May 8, 2013
Dear Members of the University of Colorado Community,
Over the past five years, the University of Colorado has focused on examining and improving our activities that affect our funding streams. Continual declines in state funding and threats to federal research funding demand that we do so to continue to meet our public mission.We have passed legislation over several sessions of the General Assembly that has allowed us to be more efficient and save millions, bolstered our reputation, cut staff and services (reducing administrative overhead 44 percent below national peers), improved our business practices, cut red tape and enhanced engagement with key constituents. Additionally, many faculty are teaching and advising more. We are in the process of improving the administration of our research enterprise and diversifying research partners.A study of our fundraising is part of that continuing process. While CU has had strong fundraising results in recent years, we need to raise more money to support our academic and research efforts.
To that end, we commissioned Grenzebach, Glier and Associates (GG+A), a leading international philanthropic services firm, to assess our efforts and recommend improvements. We have worked with GG+A since last fall and recently received their recommendations.
The primary recommendation is to realign our development organizational structure and move fundraising staff from the CU Foundation to the university. Doing so will provide clear and direct reporting lines from fundraisers to academic leadership, chancellors and the president. Aligning responsibility with authority to ensure accountability is a core management principle. The current structure does not always foster such alignment. The CU Foundation will continue its fiduciary and investment management responsibilities. We also will continue to benefit from the valuable contributions of the volunteer CU Foundation Board of Directors and Board of Trustees.
The change will help us take fundraising to the next level to more closely reflect operations at high-performing public universities nationwide. The initial phase of the transition includes moving campus-based fundraisers and their support staff from the CU Foundation to the campuses. They will become university employees.
We will also hire an executive vice president for university advancement, who will report to the president and oversee our advancement operations. We expect to have the first phase of the transition complete by July 1. Remaining units will be reviewed to determine what should follow and which functions will remain at the Foundation. Naturally, many questions arise with such a move. A university transition team to answer those questions and work out details is already meeting. A transition team also will be formed at the Foundation. The teams will coordinate efforts.
GG+A also had recommendations about how CU can improve its efforts in areas such as alumni engagement, annual fund operations, parent funds, major gifts and volunteer engagement. We are reviewing those recommendations and determining implementation strategies.
We have discussed the new direction with the CU Board of Regents, CU Foundation Board of Directors and Board of Trustees, campus leadership, campus offices of contracts and grants, the president’s executive staff and leadership of the CU Foundation. All strongly support the recommendations.
We are confident that this new direction will help CU to enhance a key revenue stream and help ensure that we continue to meet our mission.
For feedback, contact [email protected].
Sincerely,
Bruce D. Benson, President
University of Colorado
Philip DiStefano, Chancellor
University of Colorado Boulder
Don Elliman, Chancellor
University of Colorado Denver
Lilly Marks, Executive Vice Chancellor and Vice President for Health Affairs
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Pam Shockley-Zalabak, Chancellor
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Rick Lawrence, President and CEO
CU Foundation
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