By Kat Carson, Manager, Pipeline Development, University of Calgary
If there is one thing that I’ve learned in my relatively short career – seven or so years – in fund development, it is simply this: it takes a village to raise money. This has become readily apparent as the non – profits I’ve worked for – organizations whose fundraising departments ranged from two person shops to development teams comprising over 100 people – collaborate to raise money for a plethora of worthy causes, from the arts and education to healthcare and the community. What I’ve also learned is just as it’s a team effort to raise money, it’s similarly a group effort to inspire a passion for fundraising, to provide guidance and mentorship, to help build a career.
Play to Your Strengths…
You are part of the village; it’s important to know who you are and what you want to do. Before I found myself at the University of Calgary's Development Office, I was preparing for a completely different career. That changed the day a friend recommended I apply for a summer job as a research assistant. I soon found myself providing database support to a team of Prospect Research Analysts. My responsibilities were varied, and included the addition and maintenance of prospect and donor information, such as ensuring research profiles were posted to the database and available to Development Staff campus – wide, or inputting relevant ratings from sector – specific magazine top lists. I’ve always been more of a behind – the – scenes person – administrative assistant, executive assistant – someone who supported those on the forefront by providing them with what they need to do their jobs. During those four summer months in 2008, my curiosity and interest were piqued.
I thoroughly enjoyed gathering information about prospects and donors, entering linkage, ability and interests (LAI) ratings into Raiser’s Edge, and preparing reports, and I came to the realization that this was what I wanted to do. I wondered if I could carve out a career in fundraising, not as a fundraiser, but supporting those on the frontline and the larger Development team. My personality, skill set, and aptitude were well – suited – I had almost found the perfect job. Almost.
…But Be Willing To Learn
Transitioning from summer student to full – time research assistant, I was fortunate to have the support and guidance of a team of seasoned professionals to answer questions I had about the job, help develop ideas into products and best practices, and encourage me to take ownership of the role. Being a Research Assistant involved a lot of what I’d learned as a summer student – ensuring the database was up – to – date, that information was available and that the most current LAI ratings had been collected and curated.
It also meant being more proactive. Where before I was responding to the needs of the team, my director encouraged me to anticipate what would best support the researchers. With the help of my supervisor, I developed Prospect Alerts as a means to flag individuals for further research. Raiser’s Edge was modified to effectively store ratings data in a way that was easy to query and report on.
I was encouraged to learn more about the industry and to know the rest of the Development Services team. For this, I turned to my supervisor who not only taught me the basics and encouraged me to independently learn about the different aspects of our work, but also how to apply what I learned to what I did and to anticipate the needs of those I supported.
One of the most important things my supervisor encouraged was for me to be more involved in the larger team through working groups, cross – unit meetings, team building and social events. I got to know everyone – and I mean, everyone. Short of job – shadowing colleagues from different units within Development Services, I learned of the synergies between Prospect Research and Donor Services, Gift Processing & Tax Receipting, the database group, and of course the fundraisers. I learned how all of us worked together, how my work affected their work and vice versa. Under the guidance of my supervisor, I began to learn more about prospect pipelines – what information was needed, how it should be maintained and reviewed, how it assisted the fundraisers in their activities and the institution as a whole. Working closely with her, I began to understand Prospect Management (PM.)
Accept the Challenge
As with most of the non – profits I’ve worked for, the structure of the team is dynamic, shifting and changing to best support the organization. About five months into the Research Assistant job, there was an opening in PM and I moved into it.
At first, I was somewhat nervous about my new responsibilities and accountabilities. I was extremely new to PM, an area which had just transitioned to a new, more complex model representing a dramatic shift from long – standing and informal practices that had existed previously. I jumped in – a one – person show with a mandate to add and maintain prospect pipeline data, which was regularly provided to fundraisers. Over time, it became a means of ensuring reliable and valid prospect pipeline data, a way to ensure prospects moved through the pipeline, a way to forecast, and now, a way to coordinate the efforts of multiple faculties and units. When pipeline data needed to be cleaned up, we developed standards and practices to ensure accurate prospect data was captured in the database. When concerns around stale – dated prospects emerged, we developed a phase – aging report to flag lapsed prospects in a pipeline phase and recommend action. When the executive requested progress to goal, we helped to inform the quarterly projections report. Going into campaign, we needed to go from an “open skies” PM system to one involving assignments and stringent clearance requirements, and over the course of six months, we did.
Be Passionate
My Director, Shelly Steenhorst – Baker, has this saying: pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. I had no idea that PM was a job – not 5 ½ years ago when I started with the UofC’s Development Office, not when I was finishing university and thinking about what I would do afterwards, not when I was in high school writing aptitude tests.
If I think of the most perfect job I could have, one that is a balance of “desk time” and interaction with colleagues, of being “behind the scenes” and making a difference – it is Prospect Management. In early 2013, in preparation for campaign, discussions with my director turned to the creation of a dedicated PM team. The timing couldn’t have been better; after almost five years of learning the basics and applying knowledge, of getting to know the Development team and of developing a thorough knowledge of PM, I wanted to take the next step. Not only would this involve taking on a leadership role in the newly – minted PM team, I would also be helping to mold and shape PM best practices at an incredibly exciting time at the UofC – preparation for campaign. In helping to design both the manager role and the team, I was excited to map out the next phase of both PM at the UofC and my career, embracing the added challenge of managing a team, of initiating change and driving business practices, of being a strategic partner within Development, and in six short months, I have learned – and continue to learn – so much about the hard and soft skills required for this role. Now, a team of four provide PM support to fundraisers across campus, ensuring our guidelines are followed, anticipating the needs of the team, thinking ahead of next steps. As a team, we brainstorm, we develop, we refine, and in our own way, we make a difference. As for me, I’m excited to see the new PM model take shape, to rise to the challenges I encounter and explore new possibilities, to continue in my career’s trajectory and to see how the individual team members are embracing their new roles and are growing in their own careers.
Over the last five plus years at the University of Calgary, I’ve been fortunate to occupy various roles, starting as a summer student and prospect research assistant soon after, then moving up to become a prospect management specialist and, in the last six months, to my current role managing a dedicated prospect management team. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the experience, advice, and opportunities that have been shared with me. Truly, it takes a village.