Chapter 30:

 University Development and Advancement

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INTRODUCTION

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As a state institution, San Francisco State University has a special obligation to communicate with the citizens of California regarding how it is performing in meeting the needs of the state. In addition, given heightened competition for scarce state resources, the university must increasingly seek to complement state dollars with private funding. The institution, in fulfilling its educational mission, also finds itself compelled to attempt to influence government decision-making on matters of importance to the future of higher education. This chapter will attempt to demonstrate how the university is engaging in the above endeavors, most especially through the activities of its relatively new Division of University Advancement.

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University Advancement was created in September 1996 in response to the need for aggressive and coordinated external relations and a comprehensive fundraising effort. Prior to 1996, some units which now comprise Advancement were housed in different areas on campus; others, such as Publications, Special Events, and Community Relations did not exist. The newly created position of vice president for university advancement was charged with oversight of Alumni Relations, Development, Public Affairs, Publications, and Government Relations. Additional responsibilities were added including external partnerships, special events, commencement, community relations, and the university's centennial celebration. The vice president also serves as executive director of the SFSU Foundation and is involved in other projects relating to the university's internal and external constituencies, including the development of public-private partnerships. He also has administrative oversight of SFSU’s Division of Capital Planning, Design and Construction.

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University Advancement's mission is to foster a greater understanding of and support for San Francisco State University. Advancement activities are developed to ensure that SFSU is visible, well funded, and recognized for the value it provides to its diverse constituents: students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community stakeholders. While each of the areas under Advancement has distinct responsibilities, staff members understand that collaboration is paramount to achieving the university's mission. This has resulted in remarkable progress since the division was created.

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OVERVIEW 1990-2000

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Public Affairs

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The Office of Public Affairs has had a long, successful history of helping to build strong visibility and support for the university. Although the office historically provided both internal and external communications, in the mid-1990's Public Affairs refocused its efforts almost exclusively on expanding and informing external audiences.

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During the past few years, the Office of Public Affairs helped create a positive climate of support for San Francisco State University through increased direct contact and extensive media coverage. The office has planned and executed several advertising campaigns to communicate core messages about the university to targeted audiences. These end goals have included increasing general visibility for the university, outlining the strength of the university through the accomplishments of alumni and increasing enrollment applications. In 1999, the office won a CASE Award of Excellence for its centennial campaign that ran on radio, television, and in transportation shelters.

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Public Affairs also introduced a research component to inform its activities. The office directed outside research agencies to identify attitudes, perceptions, understanding, and opportunities with area employers, alumni, and potential students. The results from each project were shared with the campus community and used to inform, redirect, and reprioritize advancement and enrollment activities. The office also recently initiated the formation of a campus-wide Marketing Advisory Team that is co-chaired by the director and reports directly to the president. The team’s current priority is identifying new approaches toward increasing enrollment and visibility by working in large and small cross-departmental teams.

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In addition to seeking opportunities to increase understanding and support for the university through public relations and marketing activities, the office also handles the media in relation to potentially controversial issues. The goal in this arena is either to keep the university out of the media, or to ensure the university is reflected accurately and as positively as possible during a controversy.

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Development

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In the early 1990's, Development was comprised of a small staff of development officers and support personnel. In 1995 and 1996, additional fundraisers were added and assigned primary responsibility in the various colleges. Following the creation of the Division of University Advancement in 1996, Development was reorganized into a centralized structure, and each fundraiser became responsible for a university-wide portfolio. Development's scope and activities expanded significantly to include such components as major gifts, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, Annual Fund, and prospect research.

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In Fall 1997, a director of development was hired; and by the end of the 1997-98 academic year, the university had reached a new development milestone—the establishment of its first $1 million endowed chair. The office produced a handbook outlining development operating procedures, foundation guidelines, investment policies, contact reports, and gift forms as part of an ongoing effort to better inform and educate faculty, staff, and others about the breadth and scope of development operations.

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The reorganization of 1996 helped to refocus resources and efforts, which resulted in the consistent upward growth that is still being experienced today. Development was recognized for its efforts with a prestigious 1999 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Award for Excellence for Most Improved Fundraising Program.

