This week’s newsletter will focus on Integrity as we continue to profile Advancement’s value statements. Integrity is a complex word we hear on a fairly regular basis, but I’m not sure it’s a word we spend a lot of time thinking deeply about. The word integrity is used in many contexts and is often used to characterize objects, people, and, of course, organizations, amongst other things.
We speak of the integrity of data, the integrity of a structure, or even that of an ecosystem. We seek to understand what it means to be a person of integrity and why organizational integrity is essential to success. Regardless of how it is used, many of the words associated with integrity are the same -- trustworthy, reliable, honest, respectful, fair, principled, conscientious, accountable, and dependable.
While there is a myriad of definitions to be found, I appreciated this statement from Wikipedia, which states that integrity is “the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values.“
I can think of no better value to embrace in our organization. The importance of integrity in what we do on a daily basis is mirrored across our sector. Indeed, many of you will be familiar with the Association of Fundraising Professional’s (AFP) Code of Ethical Standards and Donor Bill of Rights, both of which serve to promote ethical behavior in our profession.
How fitting is it then that you have helped define such a strong integrity statement for our organization: “We consistently act with the highest professional standards. We are honest, fair, and respectful toward others and communicate our intentions openly and directly.”
It reinforces that integrity is not situational, it is a state of being, and yes, it takes courage.
As we look to share examples of our values in action, please take to heart Kate’s request below for stories of when you have experienced your colleagues acting with integrity. I know there will be many.
Our Advancement values defined
Written by: Kate Bearse, Executive Assistant, Office of the Vice-Principal
Thank you all for participating in the final phase of Define of our values work by choosing which value statement resonated with you for each of our five values. The value statements for the last two values of the Office of Advancement based on our survey responses are listed below.
- Integrity: We consistently act with the highest professional standards. We are honest, fair, and respectful toward others and communicate our intentions openly and directly.
- Service: We are committed to working closely with internal and external stakeholders, alumni, donors, and friends in our community to address their needs and always provide high levels of service.
Please take the time to read these value statements and think about how you live these values already.
Validating our Advancement values & a reminder
Written by: Kate Bearse, Executive Assistant, Office of the Vice-Principal
We are continuing in our Validate phase of Advancement's Values.
Over the next couple weeks, members of ALT will profile one of our five values in ALTogether Now. Each newsletter will include a call to action for Advancement staff to share a story or stories about an advancement employee or group you believe exemplifies the value of the week. At the end of these five weeks, in our next phase – Socialize – we will (with permission) share stories or quotes from the stories submitted.
This week we are focusing on Integrity. Please submit as many stories or examples as you would like through the survey provided.
Friendly reminder: You can still submit stories for the values previously talked about in ALTogether Now. Here are the links – Accountability, Collaboration, and Inclusion.
Feedback requested on new research tools
In addition to our core operational support, the research team has been busy building and rolling out new tools primarily aimed at supporting the work of fundraising teams across Advancement. A review of the year-to-date numbers show that use of the new tools is encouraging.
- Automated Profile Report (APR): This report supports cultivation efforts of prospects rated at $100K or less. The profile format is intended to support a full range of outreach efforts, and most reports are supplemented with customized Insight Notes detailing important career, wealth, and philanthropic information. Usage of the APR has been encouraging with over 100 unique (non-Research) downloads since May 1, 2020.
- Pipeline Builder Report: Our largest and most complex tool, this report supports complex prospect and alumni queries using 30+ variables. Search results are overlaid against a rating/predictive modelling matrix and results can be viewed in Tableau or downloaded. Training is ongoing and usage has been strong with over 400 searches completed this fiscal.
- Briefcase Reports: With over 600 views to date, this portfolio of three dashboards (MG Pipeline, Pool Coverage, and Time/Stage) is “pushed” to fundraisers each month and is intended to support fundraiser performance metrics and the Scorecard. Initial feedback suggests that the format is popular with Advancement staff and we are currently exploring how to expand this platform.
We would like to hear from you. In an effort to hone these tools and make them the best they can be, we would appreciate any feedback you can provide on these, or any research product or service.
Gift Services holiday schedule
This week, Christa Walsh will distribute the annual memo regarding the Holiday Schedule and Calendar Year-end Cut-off Dates. We are committed to providing our donors with timely recording and processing of all gifts that qualify for a 2020 tax receipt. While the content of the memo will largely look the same as last year, there are a few COVID-related items to consider. Please review the memo closely and contact Christa if you have any questions. To support your planning in advance of the memo, please note that Gift Services will close at the end of day Tuesday, Dec. 22 to allow some additional time for shutdown preparations.
Phone coverage over the holidays
It's that time of year once again -- the Office of Advancement will plan to have phone coverage to serve alumni and friends who call during the university's holiday closing. As in previous years, Advancement staff will have the opportunity to cover phone shifts during these dates (morning and afternoon shifts: 8:30 am--12:30 pm and 12:30 --4:30 pm). In recognition of this, we would like to offer the staff member one full day of vacation (lieu) for covering a half-day shift.
