TH FORUM
There are so many complex issues facing leaders of educational institutions and advancement programs today. As consultants, we at Torrey Helm can offer insights. But we also believe in the power of the professional community to share solutions and deepen understanding through lively dialogue. We offer TH Forum as a tool for that conversation. The more you participate, the more useful it will be for all of us. We encourage you to check in frequently, offer your thoughts, and recommend the Forum to your colleagues. And if you have suggestions, feel free to contact us at Torrey Helm, LLC.
it’s important to factor in both quantity and quality of activity. the former is easy. The latter, not so much - but not impossible.
Although one generally knows after a few months, most front line fund raisers take three years to be truly productive. During the first six months fund raisers should learn about their institution. Read everything. Meet faculty. Attend faculty/staff/student events. Accompany experienced fund raisers on visits. The second six months one should begin prospect visits and develop one's pool. Start with 50. Grow it to 125-150 over 18 months. The emphasis, as said above should be on the quality of visits - not the quantity. I would hope that by the end of year three, at least 25 gifts would be closed and that all prospects in one's pool would have been seen at least twice.
To build on Bill's comment: the fairest way to measure performance is by setting clear and ambitious (but achievable) goals Visit goals will vary depending on how long the development officer has been on the job but also on what stage the institution has reached in its fundraising efforts. For example, during the lead-up to a campaign the emphasis may be on visits that qualify suspects as prospects; during the campaign emphasis will be on closing gifts; as the campaign wraps up, the emphasis will shift toward stewardship.