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Among one of the most welcome signs of growing support to the university is increased participation by alumni and friends of SFSU in the Annual Fund drive. In the past fiscal year the number of Annual Fund donors increased 27 percent to more than 5,000, due largely to a multi-tiered, segmented strategy of frequent direct mail solicitation and telemarketing for lapsed donors and the expansion of tailor-made solicitations designed to tap the support of various college, program, and athletics alumni and friends.

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In recent years, the Office of Development enhanced its infrastructure by hiring additional development officers and support personnel. Last year Development completed its database conversion to BSR/Advance, a system with much greater data organization and reporting potential, and transferred gift processing from the University Foundation to Development.

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In many respects, 1999-2000 was a banner year. Significant major gift highlights include:

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• From individuals: $2.4 million from Robert Pasker and his wife, Laurie Pitman, for The Phyllis and Jamie Pasker Chair in United States History and departmental endowment fund; a $162,269 stock gift from Sarane Bowen and an $87, 338 stock gift from Howard and Ann Allen for the Romberg Tiburon Center.

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• From corporations: $526,000 from Panasonic for the BECA digital Lab; $73,000 from Macromedia and $34,838 from Adobe, Inc. for the College of Extended Learning.

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• From foundations: $2.1 million from the Rolkin Trust for the University Endowment Fund; $942,000 from the California Endowment Fund for the College of Health and Human Services; $500,000 from the Bernard Osher Foundation for the Presidential Scholars Program.

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Special Events

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The Office of Special Events was created in 1998 in response to the need for a more coordinated special events effort on the campus. The new responsibilities of commencement and the 1999 centennial celebration, in addition to increasing numbers of donor-related events, spurred the need for this new office. This past year, the office focused its efforts on events and programs related to the second half of the centennial celebration, the centennial gala held in December 1999, and commencement.

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Government Relations

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From 1993-1996, a staff member was employed in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to increase federal funding opportunities and to engage the university in the federal education policy process. In February 1997, the Advancement Office took on those activities and hired a director of government relations. A half-time person and a staff assistant were added to the office.

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Government Relations is responsible for addressing governmental education policies, regulations, and procedures relevant to the university's programs, faculty, staff, and students. The office is involved in attempting to influence policy decisions that have a financial impact on SFSU through the state budget, federal grants and contracts, state and local funding opportunities, and financial aid for students. The activities of this office help to enhance the university's reputation in the eyes of government officials, business and industry representatives, other colleges and universities, the campus community, and the general public.

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In 1999-2000, Government Relations increased its outreach to public officials and their staffs at the local, state, and federal levels, increased support and visibility for community services activities, and assisted with the management of a federal Head Start program for the City and County of San Francisco.

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In August 2000, the office added a community relations function. A new position was established to assist the university in developing a new community relations strategy, providing more consistent communication with neighborhood organizations, and establishing a database of community project information. (See Chapter 15, External Partnerships and Community Service.)

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Publications

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The Office of Publications came into being as a separate entity in 1995-96. Before that time, various academic and administrative departments produced university publications. In Spring 1995 it had become clear that SFSU needed a coordinated and consistent approach to producing university publications. It was evident that well-written, creatively designed publications that reached specialized audiences would serve to enhance the overall image of the university, improve fundraising, increase targeted university enrollment, and foster pride among alumni, faculty, staff, and students.

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The Publications Office was formed and a director was named from existing staff in Public Affairs. Additional staff members were hired for writing, editing, and graphic design. Limited editorial and graphic design support began for university offices, particularly those reaching external audiences.

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The 1996-97 academic year was the first year of operation for the Office of Publications under the auspices of University Advancement. Since that time, the office has supported some 200 projects per year representing all areas of the university. In addition, Publications initiated major campus-wide projects including a new logo and visual identity program, award-winning publications and web sites during the university's centennial celebration in 1999, and a partnership with Computing Services on the design and organization of the university's web site. In the last three years, the Publications Office has won seven awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education for both print and electronic materials.

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Building on the success of the university's centennial in 1999, SFSU launched a new university magazine in Fall 2000. The twice-yearly, four-color publication will reach more than 100,000 alumni, donors, friends, prospective students, and members of the university community.

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Alumni Relations

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At the time of the last WASC study, the San Francisco State University Alumni Association had some 4,000 sustaining members, a total database of 70,000, and 14 chapters developed along college and department academic disciplines. Activities included a number of annual social events and some small attempts at fundraising for Association scholarships. Administrative support consisted of an alumni director and a small clerical support staff. In 1998 the Alumni Association moved into its own building; the "Alumni House" provided significantly more office and storage space, as well as increased visibility.

