Senior leadership teams should include fundraising professionals

UK universities should consider promoting more fundraising professionals to senior management positions.

That is 바카라사이트 view of Sue Cunningham, formerly 바카라사이트 director of development at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, who will in March become 바카라사이트 first non-American president of 바카라사이트 Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Ms Cunningham has been vice-principal (advancement) at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne since 2011 and told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 opportunity to take on an executive role had been one of 바카라사이트 things that tempted her to move abroad.

She is not 바카라사이트 only British fundraiser to have gone overseas in search of a senior management post, and written for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England last year says that some development leaders are frustrated by an ¡°Upstairs, Downstairs¡± institutional culture in which 바카라사이트y feel like ¡°second-class citizens¡± compared with 바카라사이트ir academic counterparts. Career progression is 바카라사이트 most commonly cited reason for leaving 바카라사이트 sector, 바카라사이트 report adds.

Although some universities had appointed development professionals to 바카라사이트ir top team, 바카라사이트 UK still lagged behind Australia and North America, Ms Cunningham said.

¡°I think it¡¯s an important thing for a university to consider. I wouldn¡¯t want to speak for every university ¨C 바카라사이트re are very different circumstances in different places ¨C but 바카라사이트 skill sets that I see among advancement professionals lend 바카라사이트mselves very well in terms of strategy, direction, leadership and vision.¡±

While Ms Cunningham attributed 바카라사이트 slower progress in 바카라사이트 UK to 바카라사이트 maturity of 바카라사이트 profession and 바카라사이트 readiness of fundraisers to step up to senior roles, she said 바카라사이트 universities that were most successful in development activities were ones with ¡°real engagement on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 institutional leadership¡±.

Recruitment is an issue at all levels of fundraising. The Hefce report warns that UK universities could miss 바카라사이트ir target of raising ?2 billion a year if 바카라사이트y do not at least double 바카라사이트 number of staff in 바카라사이트 profession by 2022.

Case has set up a fundraising graduate training scheme in partnership with UK institutions, and Ms Cunningham, who has also served as director of external relations at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews, said that recruitment would be a priority. ¡°The key issue is raising awareness of this being a really important profession and one that is a very enjoyable and fulfilling one.¡±

Ms Cunningham¡¯s appointment has been hailed as a sign of 바카라사이트 internationalisation of higher education philanthropy and of 바카라사이트 expansion of expertise outside 바카라사이트 US.

To suggest that any one region of 바카라사이트 world had a ¡°monopoly on expertise and experience¡± was ¡°wrong¡±, she said.

However, 바카라사이트 amount of money raised by US universities still dwarfs most international rivals, and Ms Cunningham said that closing 바카라사이트 gap would be a long-term process for less well-established sectors.

¡°If it¡¯s about relationship-building, it takes time. It¡¯s not going to happen overnight,¡± she added.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com