Kenna Barrett, Assistant Dean and CDO, University Libraries, University of Maryland, College Park

Dr. Adriane Lim, Dean of Libraries, University of Maryland, College Park

Some institutions have mature development shops with seamlessly integrated library philanthropy. And then, there’s the rest of us! No matter where your institution is on its fundraising journey, you can create the ecosystem for positive donor conversations and position your library as helping tackle the world’s greatest challenges. With a blend of theoretical concepts and practical wisdom, UMD Dean of Libraries Adriene Lim and CDO Kenna Barrett discuss communicating your value to donors and making the most of their feedback. We share the “icebreak-inquire-inspire” model of sparking conversation with people different from you (e.g., donors). We discuss how positionality affects how all of us operate, e.g., as a BIPOC lesbian in white-dominated, primarily heterosexual situations (Lim) and a white woman (Barrett) who specializes in engagement strategies for introverts. Participants will have the opportunity to hone their talking points in a safe, fun environment!

Shelly Jordan MHA, CFRE, Sr. Director of Development, Iowa State University Library

Money does not grow on trees; development staff must find new pipelines for philanthropic gifts. Hired as a full-time development officer after years of sporadic staffing, an aging donor base, and 750 warm-ish alumni led me to dive in and start digging. Brainstorming with our prospect research team and thinking of our work in new ways to find interested constituents and champions of our mission. We don’t have all the answers and are still diving for that magical treasure. We will share what we have learned so far!

Cynthia Childrey, Dean and University Librarian, Cline Library, Northern Arizona University

Special and archival collections are about people, their voices and stories. Successful and sustained fundraising for archival collections requires building relationships based on a shared commitment to preserving and providing access to the power of distinctive voices, represented in photographs, oral histories, scrapbooks, journals, moving images, letters, and drawings. In building passionate communities around collections, archivists and curators are central collaborators in advancing archival collections, programs, and operations. This session will provide an overview of the role and impact of Special Collections and Archives at Northern Arizona University and examples of growth in funding, collections, and community and donor engagement.

Tywanda L. Cuffy, Director of External Relations, Communications and Development Initiatives, University of Delaware Library Museums and Press

Nicole Hernandez, External Relations Coordinator, University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press

In fall of 2019, Tywanda created the Library, Museums and Press Development Ambassadors to strengthen the culture of engagement and philanthropy among staff. Currently, Nicole and Tywanda meet quarterly with the group to advance the understanding and awareness of philanthropy within the Library. Since forming, the ambassadors have redefined the grant writing process and policy for staff members—increasing overall awareness and an uptick in grant applications; increased staff participation in crowdfunding efforts like Giving Tuesday and I Heart UD Day; and increased donor engagement and qualification at signature events. Join Tywanda and Nicole as they discuss the process for creating an ambassador group, review in detail the work the group has accomplished together and explore how you might create one at your university to enhance your development efforts.

Mary Irwin, Libraries Development Officer, Smith College

Elizabeth Myers, Director of Special Collections, Smith College

In 2015, Smith College decided to rebuild rather than renovate the century-old main campus library. In this presentation, we will focus on the steps taken to educate and engage the extended Smith College community to raise funds both for the construction and the programming the new library made possible. While the college floated a bond for the entire $120 M project, central and library development staff were asked to raise $35M. When this was achieved one year into construction, the goal was raised to $45M. By the time the library opened, support worth $58.5M was committed.

Elizabeth Myers, Director of Special Collections, Smith College

Material donations to special collections are never free. Resource intensive Initial costs to acquire and make accessible rare materials also have a long cost tail of ongoing preservation and stewardship. When donors wish to also give a financial gift with their material gift,  the question often becomes – how much do you need to care for my collection? Luckily, newer tools to determine more accurate costs are giving fundraisers a concrete answer to that question while at the same time, helping to shift the fundraising conversation.

