We all know that the strength of the Annual Giving (AG) program has a direct impact on our pipeline at all levels of giving. That is why AG is ready to embark in a direction that will take our program to new heights. Over the past year, partnerships built with the Annual Giving Stakeholders (AGS) Group, Advancement Communications, Marketing, Events, and Donor Relations (CMEDR), Information Technology Management (ITM), and Prospect Research have been critical in laying the groundwork for the year ahead.  

I have been asked to build a comprehensive mass appeal program that maximizes our revenue and returns and coordinates efforts across campus. You can come to expect that no university-wide appeal will look as it once did. I am pleased to share that Annual Giving and CMEDR will be working together to ensure our appeals are not only creative and user-friendly, but that our segmentation strategies will be innovative and content will address audiences based on demographics, giving levels (AG vs LAG), area of interest, and loyalty.  

As we know, numerous mass communications are sent out annually to alumni from the Office of Advancement, however this is not best practice when it comes to mass marketing. Our university-wide and faculty-specific communications include, but are not limited to, an overabundance of informational updates, solicitation, and stewardship efforts. To address this matter, a coordinated framework with faculty and campus partners will be essential. We are exploring a “forward planning” model for faculty-specific and campus-wide solicitations so we can optimize communication and calendarize initiatives together. This will ensure alignment with the university’s priorities, maximize revenue, effectively demonstrate impact, and allow results to be measured to improve future communications. 

We are excited to resume mass solicitations with a pilot university-wide appeal on Giving Tuesday (Dec. 1) to solicit gifts to COVID-19-related priorities and EDII initiatives. The overall message will aim to align with the Principal’s conversation and invite alumni to support either of these priorities university-wide, or within a selected faculty or Athletics.  

Why Giving Tuesday? The timing of this pilot was important.  We wanted to follow National Philanthropy Day (Nov. 15) to demonstrate the impact of all the good work at Queen’s before soliciting our alumni for the first time in more than eight months. This timing will also encourage alumni to focus on calendar- year-end giving.  

I would like to end with an important question that I often reflect on.  If an Annual Gift is below $999 and a Major Gift is $25,000 or more, what happens to gifts between $1,000 and $24,999? I spend a lot of time thinking about Leadership Annual Giving (LAG) and the impact of these gifts have on pipeline development. Donors at this level are known to make their “test” gifts to Queen’s, and can have MG capacity (typically in 5-10 years), and more often than not are ideal Gift Planning prospects. You will hear me talk a lot about LAG transitioning to the prospect module this year, which will be a game-changer as this program requires a certain level of sophistication to operate effectively. The next step will be creating the LAG Working Group. 

I know that none of these enhancements would be possible without the incredible support of Advancement colleagues. We will take Annual Giving to new heights, together.  


Jobs with Advancement

We need your recruitment help. Know great talent that would be a good addition to our team? If so, please promote the vacancies below with your networks and let’s find some amazing new team members.

Applications (including a cover letter and resume) must be submitted through CareerQ. For additional information on this posting, please reach out to either Katelyn, Carla, or the hiring manager for the position you are interested in.

Available Position:

POSITION UNIT AND DEPARTMENT CLOSING DATE GRADE
Development Coordinator, Faculty of Arts & Science Development, Faculty of Arts and Science October 25, 2020 7
Finance and Special Projects Analyst Gift Services, Advancement Services October 26, 2020 8
Senior Development Officer, Arts Development November 8, 2020 10

Fun fact

Royal Charter

"Queen's College at Kingston" was incorporated by an Imperial Royal Charter issued by Queen Victoria on October 16, 1841, a date celebrated since as University Day, and as of 2019, Queen’s Day. 

Contrary to persistent myth, the Queen herself did not sign the charter. It was actually signed by Leonard Edmunds, a minor British government functionary who later gained fame in a major British political scandal. 

The charter established Queen's basic structure. Among other things, it created a board of trustees responsible for overseeing the operation of the university, provided for a senate responsible for all academic matters, and created the post of Principal. 

The charter remains the university's basic constitutional document, but it has been modified in numerous important respects by Parliament, which has authority over all amendments and additions. 

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