Holidays give me time to ponder.  I’m sure some of the Hartsook staff wish I wouldn’t think so much because I have a reputation of making more work for everyone.  But this Thanksgiving, I didn’t think of more we needed to do to grow philanthropy.  Instead, I was in a very reflective frame of mind.  I thought of three who are not merely making a difference in growing philanthropy, but who have reached “legend” status.

You know Hartsook Institutes gives the Growing Philanthropy Award to individuals and institutions that demonstrate fundraising success through innovation and creativity.  You have read their names, you have seen the announcements, and some of you have even been present when we gave the awards.

Just for a moment, I invite you to look at the back story of three of the legends who received the awards with lessons that can help us emulate them and grow philanthropy.

Most recently, Roger Lowe, retired Senior Vice President of Wichita State University, received the award.  Some of you may have thought, “CFO’s are usually pains in the neck to fundraisers, dismissing estate designations, discounting pledge values, and wanting only unrestricted money and money they can ‘book.’”  Right?

Well, Roger is different.  He does not impede the fundraiser; rather, he tries to remove obstacles so money can be raised.  Imagine!  Let’s say you have a restricted gift to do a project, but not quite enough.  Roger searches for ways to legitimately use other funds to help reach the goal.  Or what if your CEO wants you to raise money for a project that isn’t very flashy. Roger jumps in, looking at alternatives.  To him, where the money comes from isn’t as important as getting the project done. Roger is a rare breed of CFO.  He is a rare problem solver and a good fundraisers greatest ally.

Next, Harvesters, Kansas City’s Food Bank’s Karen Haren and Joanna Sebelien took an idea of creating broadly restricted targets – Initiatives – of Child Hunger, Family Feeding, Nutrition, and Senior Feeding to present their case.  Instead of whining about hunger, they demonstrated how they were going to solve a problem.  It was not a public relations stunt when they brought their CFO (another good CFO model) to the same table and worked on an Initiative Budget for the entire organization.  They presented the cost of each program from a comprehensive point of view.

As a result, they have grown annual fundraising from $2 million a year to $14 million in six years.  Their own national organization gave them an award for this, then didn’t follow their example.  While they’re having a big year in fundraising, they are laying off people because they didn’t do the budget relieving part of the strategy.   They didn’t understand that it’s not a gimmick.  It’s real, dedicated organizational change.

Finally, our own Chair in Fundraising, at Indiana University, and his colleague, Jen Shang gave us the research on bequest pledging.  Among the findings is a simple, transformative idea that everyone can make a bequest just as they can an annual fund gift.  This 2008 research is slowing catching on.  We have three bequest pledging organizations in which the numbers are fantastic all over.  In less than 10 months, Tulsa Boys Home asked each of their 44 board members to give through a bequest.  Only one turned them down and they have nearly $5 million committed in six months.

As a national organization, The Heritage Foundation has the challenge of communicating with their donors through direct response and then following up.  Asking for bequests, they have closed 221 bequests this year valued at over $20 million, almost three times the average of previous years.

Finally, the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City is in a campaign but has discovered the inclination of their membership to give has raised $5 million in bequests just from their Board of twelve.  In the Sargeant/Shang research you’ll learn that an agency is 17 times more likely to get an estate gift if they ask.

At Wichita State University, thirty million dollars was raised from 276 donors as a result of the Bequest Giving Strategy; over $75 million in fundraising growth because an organization was thinking from the donor’s point of view and established a partnership with the CFO instead of focusing on the competition.  This innovation changed the direction of a university.

Some may dismiss this as just another series of random stories and situations.  No, each of these was as a result of a strategy to grow philanthropy in America and in the world.

What is different here is that we observed, watched and recognized with the Growing Philanthropy Award, that each model of behavior can change fundraising in the world.

This past holiday, that’s what I thought about.  It was a great a Thanksgiving.

Obviously, the focus of this controversy should be on the victims of child abuse.  We have had many clients who work in this field so we have an up-close view of the short and long-term implications of this horrific crime.  It looks like the police and the legal system will now do their jobs.  A stern message must be sent.