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By 2000, Alumni Association membership had increased 20% to approximately 5,000, including over 1,300 life members. The Association completed the year with 34 domestic chapters and three international chapters (Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong), with a database containing over 140,000 addressable alumni.

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In honor of the university’s centennial celebration, the Alumni Association pledged $100,000 in scholarships over five years. Recent major events have included: the Alumni Wall of Fame, recognizing seven distinguished alumni; the Scholarship Awards Banquet, honoring 15 scholarship recipients; and chapter and regional events including a Washington, D.C. reception in May 2000.

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In the Fall of 2000, the Alumni Office moved to consolidate mutually beneficial alumni programs with Development and other areas of Advancement. These included chapter liaison functions with colleges and departments, as well as special events planning. In 2001 and beyond, alumni relations functions will be incorporated into the structure of Advancement. It is envisioned that an extended, more focused, and cost effective alumni relations program will result, one that will provide enhanced services and programs to our former students.

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Centennial Celebration

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The 1999 San Francisco State University Centennial offered numerous new opportunities to connect with tens of thousands of alumni, friends, neighbors, and members of the campus community. Planning for the event began a full two years earlier with the establishment of a broad-based campus/community advisory group that evaluated more than 100 proposals for university activities and events to be held throughout the year. Activities were clustered around three main activities: the first-ever Founders Day in March 1999, including a campus birthday party with a 100-foot long birthday cake; the Centennial Commencement in May 1999, with 5,000 graduates in new robes of university purple; and a gala celebration in the City Hall rotunda, in December 1999, featuring notable alumni such as San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and actress Annette Bening.

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The centennial celebrated and recognized the university's strengths, set the stage for future initiatives, contributed to a record-breaking year of giving to the university, and helped bring forward positive messages about the campus to its external and internal communities. Media coverage included a large Sunday piece in The San Francisco Chronicle covering the university's history and contributions and an editorial praising its history of educating students from all backgrounds and walks of life. A commemorative centennial publication was warmly received, resulting in new funding for a twice-yearly university magazine.

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Capital Planning, Design, and Construction

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In September 2000, authority for capital planning, design, and construction was transferred to Advancement. Capital Planning is responsible for campus physical expansion and infrastructure needs and capital improvements. Ongoing projects of this office include classroom and laboratory renovations, seismic retrofits and upgrades, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance renovations and modifications, and other major and minor infrastructure adjustments. The office is also the campus pivot point for the new Village at Centennial Square complex. (This area of university concern has already been covered in detail in Chapter 29.)

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UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT:
CHALLENGES and OPPORTUNITIES

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The very creation of the Advancement unit has engaged the university in activities whose successes are no longer exclusively measured by money raised. Rather, the work of Advancement concerns a more strategic and holistic approach to furthering SFSU’s visibility, funding, and recognition. In the past ten years, Advancement has begun to successfully address the complex issues concerning the evolving role of the university in the community; the increasing role of technology in the media and in fundraising; ongoing demands for capital funding for new facilities or improvements in existing structures; management of the demands of a crowded campus; and the increased need for clear communication and information sharing among departments. Within every Advancement success story of the past decade lies the seed of a future challenge.

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VISIBILITY

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Advancement's goal is to increase the university's stature as a learning institution and community partner through broad-based, candid, and responsive communiqués to local, regional, and nationwide media sources and university stakeholders. While many of the accomplishments are showcased by Public Affairs and Publications, the other Advancement units play significant roles. In the past decade, significant inroads have been made through advertising campaigns, new publications, outreach to alumni and others, database systems, and web development. While there has been a focus on increasing the exposure of the university through a number of internal and external publications, Advancement also recognizes the importance of remaining abreast of rapidly changing technologies: donor database management, new methods of news distribution, and the Internet, among others. Such improvements require highly trained staff as well as technology to meet the challenges of the future.

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Since 1990, the following notable milestones in visibility have been achieved:

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• Advertising and image campaigns to increase the university’s applications for admission.

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• A new database system and endeavors to refine reporting and data integrity procedures.

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• A university magazine that features SFSU—its past, present, and future—and highlights its contributions over the years to the Bay Area and beyond.

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• A new graphic identity for the university.

