COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

By Mary Anna Dunn
Director, Comprehensive Campaign

Fund raising is going on, but we’re still getting ready to “start the clock” on the official launch of the campaign.

The underpinning for a campaign is a fully operational development program. We’ve made a lot of progress putting that into place. For example, during the past year Fresno State has added its first-ever director of planned giving. Since many people are best able to carry out their philanthropy via their estate plans, we needed an expert in place to assist prospective donors. Charitable trusts and annuities, which offer lifetime income as well as tax deductions, are advantageous to the donors as well as to the university. Any well-rounded development program offers assistance in this area. Now we can.

Also, Fresno State now has online giving. Members of the campus community, alumni and friends anywhere in the world can make gifts via the Web at www.csufresno.edu/giving/. The Website allows for the use of credit cards to make gifts via a secure server.

“Infrastructure” is another focus in preparing for a campaign. In order to receive, record and steward a higher volume of gifts, as well as more complex gifts, the university needs to have good systems and clear policies in place. That sort of preparation is more or less invisible outside of the Keats Building, which houses the Development Office, but it’s important, too.

Progress made in that arena includes moving the production of receipts from the Foundation to Advancement Services in Keats, printing the receipts directly from the donor database. That move lets us acknowledge gifts more promptly and use an updated, more attractive form.

Also, considerable work has gone into improving the information in the alumni-donor database and training development staff on how to optimize use of the data.

This is a glimpse into the unglamorous background of campaign preparation. We’re getting ready. When will the campaign start? Stand by!