The CASE V conference held annually in Chicago is one of the highlights of the year for me. It brings together development and communications staff from higher education across the mid-west. The volunteer staff did an outstanding job once again of coordinating a splendid array of educational sessions and get together opportunities.

It was the awards table that caught my eye. As I strolled slowly by, pausing to read a headline, view a unique page design or some other attribute of the award winning hard copy, it occurred to me just how much the communications department is so vital to the success of a campaign.

Once a campaign is launched it is the development staff that take center stage. Celebrations take place to announce the launch of the public phase of the campaign, acknowledge the leadership gifts already received and to gather some emotional momentum towards the development efforts yet to come.

Think about the recent campaigns you have heard about. Think about how many times you have heard the news that they had a number of first time donors who made a gift of $1 million.

When we stop and think about that for a moment it really is quite remarkable.

People who have never made a gift before stepping up and making a gift / pledge of $1 million. We saw this at the University of Arkansas, University of Michigan, Stanford, University of Miami and many others across the USA. The billion dollar campaigns, of which there are many, over 40 currently underway according to some sources, now count on these newbie big gift donors to help them reach their goals.

In fact that trend has spread internationally to Canada where the University of Toronto, University of Alberta and McGill have each reported $1 million first time donors.

But where do all these people come from? What makes them want to give so generously, especially the first time they have ever made a gift to the nonprofit organization? Development staff are the ones who take center stage and get the lions share of recognition for campaign success but is that the whole picture.

I don't think so.

It is something you may have heard me mention before, in-direct stewardship. Think of all those press releases and communication bulletins published by in the weeks, months and years leading up to a campaign. The messages are about accountability, responsible actions, showing the donor community that the nonprofit is doing what they said they were going to do with the money they received.

Getting the word out to community in advance of the campaign is the ongoing and often under-appreciated work of the communications staff. I suggest to you that their work represents in-direct stewardship, perhaps one of the most valuable assets of your nonprofit organization. They blaze the path and tell the story of the mission and vision in advance of the development staff. You could say they help pay-it forward to the donor community.

So as you celebrate the gifts received this past year and ready yourselves for 2010, take a moment a acknowledge your communications team.

Seasons Greetings
Next entry comes in January 2010

Contributing author, Terry Burton, is President of Dig In Research. Author, speaker and consultant on emerging trends & strategies for major gifts. For more information please visit my web site at http://diginresearch.biz or call 248-881-2323. Follow me on Twitter @Major_gifts.