Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Welcome to the June issue of "Bright Ideas!" This month, for Part II of our series on the question of what makes a good trustee, we interview Linda Durant, Senior Vice President for University Development, Widener University. Linda's comments are quite thorough and provide great insight into the very dynamic relationship between university trustees and senior staff.  

Also this month, Trish Jackson, Vice President for Advancement at Smith College, shares her personal perspective on the state of women's salaries—complete with a list of outdated precepts that may be keeping some of us (women) from asking for and receiving the compensation we truly deserve. Don't miss this article!  

Then, as an interesting complement to Trish's article, Cynthia Woolbright tackles the “thorny issue” of how to attract and retain quality staff when your college of university can't pay top dollar.  

Please enjoy this month's reading recommendations and remember, you are invited to share the title of any book, article, blog, etc. —it doesn't have to be strictly work-related—that you have recently enjoyed.

Please feel free to share your comments on this month's topics and, as always, we encourage you to submit ideas for future articles. Please send your article ideas to: info@woolbrightgroup.com  

Best regards from all of us at The Woolbright Group!

What Makes a Good Trustee? - Part II
Interview with Linda Durant, Senior Vice President for University Development, Widener University

1.  Tell us a little about the make-up of your Board of Trustees (number, who they are—parents, alumni, term of service, other)

There are 26 non-honorary trustees and 3 honorary (non-voting) trustees. The non-honorary trustees include 19 alumni, 6 friends and 1 student trustee. They are elected for a three-year term, and can serve multiple terms. The exception is the student, who serves a one-year term. The student is recommended by the President and presented to the Trusteeship Committee and Executive Committee for nomination to the Board.

2.  How would you define the role of the board at Widener University?

The Board has full responsibility for the financial conditions and resources of Widener, including the investment and administration of the endowment fund. In addition, the Board is responsible for the recruitment and on-going evaluation of the President and providing support and feedback throughout his tenure. Finally, the other major responsibility of the Board is to provide strategic direction and leadership to the President, the executive team, and the university community through an annual review of the university strategic plan, which was approved by the Board in 2004. At the Board's annual retreat, the entire board discusses a complete review of the previous year's goals and objectives. The staff assesses the outcomes and identifies the result of each item using a green light, red light, or yellow light designation to the item to indicate progress.

3.  In general, what do you see as the role of the board related to raising philanthropic support for their respective institutions? From your perspective, how is that best accomplished?

I believe it is the Board's responsibility to be engaged and aware of the philanthropic efforts of the university. This can be accomplished in a number of ways – for example, there are three major roles that trustees can play in working with individuals, corporations or foundations. Those roles are advocate, guide, and solicitor. It is my belief that all trustees should be engaged in at least two out of three of these roles. This is best accomplished when the staff takes ownership of educating the trustees about these roles and takes the lead in providing information and training as necessary for each board member. For example, it is made clear to all our trustees during the nomination process that they will be expected to participate on the board in these roles, as well as making a gift each year to their means, with a minimum amount suggested.

4  In general, what do you think are the three biggest challenges (or issues) facing boards today?

In light of recent incidents on many campuses throughout the country, I think that ensuring the safety and security of our students is a challenge for all trustees. They are acutely aware of the incidents that have occurred and are asking us to assess our campus safety procedures and policies and the training of our campus safety officers and staff members to be sure everyone is prepared to handle any type of emergency.

Another challenge facing boards today is the recruitment and retention of the institution's president. Every day there are news releases of presidents leaving one institution for another and the average tenure of quality presidents is becoming shorter each year. Our board is very cognizant of this trend and makes every effort to support and provide incentives to keep the president here.

Finally, the cost of “doing business” at the university is rising rapidly and the board feels a responsibility to continue to provide a high quality educational experience to our students, while keeping tuition at a reasonable rate. This has become increasingly difficult for any institution to achieve. Students are graduating with a heavy debt load and the board is sensitive to this issue and works with the administration to maintain quality while not excessively raising tuition each year.

