The Ultimate Advancement and Development Guide

Behind everything, there is history. History we would never think to discover nor, at times, comprehend. Weather it’s a definition, specific institution, person, or title, there is history surrounding and woven throughout each. In Higher Education Institutions the origination of endowed chairs, professorships and chairs of divinity are deeply rooted into the past, waiting to be dug up and used for our own personal knowledge.

Dorothea Frede, writes in, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “that the origination of giving dates all the way back to back to, “AD 176, in Athens, Rome. Where the Romans were the first to start giving to major philosophy schools, which were originally set up by the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius.” Frede explains that these philosophy schools studied the practices of influential scholars, basing their entire institutions around these major studies, which were Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, and Epicureanism.”(1) Marcus Aurelius also created the first Endowed Chair. According to Diane Lebo Wallace, in Endowed chairs: A meeting of minds and means, the definition of an endowed chair is simply, “a position permanently paid for with the revenue from an endowment fund, which is set up, by a donor, for a specific purpose and is typically allocated to a certain college department.”(2) 

When modern university systems began in England of 1502, the practice of endowed chairs and funding were adapted. Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, and grandmother to the future King Henry the VIII created what Lady Margaret's 500 year legacy, at the University of Cambridge describes as, the first Endowed Chairs of Divinity or a person of god-like nature, worthy of such a position.(3) First established and created at the university of Oxford.

In approximately 1550, King Henry the VIII established Regius Professorships. In A Brief History of The Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics at Cambridge University, Robert Bruen defines a Regius Professorship as “a university professor with royal patronage or appointment.”(4) Private individuals soon adopted the practice of what is now known as, Endowed Professorships. These types of funding aid a college in that, they provide a faculty member with a position that is of great honor and nobility. Diane Lebo Wallace, in Endowed chairs: A meeting of minds and means states, “the endowed faculty member does not have to be paid entirely out of the operating budget, allowing the university to either reduce its student-to-faculty ratio and/or direct money that would otherwise have been spent on salaries toward other university needs.”(5) According to Robert Bruen, “Isaac Newton was one of these individuals, with whom held the chair of mathematics at Cambridge in the beginning in 1669, but in 1779 it was given to and is still held by, theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author Stephen Hawking.”(6) 

From 176 AD, when Marcus Aurelius first created the endowed chair until now, the act of giving has grown and expanded and will continue to do so. From these original methods, newer ones have emerged, as well as strategies to aid in the promotion of fundraising. Thus, bringing in more revenue for Higher Education institutions. More revenue contributes to and effects a series of Institutional dynamics on a campus, such as: retention and prospective student rates, availability to obtain new equipment and resources, and the improvement of campus-wide facilities. 

Citations:

1. Dorothea Frede, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, (plato.stanford.edu/archives, 2012)

2. Diane Lebo Wallace, Endowed chairs: A meeting of minds and means, (Cornell’s Quarterly Magazine: Ezra, 2012)

3. University of Cambridge, Lady Margaret's 500 year legacy, (University of Cambridge, 2004)

4. Robert Bruen, A Brief History of The Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics at Cambridge University, (Boston College, 1995)

5. Diane Lebo Wallace, Endowed chairs: A meeting of minds and means, (Cornell’s Quarterly Magazine: Ezra, 2012)

With the help of this wonderfully written article on, isminc.com, by Mark J. Drozdowski, director of corporate, foundation, and government relations at Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, N.H, “Development and Fundraising: What’s the Difference?” in the Chronicle of Higher Education,” this field of study is broken down and simplified, making it an easier read for both professionals and non, who are either familiar or unfamiliar with these terms, used in any type of organizational setting. This short rendition in particular, digs deeper into the topics that encompass and intertwine themselves with what the definition and terms of development, advancement, and fundraising are, as well as how they interact with one another in an organization, such as a higher education institution.

In Development and Fundraising: What's the Difference?, Mark J. Drozdowski begins by saying that, “people outside the advancement office believe that, ‘development’ and ‘fundraising’ are synonymous,”(1) that the developmental aspects of an office are a means of basically, just raising money. Which he then adds that they are right but only to some extent, but the definition is actually so limited that it doesn’t capture the full duties and responsibilities of development to it’s fullest of measure.

“In truth, Mark Drozdowski adds, fundraising is but one component of the broader term, development.”(2) He then lists and begins to explain two distinctions between fundraising and development. One being function and another being purpose.

In terms of function on Development and Fundraising, Drozdowski states, “Most development offices employ professionals whose jobs do not directly involve raising money. Rather, they provide related services, including prospect research, gift recording and processing, special-events planning and donor relations. Complex development operations will often feature positions dedicated solely to the internal coordination of fundraising across offices and schools; these people may or may not have prospects assigned to them. In short, not everyone who works in "development" raises money.”(3) To further expand on the topic of prospect research, Richard Smith explains, from his article, What is Prospect Research, “that it’s a technique used by fundraisers, nonprofit organizations or development teams use public records to access information on their donors, such as past giving, personal backgrounds, wealth, income levels and so on.”(4) Essentially saying, that offices such as a Development and Advancement Office utilizes public records to see if a potential alumni or donor is worth reaching out to. Once they determine if the donor should be contacted and solicited, they ask a Developmental Officer to establish a relationship with that individual. To create a bond, or network of trust, in order to assure that individual that their money will be allocated in any manner they choose and to also show them the impact they are making in donating to their organization.