A request for return to campus for this work is still outstanding, but we are preparing these plans in light of our unique responsibilities due to calendar year-end. In order to provide this opportunity to as many staff as possible, we ask that you sign up for a maximum of two shifts.
The remaining shifts for phone coverage are as follows:
- Thursday, Dec. 24: One morning and both afternoon shifts available (3 people)
- Tuesday, Dec. 29: Both morning and afternoon shifts available (4 people)
- Wednesday, Dec. 30: Both morning and afternoon shifts available (4 people)
- Thursday, Dec. 31: One morning and one afternoon shift available (2 people)
Please note that on-call support during your shift will be provided should you require any assistance, and training sessions will be available for volunteers on Dec. 17.
If you are interested in a phone shift, please contact Kate Bearse. Shifts are granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please sign up by Friday, Dec. 4.
Reminder! Don't miss the opportunity to hear from Adrianne Haslet
Since we cannot gather in person, the Holiday Planning Committee is pleased to bring you a talk on resilience by Adrianne Haslet in lieu of a holiday lunch since we cannot physically be together. An invitation has been sent out to all Advancement staff for Thursday, Dec. 3 at 11:00 am, and we cannot wait to see you there to kick off the Five Days of Holidays. Adrianne is an athlete, internationally ranked ballroom dancer, and a Boston Marathon bombing survivor. She will discuss the importance of being able to pivot in the face of uncertainty, drawing on resilience and giving ourselves – and each other – grace when we are under pressure. As Adrianne says, “I refuse to be called a victim. A victim is defined by what happened in their life. I am a survivor, defined by how I live my life.” We promise this will be time well spent, full of inspiration and motivation.
During these unprecedented times we are encouraging you to take care of yourself, and taking an hour out of your day to listen to Adrianne is just what we need.
Advancement Holiday Extravaganza
Are you getting excited for the holidays? We are, and the countdown is ON to our annual Year-End Celebration!
As you all know, the main event is on Thursday, Dec. 10 from 11:00 am to noon. Also, check your calendar for the Zoom link to hear Adrianne Haslet speak on Dec. 3, and, of course, games with colleagues are on Dec. 4 at 11 am (sign up by Dec. 2).
Advancement gives back
This year, instead of selecting a charity for everyone to support together, the Advancement Holiday Extravaganza Planning Committee has decided that we will invite everyone to support a charity of their choice, with a twist. In our Holiday Channel on Teams there is a document that we are encouraging all to add their stories to. We are requesting that you pick a charity that is important to you and your family and write a short paragraph discussing the charity’s mission and why you support it. We encourage everyone to choose someone else’s charity to support. If all participate, we should have nearly 100 to choose from. You may leave your paragraph anonymous or add your name so someone can message you and let you know they supported your charity. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any member of the committee.
Don’t forget to check the Holiday Channel regularly for updates on Five Days of Holidays (including the family recipe swap, holiday-themed family-friendly crafts, and the ugly sweater contest).
Your Advancement Holiday Extravaganza Planning Committee,
Kate Bearse, Gage Benyon, Kymberly Cook, Maura Doyle, Natalie Minnema, Peggy Shanks, and Michelle White
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 vacancy 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 Carla or the hiring manager for the position you are interested in.
Available Position:
| POSITION | UNIT AND DEPARTMENT | CLOSING DATE | GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Development Officer | Faculty of Health Sciences | November 20, 2020 | 09 |
Fun fact
Funding
Queen's was founded in 1841 with the modest sum of about £8,000 to its name.
True to its Scottish Presbyterian origins, the main sources of this original amount were various groups in Scotland (£1,250), the Presbytery of Kingston (£800), "persons in or connected with" the Hudson's Bay Company - then replete with Scotsmen - (£562), and the Presbytery of Quebec, home to several of Queen's clerical founders, which gave the single largest donation of £1,800.
This was a limited amount, but Queen's leaders would have to get used to scarce resources, as the university continued to lead a precarious hand-to-mouth existence throughout the 19th century. Most of its funding in early decades came from the Presbyterian Church and, after 1845, the provincial government. But these sources were notoriously grudging and unreliable.
By the early 1860s, government support accounted for 40 per cent of Queen's annual revenue, Church sources provided 28 per cent, investments accounted for 30 per cent, and students' fees provided a negligible two per cent.
This all changed when disaster struck in 1867 and 1868. First, Ontario's commercial bank collapsed, taking about two-thirds of Queen's investment income with it; and then the government withdrew all of its funding for denominational colleges. More than half of Queen's annual income was suddenly lost. Only a desperate fundraising campaign led by Principal William Snodgrass, which raised $114,000, saved the university and allowed it to continue.
Fundraising campaigns remained the engine that drove Queen's for the rest of that century, especially as the Church gradually reduced its share of support. Fortunately, Queen's was led from 1878 to 1902 by the charismatic Principal George Grant, whose fundraising abilities are a matter of Queen's legend and whose tireless work ensured that Queen's, instead of merely surviving, evolved into a dynamic national institution.