BOSTON, July 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study released by Eduventures, Inc., Closing Smarter: Strategies for Successful Major Gift Solicitations, outlines the most important success factors for major gift solicitations, and provides major gift officers and their managers strategies to increase frontline productivity. The study surveyed 242 successful major gift solicitations from 39 postsecondary institutions throughout the United States and will be presented at a luncheon event at the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education's (CASE) Summit for Advancement Leaders in Chicago, IL on July 12th, 2011.
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The study revealed that the average time for a major gift officer to close a gift is approximately three to four months and found that there is no inherently optimal time of year to ask for a gift. With these findings in mind, Eduventures recommends that gift officers and their managers should plan their solicitations schedule much further in advance than the field is today.
According to Cara Quackenbush, Senior Analyst and Program Manager in the Development Learning Collaborative at Eduventures, "We've learned through recent polling that most major gift officers are only mapping out their solicitation plan monthly, quarterly or not at all. Evidence from this study makes a solid case for taking a longer view -- to increase their productivity, gift officers should be planning their solicitations six months or a year in advance, and making quarterly adjustments."
This research helps gift officers to know when to make the case for greater involvement from academic leadership and faculty partners, how to evaluate major gift productivity and fundraising results, and which organizational levers and activities they should focus on to improve their results. It tests commonly held beliefs in the field and provides quantifiable evidence to support what success factors actually drive the most successful solicitation outcomes in major gifts fundraising.
"This study does something unique," said Peter Stokes, Eduventures' Chief Research Officer. "It shows how major gift officers can increase their total dollars raised while decreasing their time to close. Previously, industry standards of this sort have not been available, so this study fills a knowledge gap that previously existed in major gifts fundraising."
To request a copy of this study or to schedule a conversation with Cara Quackenbush, please contact Jennifer Zaslow at 617-532-6065 or via email at [email protected].
About Eduventures
Eduventures, Inc. is a research and consulting firm with deep expertise in higher education. We work with senior leaders at over 300 schools across the United States. Through our Learning Collaboratives and Consulting Division, we work with clients to drive enrollments, raise funds, optimize the academic portfolio, and operate more efficiently. Since 1993, the Boston-based firm has been helping higher education leaders solve pressing challenges with evidence-based insights and guidance. For more information, visit www.eduventures.com.
SOURCE Eduventures
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