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• Successful web development work and collaboration with Admissions and other units to improve their web sites.

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• Increased outreach to alumni, donors, and friends.

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• Editorial, design, and production services for all university departments and programs requesting assistance.

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• Coordination of centennial events including student carnivals with music, food, and entertainment; staff appreciation lunches on the quad including food, music, and prizes; presidential brunches with donors, community leaders, faculty, staff, and corporate representatives; and the "Veterans of Comedy Wars" events including post-event receptions for comedians, donors, and guests.

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• Planning and execution of centennial year commencement attended by over 22,000 students, their families, and guests.

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• Media headlines for the university, including stories on a new Center for Tropical Research; the discovery of a new planetary system by two SFSU professors; Dialogue on Race; the centennial celebration; the demolition of the long-vacant student dormitory; and groundbreaking for the new Village at Centennial Square.

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• Most recent headlines, including stories on world-wide conservation work by biologist Tom Smith; the Valencia Health Center—a cooperative venture between SFSU and UCSF; causes of a harmful algae bloom off the coast of California; a major art exhibit of Chinese master Chang Dai-chien; and SFSU researchers’ documentation of the first case of parasitic insects cooperating to mimic their hosts.

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• Establishment of a community relations function within Government Relations.

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RECOGNITION

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Advancement's goal is to reinforce the university's ideal of "strength through diversity" by showcasing faculty and student excellence and securing legislative support and acknowledgement. Advancement strives to make SFSU a "flagship" university in the CSU system as it works to influence government education policies, regulations, and procedures relevant to the university's programs, faculty, staff, and students. In the future, Advancement must continue to position SFSU as a premier choice within the CSU system, despite the ever-increasing demands of increased enrollment and new facilities, competition for legislative support resources, and rivalry for superior faculty. Advancement must also continue to find ways to strengthen the role of the university as a responsive and complementary partner to a dynamic and unique city.

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Notable milestones since 1990 include:

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• Initiating and maintaining contact with key congressional staff in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which resulted in an opportunity for President Corrigan to testify before the House Education Committee about the importance of the Urban Community Service Program.

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• Support for a Bay Area congressional delegation that successfully included language in the Higher Education bill for a campus-based child care program, an early intervention and retention program for middle school students, the Urban Community Service Program, and changes to the work-study program to promote tutoring in local schools as part of America Reads.

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• Coordinated efforts to pursue funding for President Corrigan’s America Reads program in San Francisco.

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• Information and advice to the White House and the U.S. Department of Education on the development of the High Hopes initiative, which was ultimately enacted in the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 as GEARUP.

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• Producing an interactive centennial web site that featured a calendar of SFSU's centennial activities and provided opportunities for visitors to send greetings and for alumni to record their memories of SFSU.

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• Preparing media and public relations materials for the gubernatorial debate hosted on campus in 1998. Public Affairs worked with the producer, both candidates and their staffs, media sponsors, and university staff on logistics and campus/community outreach.

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• Producing and distributing the institution's first Report to Contributors, an annual report listing donors and profiling major donors to the university.

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• Developing the SFSU Ambassadors for Higher Education program and organizing an inaugural kickoff event.

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• Hosting the regional meeting of the White House Conference on Early Childhood Development and Learning, in conjunction with the Regional Department of Education.

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• Establishing a Government Relations Council on campus in an effort to better coordinate, communicate, and execute governmental relations activities.

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• Supporting President Corrigan in his leadership role in the CSU Presidential Advisory Group on Federal Relations and assisting in the development of a CSU federal relations strategy and statewide agenda.

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• Receiving the "Best New Media Award" for the centennial web site from the North Bay Multimedia Association.

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FUNDRAISING

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The Development Office is directly responsible for raising private funds for the university. The staff also works closely with Special Events, Government Relations, and Public Affairs to ensure the success of their efforts. Development's objective is to secure a wide range of consistent and generous support that both reflects the university's distinctive history as an urban learning center and ensures a financially sustainable future as a collaborative, multicultural, learning institution.

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Development representatives meet regularly with college deans, faculty, and university administrators to review current priorities and discuss new opportunities for securing private funds. Ongoing contact with campus entities is considered a high priority for the Advancement unit. In fact, staff from all departments work closely with deans, faculty, staff, and administrators to discuss specific projects and ongoing priorities to ensure that Advancement is meeting the needs of the campus community.