And in terms of purpose Drozdowski adds that, “development engages volunteers (including alumni, board members, and other friends), giving them an avenue for involvement. They become advocates and ambassadors, spreading good will and good news. They might not actually solicit gifts, but what they do is most certainly development.”(5)

Advancement is, “to move forward or to make progress”, as discussed in a previous blog entry. In more technical terms, advancement is also the marketing and communication plans, which are being implemented for the betterment of a college and its constituents. According to, About Advancement, Council for Advancement and Support Education, the term advancement does not mean the same thing, however. CASE defines advancement as, “a strategic, integrated method of managing relationships to increase understanding and support among an educational institution's key constituents.”(6)  Which are alumni and friends, government policy makers, the media, members of the community and philanthropic entities. Even though these are two differing definitions, they both define the term advancement. Advancement is not just a term, but also a function and with that being said, it can function in a variety of ways in an institution. Advancement can be the plans that are being implemented at a college, just as is can be a method of managing relationships at one as well. Advancement is used in numerous ways in an institution, so it’s only fitting for it to have multiple definitions.

As a whole, Mark is saying that fundraising is a section or function of development and advancement and it is what implements and keeps both of these other two functions moving forward. Further saying, development is a function of advancement. All of these three terms differ greatly, but at the same time share a vast array of similarities that allow them to work together in practice and so without the other, they couldn’t function effectively and properly. 

1. Mark J. Drozdowski, Development and Fundraising: What's the Difference?, (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2003)

2. Ibid

3. Ibid

4. Richard Smith, What is Prospect Research, (Donor Search, 2016)

5. Mark J. Drozdowski, Development and Fundraising: What's the Difference?, (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2003)

Hello and welcome to my Advancement and Development Blog,     which focuses on differing aspects within the field of Advancement and Development in Higher Education Institutions. 

Here is some insight into my current, professional life, what has led me to write this blog and also, what my intentions are in doing so. I hope you enjoy reading my blogs, as much as I have enjoyed researching and writing about them. Thank you and again, enjoy!

Sincerely, Elizabeth A. Johnston

This upcoming spring semester I will be graduating from the State University of New York at Potsdam, with a Bachelor of Arts in English Writing. In the spring of 2014, I earned an Associate of Arts in Humanities and Social Sciences at Jefferson Community College. In the fall of 2016, I plan to attend the State University of New York at Stony Brook, fully online, in the Higher Education and Administration Master of Arts program, with an anticipated graduation date in September of 2017.

I have a passion for both writing and Higher Education. I consider myself lucky to have been able to pursue one of the two so far and in the fall I will be pursuing my other passion. I have experience in a Higher Educational setting, which I feel very privileged to have been given during my college career. I have worked and still currently work as a double intern in the Alumni Relations and Advancement and Development Office at SUNY Potsdam. During my time spent interning in what is synonymously referred to at Potsdam, as the Alumni and Advancement office, I have learned and gained an incredible amount of valuable skills. 

On a daily basis I organize, file and retrieve important documents in the office, and I prepare written documents, reports and presentations. I helped create and coordinate social events for the campus, as well as for our donors and alumni. I also have been given the opportunity to create digital presentations, flyers and posters, which I very much enjoy because I have a background in Graphic Design. Sitting in on committee meetings is a great experience I have been privileged enough to have given. Lastly, I update and organize Excel, Word and other Office documents, along with answer important office emails on a daily basis, to ensure that the office runs smoothly and according to my site supervisor’s busy schedules.

While working with both the Advancement and Development team I have gained insight into the world that is Advancement and Development. I have learned an immense amount, about the field itself, our donors at SUNY Potsdam, soliciting methods, developmental aspects, fundraising strategies and have even gone to some events in promotion of the college and our department.

In creating this blog I want those interested in pursuing such a career to read more into the field and gain more knowledge on this particular topic. I also want the blog to be for merely interested readers, or for those of whom, who are unsure of their desired future career path and may be considering a field such as this.This blog is also a professional opportunity for myself. For employers to view this as a means of either a writing sample, as my experience in this career field, of my knowledge within this field of Higher Institutions, with the subject matter of Advancement and Development, and as a display of my creative, yet professional writing abilities within this realm of higher education.

Development is the process in which an organization, or a higher educational institution, gains financial assistance and funding. In, The Difference Between Fundraising, Development, and Advancement, Lois L. Lindauer explains that development is, “the total process by which an organization increases public understanding of its mission and acquires financial support for its programs.”(1) That assistance and funding is generously given to these institutions from its donors, through a series of continuous fundraising efforts. These efforts are maintained and upheld by a college’s developmental officers, yearly campaigns, annual funds, scholarships, and many other means of promotion strategies and methods established throughout the campus. Developmental departments work with Alumni Relations, Annual Giving and Advancement departments to provide assistance to the college by reaching out to its donors, alumni, the community and its businesses.

Advancement, according to The Difference Between Fundraising, Development, and Advancement, Lois L. Lindauer explains is, “the process of building awareness and support from all constituent bodies and the programs within an institution that relate to its constituency, including development, public relations, and government relations.”(2) The term Advancement, is typically more complicated, in terms of explanation, than development. In common knowledge, Advancement, often means a progression or step forward. So, in an Advancement Office, the employee’s jobs to that particular institution would be to create a campaign, for example, to set up a fundraiser for new seating in classrooms, or to create particular college funds for scholarships or for donors to give back to academic departments. The Office of Advancement can be thought of as the worker bees of the hive, each capable of wearing different hats, making them able to find and create newer, more effective ways of bringing in money to the college, or honey back into the hive in order for the other bees, or inhabitants of the college, to live, survive and thrive on.

Lois L. Lindauer “The Difference Between Fundraising, Development, and Advancement?”, (Searches LLC, 2016)