5.  In your own experience, how has the board regularly evaluated itself? Its members? What is the process?

Our Trusteeship Committee has developed a thoughtful and comprehensive self-assessment tool that is given to each trustee annually. The Trusteeship Committee members review these self-assessments and discussion is held as to what resources or information to provide, or decisions made in response to the outcomes. For example, if a majority of members believe they do not have a full picture of the university's finances, a presentation will be made at the next meeting. Additionally, the Executive Committee evaluates each trustee at the end of his or her third year on the board. This review includes attendance at meetings, participation in board and committee work, and financial support of the university.

Also, an evaluation is done at the completion of each board meeting and changes may be made to the next meeting as a result of that feedback.

6.  Do you and/or your staff utilize any outside resources related to governance matters (i.e., websites, workshops, journals, blogs, consultants, etc.)?

We have utilized consultants with the board to review our governance issues and as a result have made changes to the committee structure and the actual design and structure of board meetings. In addition, the chair of each committee and the university liaison to that committee attended the AGB conference and as a result changes were made to the charges of each of the committees. Also, at a new board member's orientation, the AGB pamphlet for the committees the member serves on is given to him/her. I have also participated in CASE webinars that deal with building a better board.

7.  Recently, a survey by CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education) and CIC (Council of Independent Colleges) reported that only one percent of leaders at small and mid-size American colleges believe their boards are well grounded in the basics of fundraising. To what to you attribute such results? What role might Chief Advancement Officers play in educating board members? What steps have you taken to address this topic with members of your board?

I do agree that this is a major issue for many colleges and universities; however, it is most likely the fault of the staff and not the trustees. The university staff, most importantly, the advancement professionals, are responsible for providing the training and information to trustees as to their role in fundraising and the basics of fundraising. This should be done with all new trustees and periodically with all members of the board.

I think there is a false impression by some university staff that all trustees come to the board with this knowledge and have had experience with fundraising efforts. The Chief Advancement Officer must take the lead to assess the trustees' knowledge and then plan and provide appropriate training, utilizing either a consultant, or the CAO directly giving this information to the board. At Widener, we have done this in a variety of ways. For example, when I first arrived, I used the opportunity of being a newcomer to develop a Fundraising 101 information sheet that I discussed first with the advancement committee and then with the full board.  

Additionally, at our first board retreat, I had a consultant spend a half-day addressing fundraising and campaign topics. Now that we are in the silent phase of a campaign, our campaign consultant has done two presentations on campaigns and the role of the board in the campaign. These sessions have been very well received by the board.

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The Woolbright Group provides comprehensive consulting services in the areas of Board and staff development. For more information, please call Cynthia Woolbright at 585.787.0325, or e-mail us at info@woolbrightgroup.com.

Gender Matters: A Perspective on Women's Salaries in Advancement
Trish Jackson, Vice President for Advancement, Smith College

Note: A similar article will appear in CASE Currents, July/August issue, along with the salary data on advancement professionals.

Oh good; another salary survey to remind me and other readers that women don't negotiate as well for ourselves as we do for others and, as a result, continue to be underpaid. If I don't make myself familiar with the latest data in CURRENTS, my husband is bound to pick up the publication and share the information with me once I get home from work – not the ideal time of day to approach me with such news.

That is not to say that I believe I am paid unfairly now. Using national economic standards and confirmed by the CASE data, I know that in the last 10 years I have made good decisions about working for institutions that prioritize compensating women and men equitably for jobs well done. In addition, I have done a better job on the front end in determining an appropriate salary range and benefits for someone with my experience and credentials, and am much less afraid to ask for what I believe I should be paid. Yet, there remains a moment of curiosity at best and a sinking feeling at worst that, if I were a man, I would be earning more--especially if I had begun negotiating better for myself in the first 10 years of my advancement tenure. While I knew that work in the non-profit sector would result in lower remuneration than staying in the for-profit arena, I did not do enough initial homework to understand how much less, and likely ended up being underpaid for the first part of my now 25+ year advancement career.  

Feelings of frustration related to this seeming inequity are further exacerbated every time I read a news article or witness behavior that indicates that perceptions of leadership can remain influenced by the gender of the leader. As proud as I am about the advances women have made in the workplace in the United States and other countries and the key roles women's colleges and their graduates have played in such progress, I know there are still misguided people who harbor erroneous perceptions about both the ways men and women should behave and be compensated. Instead of resigning myself to inaction in the face of that reality, I believe it is critical to aim for action through the unpacking of complicated baggage that many women carry around with us and the corresponding demand of equal and fair pay for all in the advancement profession.

