ADVANCING IDEAS
UNC System symposium helps universities be better fundraisers
In the world of university advancement, institutions are ultimately judged by the dollars that are brought in the door that help students achieve educational success and universities enhance resources. Providing support and for institutions to grow those funding numbers requires cooperation and collaboration across campuses. These kinds of collaborations were on full display at the 2019 UNC System Advancement Symposium hosted by ECU May 15-17.
ECU welcomed more than 550 attendees to the Main Campus Student Center for the fifth annual symposium, which gave attendees the opportunity to participate in interactive breakout sessions, plenary speeches, and engage with their peers across 16 universities. Topics ranged from donor relations to annual giving to campaign management and communication.
Tim Minor, vice president of University Advancement for the UNC System, right, talks with Brian Sischo of NC State University.
“Our work in advancement has never been more important in higher education. Our work has the power to reach every corner of our universities,” said Christopher Dyba, vice chancellor of university advancement at ECU.
Timothy Minor, vice president of university advancement for the UNC System, said the symposium was created in 2014 to offer professional development for university employees that was low cost and high impact.
“What I hope to encourage is using our talent to grow our folks here. How can we leverage the talent at one institution or several institutions to benefit all of our institutions? We’re all here to share ideas, learn and network, for the benefit of the institutions and also the state. We owe it to our citizens of North Carolina to have strong institutions.”
An opening session at the symposium featured a conversation with Dr. Bill Roper, interim president of the UNC System, and Dan Gerlach, interim chancellor of ECU. In his first public speaking event as interim chancellor, Gerlach said the role advancement plays within universities is vitally important.
“Here at ECU we are a mission-focused institution. We pride ourselves on who we take in, not who we keep out. We’re an access institution and proud of it. We need to build on the greatness that’s already here and make it better,” he said.
Roper challenged attendees to keep in mind who they serve and why they do what they do.
“People give to people, not programs. We have to be inspired by the work that we do in order to present asks to individuals who have the means to give to universities,” he said. “Private fundraising enables us to go from good to great in many respects.”
The 2019 UNC System Advancement Symposium was made possible by the following sponsors: Blackbaud, TIAA, Academic Impressions, CapDev, CCS Fundraising, Grenzebach Glier and Associates, The Roberts Group, Aspen Leadership Group, Washburn McGoldrick, DonorSearch, Graham-Pelton, Advizor Solutions, Inc., Marts & Lundy, GiveCampus and Ellucian.
More than 550 people gathered at ECU for the 2019 UNC System Advancement Symposium May 15-17, one of the largest conferences of its kind in the country.