This talk will focus on the 2021 use of the OCLC Cost of Stewardship calculator in the acquisition of the International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) Records by the Sophia Smith Collection of women’s history in Smith College Special Collections that resulted in two financial gifts. This outcome was the culmination of years-long paradigm shift from pay-to-play giving language to a more equitable, flexible funding model that centers the real cost of archival and rare book management. 

Connor Costakos, Director of Development, The Ohio State University Libraries

Dr. Eric Johnson, Professor and Curator of Thompson Special Collections and Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, The Ohio State University

We will start by providing a background of The Ohio State University Libraries, our Special Collections, and the journey Eric has been on to expand those collections. Recently, as a result of Eric’s engagement outside of the libraries in the community, a donor stepped forward serendipitously who made a generous estate pledge and current use gift which allowed Eric to create a brand new and engaging class for undergraduate students as well as leverage that gift into a larger much one. The class is one-of-a-kind in the country as is the story of how it came to be.

Sam Duplessis, Director of Advancement, University of Pennsylvania Libraries

We’ve all spent too many hours on a gift of materials that ends up costing the library money in the long run. Gifts in kind can be a major drain on libraries’ development resources. In this session we’ll explore techniques to make gifts in kind a productive and lucrative part of a comprehensive library development program.

Leslie Sharp, Dean of Libraries, Georgia Institute of Technology
 
Donna Riley, Executive Assistant, University Libraries, Georgia Institute of Technology

This session explores the basics of building relationships with foundations through being “Ready, Willing, and Grateful.” The Georgia Tech Library has historically been without a dedicated development professional; however, it has had fundraising success with foundations through three fundamental practices: 1) having an ongoing list of Library wants and needs targeted toward past funders; 2) being willing to respond at a moment’s notice through engaging Library employees; and 3) providing timely updates that express deep gratitude for our shared passions. This consistent approach involves the dean, her executive assistant, library employees, and frequent communication with Georgia Tech Foundation Relations.

Michael Crumpton, Dean, University Libraries, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Nakia Hoskins, External Engagement Coordinator, University Libraries, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

This presentation explores academic library trends and potential modification to fundraising strategies, and challenges to library administrators. This is also a case study of how the use of a Donor Experience Officer (DXO) transitions traditional donor contact methods from physical, personal engagement to virtual activity across the spectrum from solicitation to stewardship. This presentation will provide a look at trends and discuss strategies, examples, and concepts for recognizing these trends as well as modifying and aligning your library’s institutional advancement efforts. Our experiences with moving to a Donor Experience Officer and providing virtual engagement options for donors will be shared.

Lipi (Israt) Turner-Rahman, Director of Development, Washington State University

Washington State University Libraries re-imagined donor outreach and engagement to identify and reach new donors.  We used e-newsletters, social media, and specifically Facebook to tell our story and engage with and crowdsource alumni to increase pipeline activity.  Learn how WSU Libraries learnt from trial and errors to create media interns and identify strategies to lay the groundwork for new donors.

Carol E. Smith, University Librarian, Colorado School of Mines

Many academic foundations employ a liaison model, designating a particular foundation representative to serve as the primary point of contact for each academic program. Working closely with your designated liaison can drive a library’s fundraising and engagement efforts, as well as help the entire Foundation staff better understand transformative trends in academic librarianship and the development goals of your library. This interactive presentation will review strategies that have worked successfully at one small research library to leverage the relationship with their designated liaison, as well as provide the opportunity for attendees to share their own strategies for successful liaison partnerships.

Grace Strong, Stewardship and Events Manager, Harvard Library, Harvard University

Dealing with in-kind gifts on a case-by-case basis can be time consuming, inconsistent, confusing, hard to document, and leave you wondering if the effort is worthwhile. By working with the right stakeholders, asking the right questions and understanding the basic needs of your curators and librarians, creating a standardized in-kind gift policy is much simpler than it might seem. This presentation will illustrate the process Harvard Library has undergone to furnish an efficient and comprehensive policy that actually works.