You’re eyeing retirement, but want to leave your organization on a solid foundation for enduring success.
We know you might be experiencing one or more of these because we’ve worked with senior leaders who have.
Here’s what some of them have said:
“Emily and Robert have been invaluable thought partners to me as I navigate the intersections of communications and advancement as a new [leader]. They understand the challenges that higher ed marketers and advancement professionals face.”
–Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
"After our call, I could see clearly that our first priority must be a strategic plan, which will then support our fundraising efforts. I knew this, but stepping into a new role and feeling the weight of so many urgent needs made it difficult to focus. Your guidance helped me see the forest through the trees."
–Director of Marketing and Communications
“Emily and Robert are a dynamic duo. Their ability to simultaneously see the big picture and understand the nuances of fundraising for a complex organization is invaluable.”
–Vice President of Advancement
You don’t need to navigate an uncertain path on your own. Let’s do it together. Our advisory services are low-cost but offer high impact. Contact us to explore how you can use it to your advantage—and support your team in the process.