Like many of you (and, we believe CASE readers are 68 percent female), I tote silly baggage – namely my own misbegotten ideas about the ways people should act or be recognized. I suspect many of you may find that you are carrying around some of these same weighty items. Let's get rid of them now! Time to dump the following:

•  The belief that if you do a good job, you will automatically be recognized for it and so there is no need to call attention to such,

•  The belief that talking about your accomplishments constitutes bragging and “nice girls” don't brag,

•  The belief that by drawing attention to yourself you might take attention away from others,

•  The belief that enjoyment of your work for a worthy cause is compensation enough,

•  The belief that advocating for yourself is just not a part of your personality,

•  And – my personal favorite – the belief that your accomplishments are not even accomplishments, just “luck,” and that you will soon be discovered as the phony you have been for many years! (For further information on this topic, I highly recommend The Imposter Phenomenon: Overcoming the Fear That Haunts Your Success by Pauline Rose Clance.)

Recognize any of these? Might there be others you would add to the list? Sure, we could each wait to toss this unnecessary baggage until further outraged by yet another study on the economic disparity between salaries for men and women in advancement and other fields, or we could start now to get rid of this deadweight, and also re-dedicate ourselves to ensuring a better and more equitable future for both the women and men who will follow in our footsteps.  

Once that is done, I recommend turning to some of your male colleagues, family members or friends and practice negotiating with them; it really does help! Study the CASE data, check out useful new Web sites such as salary.com or wageproject.com, and talk to women and men who have worked for the same or similar institutions about their own negotiations and promotion experiences. All of this should help to hone your own negotiating skills, and increase the likelihood that you will be paid more competitively. And, when you reach the point that you are hiring people, please make certain you are not falling prey to discriminatory practices in your own operations. With CASE membership now at 66 percent female, many of us are in positions to remedy some of the past inequities in compensation, and have a responsibility to do so. We also want to make sure that overall salaries in our field do not decline, because of the predominance of women in the profession—the so-called “feminization” of advancement, a phenomenon similar to what happened with secretarial and teaching positions in the 20th Century (that continues to have long-term impact on the compensation levels in these fields.)

Leaving unwarranted baggage behind, ensuring economic parity in our own institutions and guarding against falling salaries are all critical to move everyone in advancement--men and women—forward, so we are not faced with another salary survey five years from now that shows no real progress in the salary differentials between women and men, and even worse, demonstrates an actual decline in advancement salaries for both men and women. I invite you to join me in tossing your own baggage, encouraging peers to do the same and, then, advocating for the fair and equitable pay of all advancement professionals. Wouldn't it be nice if this was the last CURRENTS article that ever needs to be written on this perennial topic?

Discussion Forum Thorny Issues: Solutions to Your Most Perplexing Problems

As fundraising professionals, we are often faced with challenging issues that can consume a disproportionate amount of time and energy. Sometimes these are the issues of our “real” work; however the way in which our time is spent may not be the most productive.

Each month, we will discuss some of the concerns shared by many of our colleagues. This column is intended as a forum for discussion. We invite your input-- whether you would like to submit a topic for discussion, share an experience, or propose a solution that worked for you.  

The comments that follow are not intended as defining solutions, but rather ideas that will inspire creative thinking and dialogue that will lead to new and better solutions.  

Thorny Issue: Attracting and retaining good staff when you can't pay top dollar.

No one would dispute that compensation ranks at the top of any individual's list of job priorities. Yet as one makes his or her way up the professional ladder, many other factors come into play that may weigh favorably in terms of overall advancement. Many colleges and universities that are not in a position to pay top dollar must find ways to compete for talented staff. Here are some strategies for attracting top-notch professionals to your program.

•  Leadership opportunities. A strong team with a proven track record of achieving results is a major draw. Market this aspect of your program by emphasizing the following:

• Professional recognition or awards (for example a CASE award)
• Staff members who present at CASE conferences
• Staff members who are actively engaged in professional development programs, on and off campus

•  Opportunities to work closely with the institution's leadership.  

