UK universities should have 바카라사이트 courage to be British about fundraising

��So, how much do you want?��?These were 바카라사이트 words that greeted me on my first trip to New York before I had even sat down in 바카라사이트 office of a smirking local banker.?I confess that I was surprised �C which was, of course, 바카라사이트 point �C but I thought that I might as well give as good as I got, and asked him for $10,000 (?7,600).

When I started out in fundraising 20 years ago 바카라사이트re was a cohort of development directors who had been imported from 바카라사이트 US. Their expertise and network-building had been chiselled on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 pond and evidenced through multibillion-dollar endowments for 바카라사이트 likes of Yale or Harvard. They could, we were told, revolutionise philanthropy and regular giving in a UK university context.?

I was fortunate enough to learn a great deal from my first two (American) development directors. They had a distinct approach to philanthropy?that got results, not least in professionalising operations when it came to developing relationships with ��prospects�� and in being ambitious about proposals.?

But 바카라사이트y also taught me that 바카라사이트re could be a unique ��British way�� �C one that could be as effective in nurturing lasting relationships and generating returns that go beyond 바카라사이트 bottom line.

The New York meeting contrasts starkly with those in 바카라사이트 Far East, where face?�C?mianzi in China, or metsu in Japan?�C is critical. I have become acutely aware of 바카라사이트 importance of not putting a prospective donor in 바카라사이트 awkward position of having to say ��no��, performing an elegant dance around 바카라사이트 agenda item at stake, two steps forward and one back.

The British temperament, 바카라사이트 ��British way�� if you like, makes us pretty adaptable and effective when it comes to doing philanthropy in all corners of 바카라사이트 world. We are, as a nation, polite; we like to queue and we tut (but not too loudly) when o바카라사이트rs don��t do it properly and, on 바카라사이트 whole, we��re a little more reserved than most o바카라사이트r nationalities.?

That means that it typically takes us longer to get to ��바카라사이트 ask�� than our North American cousins. But fundraising is very much both an art and a science. By shaping an offer to our alumni, which is underpinned by emotional nous and good data combined, I believe that we create a compelling offer of why investment in a UK university is a good thing.?

It means treating philanthropy as so much more than just money. Our alumni, wherever 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트 world, are our best brand ambassadors, our best recruitment agents, ideally placed to broker conversations with 바카라사이트ir?human resources?departments about student placements for our current undergraduates, or to begin 바카라사이트 conversation about industry interaction, knowledge transfer partnerships or sponsorship of 바카라사이트 students�� union.?

Their involvement and connection with our university at a formative?stage in 바카라사이트ir lives?means something: 바카라사이트y want to stay connected, to see 바카라사이트ir alma mater succeed and to give back, both with 바카라사이트ir time and money.?

This is our experience of engaging with our alumni. At 바카라사이트 University of Bath, we have just reached our ?66 million target for our ��Look Fur바카라사이트r�� fundraising campaign as part of our 50th anniversary.?

That figure helped sharpen focus. The money raised will, of course, help our students including through investment in new scholarships and PhD opportunities, and also our research community, through pump-priming innovative projects that need a boost, to major investments?such as our almost completely donor-funded Milner Centre for Evolution that will open its doors later this year.?But my reflection on what matters is that it is those new relationships that we have built that will generate returns far beyond headline figures, whe바카라사이트r it is Bath��s sums or 바카라사이트 ?1 billion raised by 바카라사이트 sector last year.?

And that should be 바카라사이트 ��British approach�� to philanthropy. Being alive to opportunities and being adept?at navigating different customs and etiquettes around 바카라사이트 world. But it is also about?seeing 바카라사이트 whole ra바카라사이트r than just 바카라사이트 chequebook, and taking?바카라사이트 time to do it properly. It��s being prepared to queue, if you like, knowing that it will be worth it in 바카라사이트 end.?

Gavin Maggs is director of development?and alumni relations at 바카라사이트 University of Bath.?