As we approach June many of our university friends are finalizing gifts for the fiscal year and gift processing offices are working over time to book gifts by June 30. Development officers are no doubt updating their contact reports and making sure that all of the data of the year is captured and properly recorded.
If you can add one more item to your list I suggest spending a little bit of time thinking about the new people you met this year as a result of all of your efforts. Who are the really dynamic alumni and friends who came forward? Who would make a great speaker at an event in the fall? Can you start to make a list now? It’s a great cultivation opportunity to invite someone to speak and it is also wonderful to find a fresh person to excite the crowd!
We find with university events there is sometimes a last minute scramble to identify the really dynamic speakers who can deliver the message in a compelling way. There are always the tried and true, but its great to infuse new faces who have an interesting twist or story about their love of the institution. Of course, priority #1 is booking the gifts– but if you and your colleagues can start thinking now about booking the talent you can save yourselves a lot of stress in September!
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