This can be a powerful motivating factor in the recruitment and retention of your staff. Promote the ways in which your team members, at all levels, are involved with the institution's leadership. Highlight opportunities for interaction with your president/head and vice presidents. Define the role of staff in relation to the Board of Trustees, and/or the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Define how staff might acquire and improve their skill set through working with top institutional leadership. If this is not currently a strong facet of your program, think about how you might create such opportunities for your staff.  

•  Build a professional development program for the staff.   

This is key to successful staff retention. First, make sure you have current and accurate job descriptions. Clearly define the expectations for professional conduct and ethical behavior, as well as an annual performance plan and evaluation process. You should have both an overall program for the advancement team as a whole, as well as programs for individuals that might include:

• On-campus training opportunities
• Collaboration with the Human Resources department
• Graduate or other course work
• Off-site programs, seminars, and conferences
• Also, encourage staff to present at CASE and other professional conferences, and consider co-presenting with them    

Hire a coach for the team. A coach can provide invaluable counsel around building effective teams, managing change, considering work-life balance, enhancing supervisory skills, providing and receiving effective feedback, managing the organization vertically and laterally and much more.

•  Celebrate the successes and accomplishments of your staff!

Recognize outstanding performance and effort. Create a protocol for both public and private recognition. Publish the successes of your staff in your campus communications, send notes to the staff members and include a copy in their HR file, invite the president or head of school to a meeting to join in the celebration of successes, post an “employee of the month” in the office with the successes noted, take your staff bowling, host a staff appreciation breakfast or luncheon, provide gift certificates for outstanding performances, and much more.

•  Use your website to promote your program.

What does your website reveal about your advancement program? Does it highlight the accolades your program has received? Does provide details about staff achievements? Do you talk about the priorities of the IA team and promote your core values?

Consider other ways to use your website to showcase your current team and their opportunities for leadership development. This will not only serve to attract new colleagues, but will also serve to retain your current members.  

•  Talk to your current staff and colleagues at other institutions.

Don't reinvent the wheel! Take advantage of your closest resources, including current staff, Human Resources, and colleagues at peer institutions. Engage your Board's Institutional Advancement Committee in this challenge.   Investigate the most successful strategies and then create a program that best reflects your goals for your staff members. This will keep your program competitive even when your compensation package can't be.

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We want to hear from you! Please post your comments, solutions, or new topic ideas to us at: info@woolbrightgroup.com. Be assured we will only post your confidential comments
(no names, just the text of your recommendations!).  

 

The Reading File: Reader’s Recommendations and Reviews

Welcome to The Reading File, a regular feature of Bright Ideas where our readers share their reading recommendations. We invite you to share the title of something you found worthwhile. It doesn't have to be a book and it doesn't have to be strictly work related! Feel free to submit just the basics (title, author), or include a brief review. We'd love to hear from you–thank you in advance for your participation!

The Double Bind
By Chris Bojahlian

This is an interesting story set in Burlington, VT, which makes it fun for all of us with Burlington roots.  But even if you don't know the city, the story draws you in.

Anne Berry
Vice President for Advancement
Lebanon Valley College

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Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited
By Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein

It was really great.  Being a twin, I found it particularly interesting with the incorporation of numerous national twin studies.

The Lost Constitution
By William Martin

A thrilling novel that traces the path of lost original draft of the constitution. It's a murder, historical fiction mystery. I really enjoyed it.

Angels and Demons
By Dan Brown (author of The da Vinci Code)

It's a page-turner with lots of suspense.  I don't like the author's style, but the book is a fast read.

Eric Shoen
Donor Relations Manager
St. Ann’s Foundation & Resource Development
Rochester, NY

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Men at Arms
By Terry Pratchett

My new favorite author, hilarious British humor disguised as a fantasy novel and offering wry social commentary.

The Innocent
By Harlan Coben

New discovery in mystery novelists, Coben is a great writer and his plots are unusual enough to be better than the average potboiler.

Amy Wilson
Director of Annual Giving
The Catholic University of America