But that is not the subject of this essay.

Donor recognition is going to rear its head very soon. Appropriately, lost in the outrage of this crime is an issue raised to me Monday by Jack Stripling, a reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education.  The question posed for article, With Sex-Abuse Scandal, Crises Are Multiplying at Penn State, dealt with Assistant Coach Sandusky’s name on a child care facility.  Of course now with new developments, the question has become about Paterno’s name on the University Library and other projects and programs, in part because of his philanthropy to Penn State academic programs.

Well, what do you think?

Does the University leave his name on the building?  Do they owe their donor anything?  Do they fulfill a naming promise?

This is a rapidly developing story, but what is clear is that Coach knew and for whatever reason didn’t follow up on reports.  As this blog is being written the Big Ten has stripped Joe Paterno’s name off of the Big Ten Football Championship Award.  His peers have made their decision.

Why don’t you weigh in on this subject?  The Hartsook Institute at Avila Masters in Fundraising class did, just last week.  Ethics and positioning of the institution are constant in the field.

Send your opinion about how you think this recognition issue should be handled.  If you don’t want to post, send it to me directly at rhartsook@hartsookcompanies.com.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the last time an issue like this will arise.  A healthy discussion now can help you prepare for swift action during a crisis when your head is spinning with questions like, “Why?”

As you start reading this blog, understand that I know I am no Steve Jobs.  Ask anyone — I was wearing those black mock turtle necks before he was.

But his story gives me an opportunity to raise a point.

Okay now that I have your attention, I want to talk about thinking.

I hear you: Oh, no, Bob is on that “We need Thinking Fundraisers” training again.  We get it.  We don’t need to think about this again.

Yeah, you do.

Our country is in a financial crisis.

Government support is going away from nonprofits, I just had a client in Tulsa who got a “no, not this year” from the feds.  The charitable deduction level for the wealthiest is on the chopping block.  Every state is reducing their support and turning to the private sector.  Kansas just lost its federal arts funding.  Not all of the Farm Bill was funded, leaving hunger agencies looking for money.  Missouri cut its support of private colleges by 60 percent last year.  State support of public universities has dropped so far one state college calls itself “state sited” rather than “state supported” or even “state assisted.”

Blame the Republicans.  Blame the President.  Blame our Congress. Just blame.

But why does it matter?  No matter who or what you blame — or even if you don’t — the fact is, we are in trouble.

When I was growing up, whenever I complained about something my mom would say (hear an Australian accent to get the full effect), “Robert, what are you going to do about it?”  She was always the first to remind me that I had a responsibility.  If I didn’t do anything about it, I had no complaining rights.

By the way, she inspired the Hartsook Institutes, the only exclusively fundraising academic institution in the world.  Another time, I’ll talk about all she inspired.  Did you know she inspired the camera in your phone?

Kidding, of course but I am trying to keep you on the Steve Jobs track.

Even with all this economic difficulty, there is enough money for those causes that someone cares about.  Contrary to popular belief, major gift fundraising is actually up.

Soon, Hartsook will be releasing a Success Story on the creation of Initiative Fundraising and how it grows safety net institutions.  Many look at the model and see it as a public relations gimmick or something they already do.  It is neither.  It is a way to respect donors as the major investors they are so you can raise the money needed to fulfill your mission.

I’m still combing through everything I can about Steve Jobs and his life.  I know if I look hard enough, he can inspire me about how to teach nonprofits that they can raise substantial sums of money doing something they didn’t know they needed to do.

Ever get something you didn’t expect?

Better, yet, ever give something you never expected to give?

That is exactly what I will do next Monday.

Wichitan Roger Lowe will receive the Hartsook Institutes Growing Philanthropy Award for Model Nonprofit CFO.  Roger is the Senior Vice President of Wichita State University.

Some of you know that periodically, Hartsook Institutes honors distinguished, model individuals and institutions that inspire expanded philanthropy with the international Growing Philanthropy Award.

