5 June 2009
Capital Campaign Case and President Obama
On May 17, 2009, the University of Notre Dame was forever changed. Regardless of where you stand on whether a Pro-Choice President should or should not receive an honorary degree from the University; who gives and why they give will have an even greater impact on the future of the school. Notre Dame is steeped in the Catholic tradition and people support it not only because of its academic excellence, and yes, its football lore, but also because it is Catholic. Donors of all types, give for very specific reasons. As a former fundraiser for the University, I know that the school’s Catholicity has a lot to do with donor motivation. Arguably, not every one who is an alumnus will take issue with the University and will continue to support it. In fact, I would surmize that the Unversity will attract a new type a donor — perhaps it will be the Pro-Choice Catholic who is not in agreement with the Church on abortion. They may even attract the secularist who now does not see the University as a potential polarizing institution on moral issues that are close to the church. And it may attract a different kind of student than it has in the past, who will also in time become a donor. By the University’s decision, they may have lost the conservative Catholic student and his/her future contributions to the school and society as well. As I said, the University is forever changed. So what happens when you deviate from Case in a Capital Campaign. The University has posted this on its web regarding its Case for Support –”the Spirit of Notre Dame campaign aims to position the University more prominently among the nation’s leading research institutions, while strengthening and affirming our core values: chief among them, a profound commitment to the Catholic intellectual life and Catholic social teachings, a superlative undergraduate education, and thriving residential communities”. There are a lot of smart people who can reconcile the decision, but when it comes down to sitting in front of a donor , and I have done that over 3,000 times, they will ask the hard questions. Persuading the donor that the decision to honor a Pro-Choice President doesn’t reconcile too well with the Case Statement. It can create another excuse but great fundraisers know the importance of the donor conversation. Good thing Notre Dame is well into its campaign. I tell my clients that we problem solve our way to a goal. Things happen that cause an adjustment to the game plan. Sometimes it can be caused by a major drop in the stock market, sometimes it can be caused by a change in leadership, and sometimes it is caused by just making a decision without fully understanding its impact. I would imagine the President of Notre Dame didn’t include University Relations (Development) when he was thinking about who to invite to campus, but then again, he doesn’t spend every day wondering how to raise millions of dollars for the school. If he did, maybe he would have waited a year to honor President Obama and started the dialogue on campus beforehand.
Paul D’Alessandro, JD, CFRE
President
D’Alessandro, Inc.
E-mail paul@dalessandroinc.com
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