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Over the past ten years, total private giving and endowment balances have increased significantly. The following data provide an overview of SFSU’s accomplishments in the past decade:

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Selected Fundraising Totals and Endowment Balances 

Year

Fundraising Totals

Endowment Balances

1990-91

$4,954,867

$3,772,426

1995-96

$3,378,018

$6,352,558

1999-2000

$15,551,463

$20,644,971

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In fiscal year 1999-2000, the university’s private giving and sponsorship activity totaled over $15 million, an increase of over 183% over ten years. In addition, endowment balances have grown by over 447% percent in the same period.

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The funding needs of SFSU will only continue to diversify and increase. The work of building a university characterized by academic rigor, excellent facilities, and talented faculty will place increasing demands on all dimensions of fundraising: major donor support, endowments, alumni outreach, and corporate and foundation support. Much of the natural tension inherent in SFSU’s environment (such as the high cost of living in San Francisco and the need for new and improved facilities) is coupled with a highly competitive national marketplace for professional fundraisers. In addition, Advancement must continue to pursue state-of-the-art technologies for donor management and for enhanced communication to alumni, other donors, and potential donors. Since the Division of Advancement’s inception, the Development Office has achieved numerous successes:

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• Improving development information systems resulting in a total of 215,000 names and addresses in the database; expanding the Annual Fund to 165,000 alumni and friends with approximately 50,000 targeted for telemarketing.

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• Significant individual, corporate, and foundation gifts including: a $2.4 million gift from alumnus Robert Pasker to establish the Jamie and Phyllis Pasker Endowed Chair in United States History and a departmental endowment fund; $942,000 from the California Endowment for the College of Health and Human Services; a final pledge payment of $250,000 to endow a million dollar Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair in Jewish Studies and Social Responsibility; $500,000 towards a $1 million endowment to establish the Bernard Osher Presidential Scholars program; an additional $2 million endowment from Taiwanese entrepreneur Y. F. Chang for Presidential Scholarships ($1 million) and for an endowed chair in International Business ($1 million); and a $526,000 gift for a digital television project in Broadcasting and Electronic Communication Arts.

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• Increasing planned gifts and bequests including the estates of Louise Bernheim to create a University Scholarship Endowment and Doris Murphy to support scholarships in Labor History. The university also received a $2.1 million distribution from the Arline Rolkin Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust for the University Endowment Fund.

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• Increasing Annual Fund solicitations in 1998-99 (including direct mail and telemarketing) to 150,000, more than twice the number of solicitations than for 1997-98. That year, the Annual Fund raised $237,000, an increase of almost 100% over 1997-98 totals. In 1999-2000 fund contributions increased by 21% to $301,500.

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• In 1999-2000, increasing the total number of donors 27% to 5,179 from a 1998-99 total of 4,073.

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• Securing corporate sponsorship for the 1999 centennial celebration, including First USA Bank, 49ers Foundation, Ernest Gallo, PG&E, Pepsi-Cola, and Charles Schwab. Many local sponsors provided gifts for the Founders' Week celebration, and individual donors gave to a special Centennial Fund.

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CONCLUSION

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This past year, the university expanded its reach through an aggressive Annual Fund, additional corporate sponsorships, and increased foundation support. The centennial celebration, from January through December 1999, created a positive opportunity for alumni, donors, friends, and others to invest in and become a part of the larger SFSU community. In the future, Advancement will embark on a focused strategic plan aimed at taking the operation to the next level of achievement. Goals for the future include:

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• Continuing to increase outreach to new and existing donors and consequent funding to the university, especially by alumni, and launching an e-commerce web portal.

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• Endowing a program in every college.

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• Maintaining high levels of university visibility while creating a more effective, research-based, communications/marketing program and initiating a campus-wide integrated marketing strategy; implementing recommendations from prospective student research into communications and strategic programs.

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• Developing a cross-departmental community relations outreach effort.

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• Increasing use of technology to improve communications with high priority audiences; upgrading the Public Affairs web site to increase the participation and interest of key constituencies; implementing a new yearly planning structure for legislative priorities.

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• Continuing to identify and strengthen linkages among Advancement departments.

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An efficient and successful advancement program is vital to the health of a campus and its larger community. The Advancement Division's consistent level of achievement and growth continues to reaffirm and legitimize SFSU's investment in this increasingly important area.

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