Hartsook’s good friend, Wichita State University President Don Beggs nominated our long time mutual friend for the Growing Philanthropy Award for Model Nonprofit Chief Financial Officer.  In his nomination of Roger, President Beggs talked about selflessness, collaboration, and collegiality.  The Hartsook Institutes International Board of Visitors — with representatives from Sydney, Singapore, Cape Town, London and the US — agreed.  Thus, they bestowed the Growing Philanthropy Award on Roger Lowe.

Roger will be the tenth recipient of the GPA (no, GPA is not Grade Point Average in this case; it’s Growing Philanthropy Award . . . though I suspect he had a high GPA at Pittsburg State Unversity in Kansas where he graduated a many years ago).  Other recipients of the GPA include the Kresge Foundation of Troy Michigan; Gene Tempel, the founder of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University; Gerald Franklin of Houston, the major benefactor of the Ohio-based Exchange Clubs Foundation for Child Abuse Prevention; Chicago-based Feeding America’s top Food Bank and others.  Obviously, Roger joins a prestigious and distinguished club.

While this award is obviously well-deserved, it is personal, too.  Roger was CFO of Wichita State when I was there, so I personally second Don’s comments.  I am sure I will write more on this, but as an example, during our time together we developed funding for over 30 buildings and renovations on the WSU campus in just five years.  Not a bad for a couple of Kansas boys.  I am currently writing an essay about the combined power of a CFO and a Fundraiser.  Working together to advance a mission, there is little they can’t accomplish.

Congratulations, Roger, along with a special thanks from me.  Take this in stride.

For me, the anticipation of giving Roger this long-deserved recognition at a special Hartsook Institutes event on National Philanthropy Day in Wichita on November 7 makes me feel like a kid waiting for Christmas morning.

Wow.  It truly is better to give than to receive.

No, the two favorite presidents I’m talking about here are not Washington and Lincoln, even though they were pretty good.

I am talking about Leo Morton and Ron Slepitza.

By coincidence, they are both off to Israel for 10 days on a special trip.  Their absence at the same time made me think how much I respected both of them.

As University of Missouri – Kansas City’s surprise chancellor a few years ago, Leo has led this important KC asset to heights few would have imagined at the time of his appointment.  He would be the first to tell you that he has not done it alone. Numerous members of the city’s business and political leadership have stepped up to support the idea that no great city exists without a great university.

During his tenure, there have been Nobel Prizes, increases in enrollment, expansion of the Bloch School, nationally ranked Management and Entrepreneurship programs, an exciting transformative idea of linking the Conservatory near the inspiring Performing Arts Center, an upcoming Capital Campaign and the list just keeps on going.

I have a sweet spot for urban universities, and UMKC is getting sweeter every day.

My friend, Ron is President of Avila University, a small Catholic school in south Kansas City.  You might know we have a special relationship with this school—our Hartsook Institutes for Fundraising’s first campus program is at Avila.  But before I go there, let me tell you what leadership means, Avila style.

In just five years, Avila has completed a $5 million mini-campaign, implemented a strategic plan for the future, has added not one, but two residence halls, renovated parts of four buildings, begun work on replacing infrastructure, improved student recreational facilities, and built one humongous six acres of green turf that can handle a football game, a soccer match, a softball and baseball game all at the same time (even though you probably wouldn’t want to do that)—construction alone is approaching $20 million.

At the same time, Avila is hosting the Hartsook Institute with one of only three masters in fundraising in the world and the only one outside of NYC.  He proves time and again how an undeterred entrepreneurial spirit can enhance the academic quality of a university.

Both of these men have displayed tremendous leadership.  Their campuses are filled with a variety of students eager to learn, advancing their role in our society.  Yeah, I know there are others that do this.  But when you see it up close like I get to, it is fun to pat them on the back.

Great leaders understand the importance of balance and perspective.  I hope they come back from their trip with renewed insight, energy and understanding.

Safe travels, Presidents Morton and Slepitza.